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Cemetery Boys

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author.
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, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking
."
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.
"The novel perfectly balances the vibrant, energetic Latinx culture while delving into heavy topics like LGBTQ+ acceptance, deportation, colonization, and racism within authoritative establishments." —TeenVogue.com
"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
A Macmillan Audio production from Swoon Reads

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 29, 2020
      In Thomas’s vibrant YA debut, Yadriel, a gay, trans 16-year-old, is determined to prove himself, as a brujo and as a boy, to the traditional brujx cemetery community he grew up in. After being denied his quinces and initiation rite as a brujo, Yadriel takes his fate in his own hands and performs the rite himself, unlocking his magical gifts. While seeking the lost spirit of his recently murdered 28-year-old cousin, Yadriel mistakenly summons the spirit of a recently departed schoolmate named Julian. Helping Julian to cross over would prove Yadriel’s worth as a brujo to his family, but as Yadriel discovers the sort of kind, protective person Julian is, Yasriel may not be able to let him go. Thomas marries concept and execution in a romantic mystery as poignant as it is spellbinding, weaved in a mosaic of culture, acceptance, and identity, where intricately crafted characters are the pieces and love—platonic, romantic, familial, and communal—is the glue. Though the puzzles that Yadriel unravels can be guessed, the emotional journey is worth every step. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jennifer March Soloway, Andrea Brown Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Avi Roque gives an earnest and authentic, if inexperienced, performance of this supernatural mystery/magical love story. Sixteen-year-old Yadriel is trans and is desperate for his family to accept him as a brujo who has the power to summon and release the spirits of the dead. When he accidentally summons the spirit of a boy he knows from school a few days before the D�a de Muertos festivities, Yadriel and his friend Maritza embark on a quest--with Julian's spirit in tow--to find out what happened to him. Roque brings the book's diverse East Los Angeles Latinx community to life, and their narration for the endearingly impulsive Julian is especially effective. The more time Yadriel and Julian spend together, the closer they become, but can their journey have a happy ending? J.M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      July 1, 2021

      Gr 7 Up-Sure, reading is rewarding, but here you'll want to listen in to share the delighted wonder of narrator Avi Roque and writer Thomas discussing their affirming #OwnVoices debuts as trans Latinx creators, a bonus at recording's end. Deservedly lauded and awarded all over the place, Thomas's assured first novel explores being caught between identities, cultures, expectations, childhood and adulthood, even life and death. Yadriel is an East L.A. trans boy in a brujx family that protects the cemetery they call home. At 16, he's beyond ready to join the men as a brujo, but his father won't acknowledge him as his son. With best friend Maritza's help, Yadriel covertly succeeds in completing his own initiation with Lady Death. When his cousin Miguel is presumed murdered, Yadriel attempts to summon his lost spirit, but dead (bad) boy Julian appears instead. Before anyone else dies, Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian need to figure out whodunit and whydunit before the D�a de Muertos festivities send spirits to their final rest. Lively and engaged, Roque further enhances Thomas's thrilling supernatural charmer with Latinx fluency. VERDICT This ideal match between book and narrator should find multilayered resonance across YA audiences.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

      Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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