Title:Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
Site Twitter Instagram
Genre: Paranormal | YA | Romance
Length: 352 pages
Published: Sept 1st 2020
Goodreads link
Synopsis:
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Review:
I have waited so long to read this book because it came late, due to current events and I was not disappointed even a bit. This book is everything I ever wanted and didn’t know.
While the plot is a bit predictable, this would be the only fault I can find for the story, the characters make up for it. You kind of realized from the beginning who the villain is, it’s a pretty classic trope. It didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would because, as I said, the strength of this story in the characters.
Julien is probably my favorite, and I truly feel the cover did him dirty, making him look like a brooding misunderstood bad boy when it’s just a dumbass that can’t tell right from left (and honestly same). Yadriel, bless his soul, is such an amazing and relatable protagonist from the beginning I love his determination to be seen and accepted and seen by his community and family. And Maritza is my new favorite female character, even if she is a secondary character, she is not there just to be saved and help the hero further his journey, she’s a fully-fledged character wither her own agenda.
Even the secondary characters are interesting, Yadriel’s dad was probably my favorite, and seeing his journey and mostly the resolution, in the end, was a big reason why I find this book so important and necessary.
Back to the plot, I had the feeling that most of the time they were running around, not doing actually a lot in concern to the plot, but now I realize that this was just more of a character-driven story, and honestly, I am not mad about it. All this didn’t stop me from enjoying the story and completely devouring this book.
And the love story, because as Aiden was saying on their Twitter, this has become more of a rom-com than a ghost story, and I am not made. I would kill and die for these two. Their relationship is such a deliciously slow-burn that keeps you glued to the page, with a heartbreaking i-am-still-not-over-it scene toward the end that should go in history books.
Overall this has now become one of my top books read, ever not just this year, with such a cast of complex and beautiful characters that I will love forever and I will recommend it until my last breath.
5/5 stars
The Booksnom 