Reviews with content warning for Murder - Cemetery Boys

There are so many beautiful, amazing parts to Cemetery Boys! The imagery and details of the Latinx culture and brujx folklore were incredible, and the characters are so heartfelt.

I would have loved to get more of the thrilling mystery in the middle of the story instead of just at the beginning and the end, so the pacing did feel a little off. That being said, the last few chapters of this book are some of the best chapters I’ve read in a long time for so many reasons (but I will refrain from spoilers, so you just need to read it to find out why!!).

I highly recommend, especially if you love:
👻 ghosts (excuse me, spirits) and magic
🌼 vibrant cultures and traditions
💛stories of identity and belonging

Content Warnings

meheehee's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

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swimmingwolf59's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really loved the world building in this book, it was an extremely cool setting!! I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book, and I'm happy that I was able to figure it out 😄 I also love Julian, my sweet child 🥹 But I didn't vibe with the main character very much and the pacing of the book was a bit slow for my taste. This is just a personal thing too, but I prefer when world building is slowly unfurled as the book goes on, so the info dump at the beginning of this book was a bit much for my tastes. Still an enjoyable read though!

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glen3's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

Content Warnings

avrija's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It was a very lovely book, I’ve enjoyed every second reading it. The writing was easy to understand yet descriptive and all the culture and traditions were lovely to read about! The characters were very likeable and distinctive, even the side characters were quite memorable. I really do recommend reading it.

Content Warnings

sephiefoxx's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

sadetanssija's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

erika_winters's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’ve never read a book about brujx before or ghosts, so this was a wildly adventurous and engaging story! Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian were the best group of teens to follow in this story as we witness their coming of age in a cemetery and being a part of a huge Latinx family who have magic given to them by their goddess, Lady Death. I thought this story was fresh and new, while also being relatable and heartbreaking. There are so many layers of grief in this story from Yadriel and Julian going through personal losses, while also exploring the idea of Julian dying at such a young age. Aiden Thomas does a great job at constructing the magic system in their book, while also tackling social issues in our own world, such as racism, classicism, and transphobia. The cast of characters were overall lovable and came from all walks of life, and I loved how the setting became its own character; the cemetery in East LA literally brimming with energy from the spirits that inhabit it, to the general areas in SoCal that make it palpable; like the ocean community of Malibu seen later in the book. Overall, this book is meaningful to those who are queer and have fought to have their identities be seen and heard, and a love letter to the Latinx community with its lush culture and heritage.

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