Cemetery Boys Book Tour: Review (+ Tour-Wide Giveaway!)

Today I’m really excited to be bringing you my post for the Cemetery Boys Book Tour! Cemetery Boys was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, ever since the deal was announced, and though the release dat was pushed, it’s coming out tomorrow! If you haven’t already, go and buy this book, you won’t regret it; if you want to find out why you should, read on. Also, make sure to check out the other stops on this tour here!

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy for my participation in the blog tour. This in no way impacted my opinion.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Review

CEMETERY BOYS is one of those books that you know you’re going to love, and yet it still manages to beat almost all your expectations. It’s as bright as the marigolds on the cover, and the kind of book that’s going to mean the world to a lot of teens.

Yadriel, a trans Latino brujo, is an awesome protagonist, both for his determination and for his sense of self.  He’s also very much still a teenager, and that showed in his approach to doing things and his personality in general; it was really easy to see myself in him, something which is always good in YA books. The two other primary characters, Julian and Maritza, are just as awesome as Yadriel. Maritza is a powerhouse of a friend, the kind of character you would definitely want on your side. Her friendship with Yadriel is very much ride-or-die, and their interactions were gold. Julian is also another special character; he’s so honest and so good that it’s virtually impossible not to love him. He’s really got a heart of gold, and the way he fits so well with Yadriel is wonderful.

The element of mystery and suspense was done really well, especially with the hints dropped and foreshadowing in the lead-up to the climax. I was completely hooked from the half-way point when things started to pick up, and even when things started coming together in a more predictable way, it’s still not what you would expect. I enjoyed how it felt like a delightful blend of mystery and fantasy, which isn’t quite what I had expected going in to this book: Aiden Thomas did a really good job of balancing the elements of both to create a fusion that was just so fun to read. The use of parallels and foils was also done really well, and there were definitely several moments where I felt like the embodiment of the ‘surprised Pikachu’ image hiding under my blanket in the middle of the night.

It’s also such a vibrant book to read, and it really feels like it’s a window into a pocket world where the story is actually happening. There was so much life to the cemetery and its inhabitants, and yes, I completely see the irony in that statement. Visualising many of the scenes was very easy, and the sense of community and cultural identity was strong throughout; at no point was the use of Spanish pushed aside or written for the comfort of non-Spanish speakers, which is something that is so awesome to see. There’s a lot in Cemetery Boys that’s painfully accurate, small things that a lot of people wouldn’t get: the issue of going to the bathroom, even small things like how wearing clothing is a completely different experience. These experiences were really well written, and they add that extra amount of depth to the story and to Yadriel.

I only had one issue with the book, and that was that some of the pacing and writing felt slightly off. For the most part, the style of the writing suited the way the book flowed, and the tone of the book itself, but there were a couple moments where the simplicity felt a little bit too fast flowing and some scenes could have lingered a bit longer. Some dialogue at times felt slightly like a caricature of how teenagers speak, but only in a few instance here and there. of However, I did read an advanced copy, and I know that there have been pretty significant edits to the final version, so this is really not a massive issue for me and I still loved the book overall.

A book bursting with character and not afraid to be bold and true, Cemetery Boys is a stand-out debut. There’s so much to love about it, from characters to atmosphere to plot, and it’s definitely not one to miss out on. If you have considered picking this book up, either for yourself or for someone else, I highly recommend doing it.

The Book

Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: September 1st 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.

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

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. 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.

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. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

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Aiden Thomas is a YA author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, Harry Potter trivia, Jenga, finishing sentences with “is my FAVORITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.

Find Aiden here: Website | Instagram | Goodreads | Twitter

The giveaway is US-only and ends on September 10th. You can follow this link to go directly to the Rafflecopter page and enter the giveaway.

Will you be picking up this book? Let me know!

Marley out!