Cemetery Boys

Written by Aiden Thomas

Narrated by Avi Roque

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Swoon Reads

"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

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Sep 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781250619129

Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas is a New York Times Bestselling author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, Oregon. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, winning Jenga, finishing sentences with “is my FAVOURITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by colour. Their novels include: Cemetery Boys, Lost in the Never Woods, and The Sunbearer Trials.

Reviews for Cemetery Boys

[Jude · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing!! This was just such a beautiful book with characters that leap off the page in a way that makes it impossible not to love them!

[Jack Gordon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a trans guy it was so good to hear a representation in books!

[Nicole Auza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bestie it was so cute im lowkey kinda jealous ?<3

[Erica Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not get enough of this book! It has quickly shot up to one of my favorite books EVER! Yadriel and Julian as such precious little cinnamon roll characters and I love them with my whole heart ❤️ The author did such a wonderful job with this book and I cannot wait to read the next book he comes out with because his writing is amazing! The narrator also did such a wonderful job bringing the characters and story to life! After listening, I will absolutely be picking up a hard copy of this book for myself and will be recommending it to anyone and everyone!

[Michalina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book gave me so much seratonin. Im in love.

[shawty ?? · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

MAN its so good i cried both times reading it

[Emaleigh Pightling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely adored this book. As non-binary, it's amazing to read about strong trans* folx but to then have them be strong, trans*, latinex AND GAY, well *chef's kiss*.

I loved the magical elements. I'm not from America or a Latin American family so I loved the inclusion of the explanations of what they believed and did and the multitude of traditions!

Please read this if you love fantasy, magic and a cute rom-com. But also read this book because the visibility of multiple marginalised communities is just fantastic ❤️

[Lisbet Barrientos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so refreshing and heartfelt and the story culminates so beautifully at the end. This deserves all the praise. I love the casual Cuban rep, too ?

[Danielle Whitney · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A solid 4-star book. The narration of the audiobook was done really well, and added to the story rather than detracting from it. I loved all the characters. I also really like how Yadriel was represented. He is trans, but that is not all he is, and rather than presenting being trans as a personality trait (like some books I've read have done), it's just a part of Yadriel's story. We need more books like this that normalise the experiences of trans people. The love story between Yadriel and Julian was lovely too. All in all, a great book.

[lizelsaurus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (audiobook). ALL THE STARS!! This book is extraordinary and perfect for this spooky season, get yourself a copy and read or listen to it right now.

There are a bunch of heavy topics in this book, everything from Yadriel’s trauma of not being accepted by his family for who he is to racism, deportation, latinx youth not getting amber alerts when they go missing because they are assumed runways. But there is so much joy and warmth and magic and spunk, my heart can’t handle it!

[leni · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is definitely my new favorite! It’s such an amazing book and I’m so happy that we have authors like Aiden Thomas that show representation in many aspects. This book just warmed my heart so much and made me feel happy and safe. The characters are absolutely amazing and are so precious! This book made me feel accepted and safe, it made me see that here are many people that deal with lots of bad stuff but still keep their head up and keep on going. And the fact that this is a debut novel amazes me, the writing is perfect, the plot is interesting, the characters are well developed. I would just like to thank Aiden Thomas for writing this book❤️

[Matthew CavalIer-Sargent · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such an amazing book. The writing, the narration, the beauty of Dia de Muertos. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

[Natalia Wi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG I love it, I love it, I love it

[Rebekah James · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the story but HATED the narrator. He had a weird rhythm and he stressed random words that made no sense.

[Jax Malenfant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was INCREDIBLE, and the narrator did such an amazing job. Hearing a trans voice made all the difference. Loved the characters and the plot, definitely recommend!!!

[alexis sims · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing. Just flat out amazing. Loved every second.
@Lex_withthe_Text

[Keighley Patrick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I actually want to give this a 4.5.

I have a complicated relationship with this book. It was a slower pace at first but it got so much better. I loved the found family. The Storing of finding yourself and learning more.

[River Raine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was, admittedly, a longer read than I normally would have listened to, but it was well worth every second of it. The representation of a gay trans boy was absolutely beautiful, not to mention incredibly heartwarming.

[Maddy Nelson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

INCREDIBLE. This is exactly the kind of book I love to read.

Realistic fantasy with a touch of modern elements. Julian is super loveable! Yadriel has my whole heart! And I like the way it depicts family dynamics of growing up trans in a latinx household and the extra struggle of dealing with gendered language.

Besides that, the story itself is a truly compelling page turner. It’s 5 stars and it deserves more, to be honest!

[Sandra Muñoa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just love a great Own Voice story like this one!

[tantawan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

really enjoyable, no unnecessary annoying characters, i recommend, worth the time

[Henry Everett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, magical, needed. Powerful queer novel. Highly recommended to all - looking forward to this becoming a film!

[Ray Ramirez · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I could not get into this book :( I’m thinking it’s a combinations of 3rd person narration and campy literature. Really tried but just wasn’t for me.

[Mar · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The exploration of Latinx and trans experiences is well done but this book is poorly written. It has way too much exposition and ignores the central plot. It reads like fanfic scenes loosely strung together. The main character doesn't care at all about his cousin who was murdered but is obsessed with a boy he met three days ago. Reminds me of a reality TV show when people say they have grown and fallen in love in a week. The writing is also really repetitive and drags on for ages. The author explains way too much in every scene. 

[Thorn Hill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sweet story that celebrates life, love and being different . I liked the fact that I learned a bit more about latinx traditions and the Día de Muertos. Since I don't speak Spanish it was a bit hard some times to follow the not-translated Spanish parts. Also, it took me a bit but the narrator grown on me eventually. The interview at the end gave me context about the story, the author and the narrator. It was a very enjoyable listening.

[Evan Corey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I put off reading this book because I judged it by its cover. BIG MISTAKE. This book was brilliant, heart-warming, and extremely compelling all the way through. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended!

[Amanda Engelhardt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Omg that was a wild ride! Such a great story, great rep, loved the cultural aspects and Julian is such a cinnamon roll! Love the characters.

[anthmeisterr rrr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Masterful writing, compelling characters and a plot that both broke and lifted my heart in all the best ways. Truly a modern masterpiece.

[María Pérez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the best book you’ll read this year, 100% guaranteed by me.

[Stacy Saxe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic!! This is such a great story!! Wonderfully narrated!!