Yadriel und Julian. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

He gave everything and expected nothing in return.įinally, Julian exudes all of the best himbo energy I love to see in a love interest. And then there’s Maritza, who is such a hilarious and fiercely protective cousin and best friend, I knew I’d adore her from the moment she was introduced. Watching him deal with the casual transphobia and erasure in his home was a painful reality to witness, which made his emotions when some of those family members apologized and began to truly realize how wrong they were even more powerful. He’s impossible not to love and root for, and I just wanted to climb into these pages and grab some of his family members by the shoulders and shake them for not recognizing the wonderful human he is. Yadriel is such a delightful narrator to spend time with. This is a story full of self-discovery, and self-love, and hope, and forgiveness, and healing, and it is full of some of the most lovable characters I’ve read in a long time.

YA fantasy used to be my most commonly read genre, so I got a bit burnt out and thought I had just worn out my welcome with it, but Cemetery Boys reminded me of everything I adore so much about the incredible offerings the world of YA fantasy gives us.

We travel in packs.”įirst of all, Cemetery Boys was my first major re-introduction into YA fantasy after taking almost two years off from the genre, and let me say that it was literally one of the best possible stories I could have chosen to break my hiatus with. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death.

With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo.

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

Yadriel und Julian. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas