Book 42 Cemetery Boys

 

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas fulfilled the category “Book about Gender Identity” for the PopSugar 2022 Reading Challenge. In this title, Yadriel is transgender, and his family is having a hard time accepting him.

Cemetery Boys centers on gender identity and acceptance, but also cultural norms and practices. Yadriel’s family are brujix—people with special abilities to call spirits and heal people. But the roles divide by gender. Women are healers, and men guide spirits. Yadriel is left out of the loop because the family is unsure what to do with him. He should receive a dagger that will help conduct Lady Death’s power, but his family keeps delaying, unsure if Lady Death will accept Yadriel as a man.

Tired of waiting, he takes the bull by the horns and ask her anyway. He and his cousin, Maritza, work together to create the ritual to make Yadriel a full brujo. It works. He is accepted by the spirit. Just as he finishes his ritual, disaster strikes the community as one of the other brujos is killed. All the other brujos feel horrible pain as the man dies. 

Yadriel is determined to find the spirit of his lost brother brujo but accidentally summons another spirit. He conjures the “ghost” of a young man who was struck down in the same spot. Together, Yadriel and the summoned spirit of Julian Diaz work to find out how and why the brujo died, and why Julian was attacked. And oh, is that the spark of new love building between the two boys? Oh yes, it is!

The novel spoke to me on many levels. Not only did it have a well-thought-out external plot with the murder mystery, but the internal conflict was amazing. Yadriel had much on his shoulders before he stumbled into the puzzle that is Julian and the death of the other brujo. The story didn’t center on his coming out. He was out and comfortable for the most part. It focused on the acceptance of his community to his new identity. Many trans people face the same hurdles as Yadriel. It was excellent to see those conflicts presented well in a well-written book. 

Cemetery Boys is a perfect choice to grab this weekend. The tale culminated at the stroke of midnight on Halloween when the Day of the Dead begins. The Latinx culture and traditions give richness to the story with the modern blend of LGBTQ issues at the heart. 

All I can say is, “Read this book.”

I give Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Five Saint Jude Necklaces.