A review by alouette
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

As expected, I really loved this book. An own voices story about a trans latinx kid, filled with magic and mystery and romance? Beautiful premise, and well executed to boot, if not a bit cheesy at times. The character dynamics and the characters themselves were probably my favourite part, but of course I also loved the descriptions of the rich culture behind Día de Muertos and all of Yadriel's family (despite their flaws). Yadriel himself was a very lovable, relatable character, same with Julian and Maritza in their unique ways. And the twist, while I saw it coming, was absolutely fascinating and engaging. While I usually have qualms with books that only take place over a few days, the pacing of this one was magnificent as well, and (mostly) believable.

Before I stop myself from going on too much of a ramble, I have to mention how the way Yadriel's deadname was never said made me very happy. He wasn't reduced to who people expect him to be, who they thought he was- he's Yadriel, and he's awesome, and no one can take that away from him.

music pairing: domestic bliss by glass animals
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