#the main character being a trans boy who's constantly accidentally getting misgendered

[otacringe]

so normal about flapjack s1 e17 (lying)

[amanecerentrepalabras]

Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

Genre(s): YA Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Paranormal

Rating: 5/5

CW//: homophobia, transphobia, blood, death, misgendering, dead naming (implied), mention of physical abuse, abandonment, loss of parent

Cemetery Boys is an Own Voices story about Yadriel, a young trans teenager, who wants to become a brujo. Because his family and the other brujx firmly hold on to their traditions, Yadriel is denied as a brujo and thus takes it upon himself to prove them wrong, but when he accidentally summons the ghost of Julian Diaz and not his cousin, proving himself becomes far more difficult than he originally thought. 

This book and these characters tore my soul apart and stitched it back together. I absolutely loved this story and not just because this is a Latinx book filled with Latinx characters and traditions, but because it shows just how difficult it can be to want to be seen and accepted for who you are.

The main character, Yadriel, is trans and gay and his family doesn't fully accept him. As much as I hate to say it, homophobia and transphobia are hugely embedded in the Latinx community. It's something that the older generations, and some of the newer, have a difficult time wanting to understand and that's something that we see with Yadriel and his family. They're so set on the old ways that they don't even consider the possibility that he can exist as himself. Later on in the story, we get to see his family realize how much they've hurt Yadriel and we even see his father outwardly and vocally support him, which is such an important moment for so many reasons. I think Thomas does a wonderful job showing that it's possible to appreciate tradition and still allow room for change and differing experiences. Not only do we see this development with Yadriel's family, but we also see it with Yadriel. A lot of the story really delves into his own inner turmoil with accepting himself and wanting the people he cares for to accept him as well, but that's not something that's explicitly clear at first. It's explored the deeper we dive into the story. I absolutely loved all the characters. Maritza is by far my favorite. She's witty and funny and super supportive of Yadriel. She's the type of person I would have wanted to be friends with in high school. Also her comebacks had me ROLLING. Her relationship with Yadriel is absolutely top tier. Not only do we get los primos who always get in trouble together, we also get a super loving and supportive relationship. I would die for these two. AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON JULIAN DIAZ. This boy, I freakin' swear. He's a soccer dude. That's all you need to know and you'll know. This boy constantly gets into trouble and has anger problems, but he's funny, supportive, and protective. He acts like he doesn't give a shit about anything, but he's definitely ride-or-die for those he cares about and we get to see all these pieces of him throughout the story. Not only is this boy a joker, but he's smooth af. I mean...

"¿Me dejas robarte un beso?" he said softly, in the most agonizingly beautiful Colombian accent Yadriel had ever heard. It was pure and melodic, like a song. Ch. 20, p. 274 This boy had me rooting for him. I just wanted a HEA for him and Yadriel, spoiler, they get one. You'll just have to read to find out how. Another thing I really liked about this book is that each character introduced also has something they're dealing with, be it an abusive household, the loss of a parent, homelessness, differing values and morals, the need to be accepted, etc., and I think Thomas does a really good job showing that what we see and think we know isn't always the truth. I also think recognizing that these issues exist is important, especially for young readers who may be experiencing similar situations. Representation will always matter. In terms of representation, Latinx culture was heavily embedded in everything, which I absolutely LOVED. It felt like being with my own friends and family and I love that people who are unfamiliar with these traditions get to see a piece of it. I also loved that Spanish was incorporated into the dialogue. For people who are unfamiliar with the language, I could see how not having the english translations could make things a little difficult to understand since some meanings could be lost in translation, but that's what Google is for. I think this was a really great example that shows what being bilingual is like and how much our language means to us.

I also appreciate that there were a lot of LGBTQ+ Latinx characters. In the words of Julian, "Queer folks are like wolves...we travel in packs." I loved that Thomas showed there's no one way to be gay, everyone has their own experience, and there will always be people in your corner who will love you, support you, and appreciate you despite.

In terms of the writing and the plot, this book was fairly fast-paced. It took place over the course of a few days approaching Dia de Muertos. I don't think there were any areas that dragged on. If anything, I wanted more interactions between characters, especially Julian and his friends and then Julian and Yadriel. I really hope Thomas continues with this world and these characters because I NEED MORE. As for the storyline, I absolutely LOVED it. Those twists were so good and basically the worst thing you could think that could happen happened, which made me feel so many things all at once. I was relieved but angry and ngl, I cried a few tears, but in my opinion, what happened needed to happen. I ended up guessing part of the major twist toward the end, which just goes to show how great Thomas's foreshadowing was throughout the book. Major plot points were only predictable if you knew what you were looking for. I, for one, really enjoy guessing what's going to happen next so I really enjoyed this aspect. All the major events in the story also made sense and were pretty much resolved. There wasn't anything that stuck out too much.

Overall, I really enjoyed everything about this book, especially the characters. I would 100% die for them and I will definitely be reading everything Aiden Thomas publishes ever. Read this book.