I fell in love with this book within the first chapter. Aiden Thomas wrote such an incredible book that you immediately feel attached to. It has been a long time since I have read a book where each character I love to read about, not matter what, ranging from the main characters to two pitbull dogs.

This book is powerful on some many levels. From the important LGBTQA+ representation, the main one being Yadriel who is transgender, to the traditional Latinx family that will not allow Yadriel to perform the ritual to become a brujo. Yadriel spends the book trying to prove himself as a brujo to his family, showing that no matter what Lady Death will still accept him. On this path, Yadriel summons the ghost of Julian, who does not want to leave until he figures out his friends are ok and what happened to him.

It was a heartwarming and powerful ownvoices story. I will be recommending this to each and everyone person I can, no matter their age. This is one of the books that I believe will have such an impact on both LGBTQA+ books and Latinx books, as well as literature in general.

This story reminded me of Coco and Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega. I really liked that the main character was told by a transgender point of view. I haven't read a lot of books that the main character is transgender and really enjoyed getting some great rep for it. For me, the book's pace was quite slow. But that being said I was expecting more of a ghost/paranormal mystery story than a love story. I guess it's my bad for not being more informed on the book. I wished it moved a bit faster at times. I did enjoy the traditions and the brujx magic. I thought it was very different from other books I've read. Would recommend.

Fans of Pixar's Coco and Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book will revel in the details of this queer romantic mystery that touches on themes of sexual identity, coming of age, and finding one's place in a community even when you don't conform to everyone's expectations.

I received a complimentary copy of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas from Swoon Reads through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Cemetery Boys came out in September 2020!
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Yadriel wants to claim his place among the brujos, but his traditional Latinx family hasn't allowed him to perform the ritual to become a brujo because he's transgender. Yadriel and his best friend Maritza perform the ritual in secret and Lady Death grants Yadriel the powers of a brujo. Although Lady Death has accepted him, Yadriel knows it might be harder to convince his family. He searches for his murdered cousin, knowing his family can't deny he's a brujo if he summons and releases his cousin's spirit. Instead of his cousin Miguel, Yadriel ends up summoning the spirit of his schoolmate Julian. Yadriel agrees to help Julian check on his loved ones and tie off loose ends before releasing his spirit. But the more time they spend together, the less Yadriel wants to let Julian go.
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This book is phenomenal. The representation is beautiful and perfectly handled! The Latinx roots of the story are vibrant and permeate the whole tale. Yadriel is a fantastic trans character who I adored, and I just wanted nothing but the best for him. Julian is perfectly imperfect and feels so real. He reminded me of some guys I knew in high school. Overall, this book pretty much ties with Felix Ever After for best trans rep this year in my opinion. I will admit that I saw the big reveal coming, but it's YA so that didn't hurt the story for me. I only wish the story had taken place over a longer stretch of time and developed some of the side characters more thoroughly. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for excellent Latinx and trans representation (as well as ghosts and graveyards)!

I can’t decide what I loved most about Cemetery Boys—the plot, the exotic magic or the sweet love story.

What I can say is that if you read one coming-of-age-and-into-your-skin story, this one should be it.

All the stars, Aiden. All the stars.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. I really loved everything about it. It's such a charming story with the most lovable characters -- characters who are unapologetically queer and whose queerness is central to the story but isn't the only thing that defines them. I can't recommend this book enough!

I loved this book. The relationships and romance are amazing and the representation is great. I really liked how Thomas never felt the need to info dump, rather instead trusting the reader to understand the context of topics discussed. Thomas also never translated the Spanish used in this book; once again trusting the reader.

One of my favorite reads of the year.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

I loved the storyline and the characters. It just didn't feel like my book.

I love the diversity and the representation in this book. I feel like a lot of people will feel seen (in a good way) while reading this.

I was excited for this book and was not disappointed. It begins and finished strong with characters that are culturally relevant and feel real.
The writing style was smooth and the cultural aspects helped to set the scenes and really played well with the overall style of the book itself.
Characters were true to their heritage without falling flat or feeling as if they were culturally appropriated. The storyline was solid and held up to the end.

This is a great book for a classroom to get hesitant readers interested in something that may feel relevant to them and has a bit of a fantasy spin to it.

Yadriel is a brujo, no matter what his family says. He comes from a long line of brujx; traditionally, women are healers, and the men can summon the dead (to put it simply). Because Yadriel is trans*, his family won't give him the brujo initiation rights they'd give to other men in the family. He plans to perform the initiation ceremony on his own by summoning his newly dead relative Miguel, but whoops, he summons someone else by mistake--a kid from his school named Julian. Julian doesn't know how he died and says that Yadriel can put him to rest if he helps him solve this mystery and tie up loose ends. And so the adventure begins!

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a lot longer to read this book than it normally would (my mood, not the book), but each time I picked it up, I loved what I was reading and had no problem getting back into the text. The plot was well-developed and well-paced. There were lots of family members, but each one had identifiable traits and personalities, and the plot was packed with intrigue. I will definitely add Aiden Thomas's next book to my tbr list!

I could not put this book down. What a wonderful mix of Latinx culture and fantasy! I loved everything about this book, although I did find it a little predictable. The story was so engaging I was able to put my predictions aside. Great characters who literally jumped off the page for me, especially the spirits! Deserving of the National Book Award nomination for sure!

This was just what I needed this month. It was lovely to read and gave me a break from my daily stresses. Yadriel won my heart pretty much immediately. He's trying so hard to prove himself to his family and the other brujx. I loved the relationship he has with his cousin Maritza and of course the interesting relationship that is brewing with the ghost Yadriel has accidentally summoned.

It is a bit of a comedy in spite of the high stakes and seriousness of the mystery, supernatural activities and family matters. There is also a delightful bit of romance.

Altogether, this is simply a lovely, slightly creepy, romp that I was so glad to get my hands on during stay at home orders. Highly recommended.

This #ownvoices novel is sure to delight YA fantasy fans and anyone searching for a coming-of-age story filled with magic, (a little bit of mayhem), and heart.

Do you know what book I needed in my life? An LGBTQ+ Latinx ghost romcom. Luckily, Aiden Thomas has blessed us with exactly that book. If you want a spoopy book to read this time of year, "Cemetery Boys" needs to be on your radar and your tbr.

It’s been awhile since I read a ghost book, and that lore combined with Latinx and brujx culture was so interesting and captivating. We learn a lot about what it means to be a brujx, and how each character responds to and relates to the community and beliefs. The mystery element is awesome, and fun to try to figure out along with our cast of characters.

The characters are all so amazing. Yadriel is such a compelling, well-written character. He’s struggling to be accepted by his family and brujx community as a boy and as a brujo since he came out as trans. I really felt for him and rooted for him from the first page. His arc really grounds the story, and his story is so so important. Everyone should read this for that alone.

Also, Yadriel’s cousin Maritza is awesome. I loved seeing their relationship; she supports him and loves him unconditionally, and they have a lot of fun together too. Julian, the book’s resident Casper, was not what I expected when we first met him (in the best way). He adds some comedy and thus balances the book’s more serious topics and moments.

But what about the romance, you ask? Yadriel and Julian contrast really nicely on the page. They have very different personalities in some ways, but that made for awesome banter and cuteness overload. I dare you not to smile whilst reading their interactions. It’s impossible. It’s definitely more of a slow burn romance, but it’s too cute for words.

If you’re asking yourself what book you should read as we get closer to spooky season, "Cemetery Boys" is the answer. It’s cute, compelling, important, and there’s a GHOST ROMANCE. Do yourself a favour and give this a read. (But really, read it any time of the year if this sounds like your cup of tea).

I greatly enjoyed the journey that this book takes you with its cast of interesting characters. Not just the fact that main character is trans but the ghosts, and the brujo/bruja world was just absolutely fabulous. A lot of effort went into the building of this world and I think it paid off.

With all of that being said I found the ending/villian very predictable. In fact I figured out almost all of it early on. However, I would definitely still recommend this book to others.

This book was delightful. I loved everything about it. I am in awe of how well the author balanced so many pieces - adventure, love, friendship, mystery, family, culture. Any one of those could have served as the primary focus of this work but instead they were woven together so expertly that everything felt perfectly in its place as part of a grander story. I started this book late last night and woke up early just so I could finish it before work today. Truly transporting, could not put it down!

This book was amazing, so thank you NETGALLEY, for this arc.
I didn't know what to expect because this was my first time reading a book with the main character being a trans, it was eye-opening. We get so stuck with reading books with characters being in one or the other gender, it was refreshing seeing the real struggle that certain communities go through, especially in a minority community. I loved the world of the dead, the festival, the heartwarming friendships, and innocent first love. I will definitely recommend this book as a bookseller and I am so happy that it is our next YA book club pick because I have a lot to say!

A superhero origin story with a paranormal twist blended with Latinx culture and transgender youth!

This story was a delight from beginning to end. Readers are immediately drawn Yadriel's life in the cemetery proving to his family he deserves to be a part of the family legacy. With the help of his sarcastic dependable friend, Maritza, the two decide to perform the ritual themselves in secret. Yadriel is accepted by Lady Death and blesses with gifts but his determination leads him to more than he bargained for. He mistakenly summons a ghost, Julian Diaz, who happens to be a stubborn bad boy from school with no interest in crossing over. Thus begins Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian's journey.

Yadriel is a very likable and relatable character. His growth throughout the story draws readers in and leaves them rooting for him. Maritza is a breath of fresh air and keeps the plot grounded. Julian is well rounded and defies some of the irritating tropes plaguing YA fiction.

The world development is well done and gives a glimpse into a less written side of L.A. Readers will enjoy the seamless blend of Latinx culture, concerning witchcraft (brujx), and the realities of LGBTQ+ identity in this community. This story is generally a light mood and moves at a fast pace. The ending will satisfy readers and leave them wanting more!

*The audiobook includes an interview with the author and reader which is great and I highly recommend listening to!*

Step aside, all those of a close mind—this one isn't for you. This is a book for those looking to see themselves so vividly, so wonderfully in a story. This is for the trans readers who have been pushed aside, misunderstood, unseen, and who've been told they're not enough.

Disclaimer: I'm a white, cisgender gal who regrettable hasn't taken the time to dive into Latinix culture despite being raised in a place where it's quite prominent.

Leading from the above statement, a lot of the Latinx culture and heritage in this book (read: 90% of the content) went right over my head. But the way it was written, the ease and inclusivity of everything?? I felt that. I'm sure those from a Latinx background will appreciate this book more than I could, just as I'm sure transfolk will appreciate this more than I could, too . . . as several of my friends and others have said in their reviews: They felt seen.

Since I really can't speak from a personal perspective regarding all the rep in this book except to shriek "FINALLY YES MORE PEOPLE NEED MORE STORIES LIKE THIS WITH THESE REPRESENTATIONS AND CHARACTER NUANCES AND PORTRAYALS", I'm only going to review the parts that I can really tackle.

P L O T — tbh if I was rating this book on plot alone, it would have gotten a shaky 3 stars. The debut factor plays heavily into the plot development of this book and not in a bad way, just not entirely polished or something memorable. And that's okay because, in a lot of ways, it felt like this book wasn't written to be something with a fantastic, gripping plot. It was written for the characters.

C H A R A C T E R S — Yadriel was absolutely amazing. Julian is a snarky, soft dear. Maritza is the badass queen everybody deserves as a friend. THERE'S SO MANY MORE AMAZING, WELL-DEVELOPED CHARACTERS IN HERE TO SCREAM ABOUT but my brain has decided to cling to these three and kinda go blurry on everything else. But the strongest point of this book from a technical standpoint is the freakin' character depth. They're realistic teenaged characters without seeming overpowered or mini-adults with random spats of drama. They're complicated and messy and annoying because I'm older so I'm like "STOP FIGHTING IT'S STUPID" . . . before I remember having almost the same exact issues when I was a teenager, too.

R O M A N C E — this was EXACTLY the angsty, yearning ghost-human romance I expected from this book . . . but also SO MUCH MORE!! Because while they each had their issues, Yadriel and Julian were unfailingly supportive of each other. They bickered and bantered and gave lots of longing heart-eye glances that had me squirming and internally shrieking jUsT kIsS and hnggfffslkqjkqkgskhajhsjhahjsda so!! friggin!! cute!!!!

So, all in all, what this uncoordinated review is trying to say: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK!! Because it's not just another publication to check off a box on the diversity list; it's bigger and better than that. It's a trans character written by a trans author, shining in their own story without too much angst nor abuse centered on the fact that they're a transperson. THEY'RE JUST A PERSON!! Yes, there are very real struggles such as deadnaming, wriggling into a sweaty binder, living in hoodies, fighting to be really recognized by family as who they are instead of what they were born as . . . but all without being the center of the plot.

Nah, the plot is just two boys bantering their way into love and a mysterious killer.

AND THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE!!!

Anyways, I could go on and on, but I shan't. I shall merely leave this horrible review as it is & hope you understand that my flailing is because I loved this story, the world needs this and many, many more like it, and I can't wait to dive into what else this author has to offer.

This would be a good book to pair with a viewing of the animated film "Coco"--to get the colorful visuals to go along with this YA novel also set during Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead festivities. At least, Coco was running through my mind as I read it! Sixteen-year-old trans boy Yadriel lives with his large extended family in an old house by a church cemetery in East L.A., and he's always wanted to join the family business: to be a brujo, a male witch who can see and hear the spirits of the dead--all year long-- and help them on their journey to the afterlife by physically severing their connection to their "tether" (an object important to them in their life). Female witches, brujas like Yadriel's cousin Maritza, can also see spirits but they perform other duties such as healing. But Yadriel's father has denied him the chance to participate in the official ceremony that all 15 year old brujos undergo to become one; he still thinks of Yadriel as female. So Yadriel is an outcast from his clan of brujx, as is Maritza, because as a vegan she refuses to perform healing magic since it involves animal blood. But Yadriel desperately wants to prove to his father that he really is a brujo--by summoning a spirit and then releasing it. And here's the catch: when Yadriel summons a spirit, that of teenager Julian, the spirit doesn't want to be released! Instead, Julian wants Yadriel's help to make sure his friends and family are all right; and, no one can find Julian's physical body, nor the body of Yadriel's cousin Miguel who has died under equally mysterious circumstances, and Julian wants to know how he died. Yadriel has to keep Julian's spirit presence a secret from his family (because the whole clan can sense spirits!) while the two of them try to achieve their plan. Julian and Yadriel's personalities are very different--Yadriel is quiet and studious while Julian is hyper, bouncy, willing to break the rules, a little dangerous (in life he had a 'bad boy' reputation). This leads to some really fun scenes between the two, especially when Julian demands to tag along to school with Yadriel (remember, no one can see or hear him except a brujx, so as you can imagine, Julian the frequent cutup is immediately tempted to prank people in his invisible state). And of course, Julian is super hot and both he and Yadriel are gay. Kind of predictable maybe but who cares, it's a fun romance!

This is a really cool story that showcases a warm Latinx family and the rich cultural traditions of Dia de los Muertos; a sweet LGBT romance--with a ghost! Will it work out?; and some really spooky supernatural magical action. And it was just put on the National Book Award for Young People's Literature long list. Fine for middle school although there are a couple of f-bombs. Very nice sprinkling of Spanish vocabulary throughout, explained in context. The descriptions of the tasty food prepared for Dia made me so hungry...and I'm not a spirit!