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cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Self harm, Car accident, and Cultural appropriation
recycled_personalities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.0
the pacing is weird and the writing couldve used some more editing--currently it's a lil unpolished w/ some typos, making the story awkward at points and feel almost juvenile. in terms of characters, julian's the only i actually like, while some others (w/ the exception of yadriel) seem flat and couldve been more fully fleshed out. the story's also predictable--which isnt always a bad thing if the journey getting to the reveals are enjoyable, but it isnt in this case. many blurbs and reviews call this book romantic, but i dont find it as such at all.
now, my biggest qualm w/ this book: the crux of the story and the characters' actions dont make sense. for the former: spirits are such bc they're dead, so why is so much fuss made over julian's fate? and if he wasnt truly dead yet, how did he even become a spirit? this is the literally the very crux of the book yet it has a major logical lapse. it's also ridiculous that he was alive even after being stabbed in the fcking heart like?????? for the latter, there are too many instances--both big and small--to name, i basically had sth to frown at in every chapter. ig one baffling example is near the end when help comes down to the cave, and no one literally bats an eye or seems concerned that julian has a huge bloodstain on his chest. and so many things wouldve gone easier if yadriel and maritza used their heads a lil more. also the mechanics of spirits couldve been explored more: can they float around? since they move thru things, why did julian have to go sneaking around going in and out thru the front door? i just cant...
oh AND i feel like there's a lot of wasted potential here. the spirit aspect couldve made the book so much more fantastical and unique, yet all it did was boggle down the fun. one of the major characters in your book is a spirit, yet a huge chunk of your story is basically your teenage characters tryna play detective to get more useful info by talking to ppl (and failing) while minding curfew??? i..i cant. anyways this turns into a long rant but this couldve been so much better. ultimately it boils down to the fact that i didnt like this book, and while cemetery boys is def an important story whose representation means so much to so many, in terms of pure story aspects, it's honestly not a rly good one, and yes im sad and disappointed.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexism, Transphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Homophobia and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
aniwillow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Biphobia, Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
baexlee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Sexism, and Blood
dolores_madil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
marthadude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Deadnaming, Sexism, Transphobia, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Murder
stormywolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this book was a magical read. Cliche, I know, but being the first book I've ever read with a trans main character, and one of only a handful with a queer main character, I had a lot of hope riding on this to be great, and it delivered in spades. The story came off as entirely respectful of everyone involved, including those who fill some antagonist roles. And I know I've used the word "respect" far too many times already, but I'd also like to add "upbeat" as a descriptor, as this book manages to keep an uplifting and hopeful tone throughout its narrative, even when addressing the hardships and traumas that people in these communities often face. I will definitely be seeking out any and all stories Aiden chooses to tell (including any that return to Yadriel's neck of the woods!) and I encourage anyone and everyone to give Cemetery Boy a try. After all, most people only live once.
Moderate: Death, Transphobia, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming, Sexism, Violence, and Grief
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexism, Transphobia, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Deadnaming and Death of parent