Yadriel knows that any good brujo worth his salt should be able to summon a spirit using a portaje, and he’s determined to show his family that he can do it.
Title: Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
ISBN: 9781250250469
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication date: 2020
Genre(s): Urban fantasy, paranormal
Available format(s): Print, audio. I reviewed the print version.
Reading level/interest level: Age 14 and up, according to Amazon
Summary: Constantly misgendered and underestimated by members of his Latinx family, Yadriel is a young trans man determined to prove himself a true brujo. His trusted cousin Itza helps Yadriel perform a sacred ritual, after which Yadriel should be able to successfully summon the ghost of his murdered cousin and help his family cross over… but he doesn’t.
Instead, he accidentally summons his classmate Julian Diaz, who has absolutely no intention of accepting his untimely death until he can wrap up a few loose ends on the other side. He also has absolutely no intention of ever shutting up. Yads soon discovers that Julian is one incredible bundle of energy, and that there’s more to him than the brooding bad-boy look that meets the eye. As the two team up to help the other get what they want, Yads realizes he might not want to let this particular ghost cross over after all.
About the author: Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx writer who originally hails from the East Bay in Northern California but now lives in Portland, Oregon. Thomas authored the YA fantasies The Sunbearer Trials and Lost in the Never Woods, and is currently working on the forthcoming and highly anticipated sequel to Cemetery Boys, which had been their debut novel (Thomas, n.d.).
Critical review: Heady, atmospheric, and unflinchingly honest all at once, Cemetery Boys pierced through my heart but then left something better, gentle and hopeful, in its wake. Dia de muertos, Latinidad, and queerness are all written about so tenderly, adding so much heart to the adventure.
In one noticeable way, this book reminded me of another one I read for this collection, Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, because both Yads and Ellie can raise the dead (or try to). But these are two distinctly different stories in every other respect, with Cemetery Boys exploring additiona, darker themes like gender dysphoria and abandonment. Where I knew Ellie always had the support of her elders, that feels less certain in Cemetery Boys, and so I feel so protective of Yads, Jules, and Itza. Their banter is top-notch but they also speak to each other delicately and thoughtfully when it matters. Together, they’re a golden trio for the ages, one that I now much prefer to the one in a franchise-that-must-not-be-named created by a transphobic author. I’ll take Aiden Thomas’ work any day, please!
Related programming ideas: This would be the perfect tie-in to a Día de muertos program. Participants could create ofrendas for loved ones, paint sugar skulls, and discuss the atmosphere of the book.
Brief booktalk: Yadriel knows that any good brujo worth his salt should be able to summon a spirit using a portaje, and he’s determined to show his family that he can do it. But when he accidentally summons the wrong spirit – the local bad boy, not his cousin – he’ll have to work harder to prove he belongs.
Potential challenges: Cemetery Boys and was among one of 800 books challenged by the Texas State Legislature, presumably for its depiction for a trans character (Mosaic Community Library, n.d.).
Reason for inclusion: I am so, so excited for QTBIPOC characters to see themselves reflected in Cemetery Boys. This one was a no-brainer!
References:
Mosaic Community Library. (n.d.). Banned/challenged book spotlight: Cemetery boys. https://www.mosaiccommunitylibrary.org/blog/banned-book-spotlight-cemetery-boys
Thomas, A. (n.d.). Meet Aiden. https://www.aiden-thomas.com/aiden
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