Cemetery Boys

Name: Cemetery Boys
Rating: 7.98 (242 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250250469

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature!
A New York Times Bestseller!
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten pick!

“Goundbreaking.” –Entertainment Weekly

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.

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.

"This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic. I was bawling by the end of it, but not from sadness: I just felt so incredibly happy that this queer Latinx adventure will get to be read by other kids. Cemetery Boys is necessary: for trans kids, for queer kids, for those in the Latinx community who need to see themselves on the page. Don’t miss this book." —Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift and co-author of The Sun and the Star

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Published Sep 1, 2020

Average rating: 7.98

242 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Cemetery Boys* offers heartfelt trans and Latinx representation enriched with cultural lore, family bonds, and a unique magical world. Ya...

TheCleverReader

Feb 03, 2023

10/10 stars

My goodness! This book was so good! I don’t know why I don’t read more paranormal because I enjoy it when I do. This was definitely one I am so glad I had the opportunity to read!

Yadriel just wants everyone, especially his father, to accept him for who he is. When he summons a ghost to prove he is a real brujo he finds himself in the middle of the mystery around four missing teens. I think Yadriel is a great MC. He bravely navigates the tasks ahead of him with the help of Julian, the ghost he summoned, and his cousin and best friend Maritza. The three of them together are determined to discover what is really going on in their town and not only find Julian’s body but that of Yadriel’s cousin Miguel.

Maritza is a great supporting character. She loves Yadriel whole hearted and offers the support he needs from his family. She stands by him throughout this crazy adventure. She sees him for him and I love that about her. She’s the best cousin anyone could ever have!

Julian is so adorable. He’s witty and pushes Yadriel out of his comfort zone in some ways. He never judged Yadriel for being who he is and I enjoyed watching them fall for each other.

The concept of this book was so well done and I loved learning about the brujo’s and how they help the spirits of the world move on. This is a story of love, acceptance, and the support of family and friends. I’d love to read more about Julian and Yadriel any day. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves paranormal or contemporary. It was so much fun!

https://thecleverreader.wordpress.com

_sewerwolf_

Apr 08, 2026

10/10 stars

I am endlessly upset that I will never be able to read this book for the first time ever again. I need more from these boys IMMEDIATELY!! The most perfect, cutest book to kick off spooky season

krzyk8ee

Feb 20, 2026

7/10 stars

Cemetery Boys is a story about being seen and about what happens when people refuse to let go. It offers acceptance in beautiful, affirming ways: acceptance of identity, culture, love, and chosen family. At the same time, it explores the pain of not accepting loss, showing how denial of death can haunt both the living and the dead. “Greed and hurt drive people to do horrible things.” That truth hums beneath the entire story. I loved the inclusion of Spanish woven naturally into the text, it felt immersive and welcoming, especially being able to understand it without constantly stopping to translate. Learning more about Día de los Muertos customs added so much depth and meaning, grounding the magic in real tradition and reverence.

Chloë

Feb 19, 2026

8/10 stars

Don’t mind me while I sit in the corner balling my eyes out

Gias_BookHaven

Dec 30, 2025

9/10 stars

To be perfectly honest, I have not been reading YA books anymore. I picked this book up after it sat on my TBR for so long and it match a qualification for the Trans Rights Readathon. I am so very happy that I did. It was a fresh and exciting story that combines Latinx cultures, family, Latinx lore, love, devotion, self-discovery, and yes teenage angst. More than that, readers form a bond of understanding and acceptance when introduced to the main character, Yadriel.

Yadriel, a young, shy trans teenage boy from a mixed Latinx family who desperately to be welcomed and accepted by his family members of brujx. A secret community of healers, ghost seers and ghost releasers—roughly translated into a crude form ‘witch’. After secretly completing the selection ceremony with the help of his BFF and cousin, Maritza, Yadriel is accepted by the spirits as a Brujo. However, the sudden and violent feeling of loss felt by the family of his cousin sets Yadriel and Maritza off to find his ghost and release him to the after-world before day of the dead.

Yadriel and Maritza find themselves in over their heads when the lead they follow does not lead them to their missing cousin but to a peer from their school. Bad boy, Julian Diaz.

Cemetery Boys will take readers through a world-win of emotions, fear, love, grief, longing, comradery, adventure, and a celebration for life. I enjoyed the way Yadriel began to open up to Julian—even if it was semi-forced since Julian was a ball of energy lol.

Besides, Maritza it was clear that Yadriel needed that connection with someone outside of his family and immediate family who would see and accept him for who he was. It was clear that there was a void in his life since he lost his mother who was the beacon of support for him. Likewise, Yadriel’s desire to prove himself as a brujo within his family also seemed like his only real way to show his family that he was who he was because even with how he presented himself, what he called himself and how he told them who he really was—at the heart of it all they still didn’t seem him as Yadriel.

But Julian was different. He is squirrely, wild, blunt, easy going but quick tempered. Julian saw things as face value and accepted things in the moment for what they were. He didn’t think too deeply about things but also had this ability to accept people and things for what they were.

When he realized he was brought back as a ghost he was shocked, but he didn’t dwell on that fact too much and immediately wondered about his friends who were with him when he was attacked. I can only imagine how relieving that must have been for Yadriel. And why couldn’t his family been that way?!!

I also appreciated the way Yadriel got Julian to think more about things and the seriousness of their shared situation.

Cemetery Boys does not skimp on the mystery element of the narrative either. As readers follow Yadriel, Maritza and Julian look deeper in the events of Julian’s death, they begin to realize that the disappearance of their cousin and Julian’s death are in fact connected. Without giving away spoilers, I believe readers with be hooked onto the story until the very last heart-pounding and adrenaline fill end as Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian fight to save the lives of everyone against the forces of evil.