It is with heavy heart I have to say it was very mediocre and I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I think I will just pass on Aidan's books for now.

Yadriel is determined to prove himself and summon a ghost - but when he does it’s not who he thought it would be - it’s the school bad boy Julien.

I’ve seen this book a lot and one that I’d wanted to read for a while. This is a great young adult fantasy book packed with diverse characters and a great plot. The world building in this book was maxing and it had lots of great cultural refrences it was really well thought out.

I enjoyed the characters and the acceptance of the differences between them. I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between the two characters too which had a great ending. This was my first book by this author and I’d love to read more.

Thankyou for letting me read Cemetary Boys. I enjoy any book the Aiden thomas releases. they are always quick and easy to read with a great storyline.. This was no different. The world building was great and i liked the characters.

Cemetery Boys is such a beautifully written YA fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Cemetery Boys today.

This had me intrigued early on. I did lose a little interest around the middle. As it didn't feel like it was going anywhere fast. But the last 20% got me back interested.
The world was interesting to see. How certain people can see spirits. How the magic works.
Julien was probably my favourite character. Loveable. I loved how he just accepted Yadriel and wanted him to be whoever he wanted to be. Maritza was another character I enjoyed. Their relationship with Yadriel was amazing.
I definitely wouldn't mind another book in this world with these characters.

I read this via NetGalley.

I wanted so so so much to love this! Unfortunately, there was something about it that just didn't click for me, though I can't put my finger on what. I felt the book had great representation and the plot was an interesting one. The romance flowed well, and it was paced well. It just wasn't for me.

This is one of those books where I'm going to be wholeheartedly recommending it to people, but for me, it really wasn't my cup of tea. I love that there's such an incredibly diverse, queer, modern urban fantasy for the YA market, written with such obvious love for Latino culture, but I'm just... too old for this book. It's very, very YA, in plot, language and characterisation, and my tastes no longer run in that direction. So for me it was a bit of a miss, but I think it's a very good thing that it exists and I can recommend it to teen readers.

I completely adored this, and it's again cemented Aiden Thomas as an author I will automatically read. This is a moving, diverse, thrilling read that had me glued to the spot to reach the end and find out how it would all turn out for Yadriel and Julian!

The plot itself is exciting and heart-wrenching, with a wonderful exploration of self, identity, loss, family and community. The representation feels authentic and the writing style & characterisation is just beautiful. It's true that some of the twists are kind of obvious from the start (though my heart was in my mouth more than once!) but it really didn't matter - the ride itself was thoroughly enjoyable, and isn't that the enough?

A lot of this story is about the characters and their experiences, their struggles, and the specific communities in which they live. I really enjoyed reading about the brujx and the Latinx culture, and the writing made the world feel solid and full of colour.

I loved how much I felt during this read, and regardless of tropes or twists, to me that makes it a five star read.

The premise of this book sounded like something I would love, but over all it didn't find it all that memorable. I feel like we spent a lot of time doing modern everyday things and interacting with people who were alive even though the main character and their family are capable of interacting with ghosts. Aside from Julian there was very little interaction with the undead. That is the only reason this book is a lower rating for me, the only thing I found disappointing.

The characters were great (most of all Julian) and it was diverse and expressed the hardships of being different than others, such as being gay or trans. The main character battles to be seen as they are and not just what their family expects then to be, and learns to be unapologetic about who they are along the way.

The romance between Yadriel and Julian was really sweet.

I won't give spoilers but the ending was definitely my favourite part as it was the most powerful and emotional.

I was so excited to read this, but unfortunately it's another book that has fallen prey to the hype train. I was expecting this to be far better than it was. And the best I can say is that it was...bland.

10 points for trans representation, but everything else about it was cliche'd and predictable. Real representation deserves more than this.

This is an amazing book that keeps you reading and feeling for the characters. A great story about acceptance.
It's entertaining and gripping, well plotted and featuring great characters.
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I'm not usually a YA fan, but this was a really compelling story of mystery and magic with both trans and Latinx representation sprinkled on top.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Books for the ARC.)

Whilst trying to prove himself to his family, Yadriel summons the spirit of his classmate Julian, whom he didn't even realise was dead. As the two of them try to work out what happened to Julian, they find themselves drawn to one another.

This is such a beautiful story of acceptance. Both Julian and Yadriel are fantastic characters, and the world building is thoroughly engaging. I'd love to read more about Yadriel's family!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was an immensely enjoyable read. The world that the author created was beautifully rich and well developed. The characters were wonderfully complex, I fell in love with Julian and Yadriel and their blossoming romance. The plot was so unique and fresh, I was thoroughly engaged all the way through.

Cemetry Boys is available on kindle just now and I assume got a new publisher as its being released on 4th August in paperback. I had this on my wishlist for an age to be fair as it was much loved by many.

I am no different, what a lovely book and joins in with the category of books that Heartstopper sits in for me. I am so pleased that this book is available for young people (and young at heart alike). It is diverse in such a natural heartwarming way.

I also loved finding out more about Latinx community traditions understanding that this is a fantastical novel bit clearly based in those roots.

But importantly it's a really good story. Yes I figured out some bits, but not others and was totally invested with Yadriel and Julian's story.

Honestly I'm on the hype train with this one and you should get on it if you haven't already 🤪. What a fun experience.

#cemetryboys

There are many great things about this book, I thought the plot was a fantastic concept and I loved the exploration of the burjx community through out the story. Although I felt the climax came very late in the book and was over very quickly and both the characters and plot, although interesting, could have done with more development to keep them from feeling slightly flat. The relationship aspect of the book was enjoyable and I think the representation shown throughout this book is incredibly important.

We featured Cemetery Boys in our article '22 more children's books to look out for in 2022' on Caboodle, the rewards programme from National Book Tokens.

"In an attempt to prove himself a true brujo and gain his family's acceptance, Yadriel decides to summon his cousin's ghost and help him cross to the afterlife. But things get complicated when he accidentally summons the ghost of his high school's resident bad boy, Julian Diaz – and Julian won't go into death quietly. A LGBTQIA+ ghost story about magic, acceptance and what it means to be your true self."

A really lovely LGBT coming of age story. Some really beautiful story telling. A must read for all ages.

I've been hearing about this book for a long time, so I was super excited.
Unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype for me - and I know I'm in the minority here.

I found the plot to be slow, and I struggled with some of the latino terminology. Coming from London, this is not something I am familiar with, so would have appreciated a bit of explanation.
I couldn't connect to the characters and I just didn't care what happened to them.
The writing style was a bit too wishy washy for me. I just wanted Aiden Thomas to get to the point.

I appreciate the LGBTQ+ rep - but that's about it.
really did not enjoy this

Yadriel, a transgender teenager living in East Los Angeles, is frustrated by the lack of tolerance shown by his colleagues at school and his community. In secret and without the approval of his elders, he performs the rites that allow him to become a brujo- a magic practitioner. Meanwhile, his community is shaken by the mysterious death of Miguel, a young and promising brujo. Yadriel attempts to help with the investigation, but his father’s concerns and anger halt his enthusiasm. To prove his claim on the ancestral magic that is traditionally performed only by man, Yadriel decides to summon a ghost in order to release his soul to the afterlife in front of his community.⁠
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Cemetery Boys is a fascinating read. The world created by the author is vivid and complex. It’s a magical rendition of the Latinx culture, full of traditions, stories, rituals and rules. ⁠The community is small and close-knit, where everyone has a role to perform. Yadriel challenges conventions essential for his relatives by his demand to be treated as a boy. His struggle for acceptance was very well described, and it was easy to empathise with him.

I believe the most significant advantage of this novel are the characters created by the author. They all are well developed, even those who do not bring much into the plot. They all have distinctive personalities, background histories, ways of talking or tics. What’s the most fascinating is that they are all struggling with some internal conflict, like lack of understanding, neglecting parents or LGBTQ issues. That’s what makes them seem realistic— they remind us of our own struggles.

Cemetery Boys is a fast-paced fantasy YA read. The only fault I found in it was in some cliché dialogues, mainly where ‘bad boy’ language was used. Although, it’s possible that younger people would find it more authentic. I would recommend this position to all fans of fantasy and YA fiction.