Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas

Review

This was such a fun and heartwarming read. I love both of these characters so much and getting to watch them grow together was just so cute. How Julian was just so easily accepting and kept encouraging Yadriel to unapologetically be himself. How Yadriel recognized and encouraged Julian’s vivacity and his deep love and care for everyone in his life (meanwhile Maritza is always teasingly supportive and ready to call them out on being idiots.) There are so many important messages in this book about change and acceptance, stereotypes and perceptions, grief and love.

However, I did have one slight annoyance, maybe, hence the half of a star. I have complicated feelings about the villain reveal. There were enough hints throughout the book that I could guess what the final confrontation would revolve around. I did not guess the villain until he started speaking to Yadriel. At first I was shocked, thinking that was a really good twist once I remembered why his uncle was also an outcast in the family. But the more I think about it the more the whole thing kind of bugs me. The guy has a very valid reason to be upset with the family, but nowhere do we see him act truly upset or mad on his own behalf. He seems to have accepted it, but is focused on supporting Yadriel and helping the family accept him. So for his uncle to pull a 180 and say I hate this family, I’m gonna punish them with endless torture in Xibalba and probably bring about the end of the world as we know it and I will hurt you if you get in my way? That seemed wildly out of character. Also his uncle was the only living adult who was fully supportive of Yadriel. His mom, who helped him come out to the family, died recently and it took his father some time and mistakes before finally getting there. He definitely got better and became a huge advocate for his son in the end, but I think it’s really sad that Yads lost that relationship.

The funky villain twist was very quickly overshadowed by the fact that Julian had still been alive the whole (which I hoped would happen but was still a very happy surprise) and the incredibly emotionally charged ending where you can’t quite tell which characters are dead and which are alive but then they’re all alive and the trio is so very protective over each other and we end with Julian meeting Yads’ mother on Dia des Muertos and his acceptance ceremony into the brujx (I listened to the audiobook and for the life of me could not find the spelling online so I’m not gonna butcher the name) So while the uncle thing bothered me, it was surprisingly more of a blip in an otherwise fantastic book.

I also just learned there’s plans for a sequel, this time from Julian’s pov and I am so incredibly excited.