YA Book Club October: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

I first read this novel a few months ago, and absolutely adored it. I was intrigued by the extraordinary attention it was receiving on Booktok and social media, and the premise deeply intrigued me. Latinx culture, huge vibrant families, complex characters, and diverse representation. What isn’t to love?!

This is the story of Yadriel, a transmasc Brujx – a magical Latinx culture with the powers to see ghosts and that help transfers souls to the land of the dead after they have passed away. Yadriel knows he is a Brujo but his family will not allow him to perform the traditional coming of age ceremony known as their quince - where a young brujx will come before the Santa Meurta known as Lady Death, to receive her blessing and bind their power to a special, personal artefact known as a portaje.

After the mysterious and heartbreaking death of his cousin, Yadriel knows he must act fast to understand the truth and seek the answers his family needs. In defiance of his family, and hoping to prove himself, Yadriel attempts to summon his cousin’s ghost – only, he summons his high school’s infamous bad-boy – Julian. As time passes and their companionship blossoms, it becomes harder and harder to let go of him.

I was immediately pulled into the unsettling atmosphere and how well the spooky elements were balanced with humour. Even the first lines made me chuckle: “ Yadriel wasn’t technically trespassing because he’d lived in the cemetery his whole life. But breaking into the church was definitely crossing the moral-ambiguity line.” The boundary between the morbid connections with death, and the comedy of that classic teenagers rebellion is perfectly written. Throughout, the ghosts, dark nights, and frightening mysteries are balanced with genuinely chuckle-worthy wit. Just when you think it might be too scary, Aiden Thomas expertly breaks the tension with their comedy.

Yadriel and Maritza highlight that comedy perfectly. For example, this early interaction shows the hilarious dynamic between the two best friends.

“This place kind of gives me the creeps,” Maritza whispered at his side, rubbing her arm. “What if it’s haunted?”

Yadriel huffed a laugh. “Of course it’s haunted, this is literally a cemetery full of spirits,” he said, trying to use sarcasm to calm his own nerves.

Maritza punches his arm. “I mean like a monster or something.”

The dynamic between Yadriel and his best friend Maritza is so full of love, support, and kindness – but they aren’t afraid to call each other out, share banter, and speak their minds. Maritza’s arc was particularly interesting to me, as she is a vegan Bruja. Brujas’ powers differ from those of a Brujo. Brujas can use a vial of animal blood to heal the injured, which is morally wrong to Maritza. But, when it comes down to it, could she have the strength to do what was required even if it was against her beliefs?

Julian also stole my heart. He’s laid back, arrogant, and care-free. His little one liners are nothing short of iconic : “That sucks, dude.” and “ Badass.” At first, Julian’s wild and vibrant energy is jarring to Yadriel. But, despite all his bravado, Julian has a heart of gold. He is fiercely protective, accepting, and playful. An interesting addition to the novel was the discussion around Julien’s upbringing, class, and poverty. For a book that made me laugh so much, it handles difficult themes with real sensitivity and kindness.

The representation of Latinx culture in this novel was extraordinary. As a queer, trans, Latinx writer, Aiden Thomas’ presentation of Yadriel’s family, the food discussed, the language and phrases used, and even the way De dia de los muertos is presented feels authentic despite the obviously fantastical ghostly additions! In the acknowledgments, Aiden Thomas talks about the moment of revelation when they realised they could write about their own culture. That sense of joy, pride, and love for the Latinx culture threads throughout this novel in bounds.

This is also seen in Yadriel’s journey of self acceptance, and their family’s acceptance. In many YA (and adult!) novels, there can be a lack of nuance to discussing queer identities. Many LGBTQ+ characters are either distressed by the journey to acceptance, or are already living their proud truth. Yadriel is somewhere in between, as an out trans man who is shown great love by many of his friends and family – but giving genuine discussion and weight to those who might struggle with the changes brought by his transition. Yadriel is proud of who he is and in no doubt of his gender identity, but is in “constant fight to be who he [is]”. He feels a need to prove himself, both for his own mind and for his family. Even then, these discussions of gender do not feel out of place, but they are embedded in this story of grief, change, and acceptance. This is not a story about Yadriel’s transition, which is refreshing. This is a story that shines light on one aspect of the many things that make Yadriel Yadriel.

If you haven’t yet purchased a copy of the book you can do so here.

Questions for readers:

1) What did you think of the world building? Where you familiar with De dia de los muertos traditions before? How did this novel’s presentation of this event compare with your expectations?

2) In this book, there are lots of different versions of ‘family’ – families both loving and less so, and also found families. Do you think each characters family impacted who they are? What do you think the author was trying to say about showing such a variety of ‘families’? Which of these characters did you like best?

3) In the Brujx community, portaje’s hold great emotional weight. What did Yadriel’s portaje symbolise for him?

4) Did you find this book spooky? What were your favourite scary moments?

5) [*Spoilers*] Did you expect the ending? Did you like the ending? If not, what might you have done differently?

Extract:

In your exams, you are often given a blind close reading activity. If you want to practice this, each month, I will provide an extract and a choice of two questions to answer. Good luck!

The rush of excitement made Yadriel feel giddy as he knelt before Lady Death. Maybe it was the feel of the dagger in his hand or the magic he now knew flowed through his veins, but for someone who usually erred on the side of caution, Yadriel felt recklessly brave.

He dug into his backpack and pulled out the clay bowl. Quickly, he poured in the rest of the small tequila bottle and some chicken blood, then grabbed a box of matches. He stood and tried to take a deep breath, but he was too excited, practically buzzing. His palms were sweaty, making it difficult to light the match, but it finally caught.

He glanced over at Maritza, and she nodded encouragingly.

Yadriel had seen his father summon a spirit. He knew what to do and how to do it. He just needed to say the words.

The flame inched toward Yadriel’s fingers. There was no time left to second-guess.

He held out his arm, the medal hanging from the chain looped around his hand. It glinted in the dim light.

“Te—” Yadriel cleared his throat, trying to breathe around the lump that had formed. “¡Te invoco, espíritu!”

He dropped the match into the bowl. For a second, it sizzled in the blood and alcohol before there was an explosion of heat and golden light. Yadriel sprang back, choking on the smoke.

The fire in the bowl burned calmly, casting orange light over a boy. He was doubled over on his hands and knees before the statue of Lady Death, clutching at his chest.

Yadriel could hardly believe his eyes. “It worked!”

“That’s not Miguel,” Maritza tried to whisper, but she’d never had a very good inside voice.

The spirit’s face was screwed up tight in a grimace, his fingers knotted into the material of his shirt. He wore a hooded black leather jacket over a white tee. He wore faded jeans and a pair of Converse.

Yadriel groaned and dragged a hand over his face. On the bright side, he had actually summoned a real-life spirit.

On the not-so-bright side, he had summoned the wrong one.

1) Discuss the ways in which tension is created in this extract and evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques.

2) In what ways does the language used develop your sense of character and setting?