all i've gotta say is that it's gay, and it slaps.

no, but seriously. i am whole-heartedly in love with this book, especially the trio of yadriel, maritza, and julian. they have a special place in my heart. i mean, what can i say besides this was truly incredible. i absolutely adored the humor and dynamic between the main trio. i will always cherish seeing stories with the main character being trans (or, in other cases, non-binary) unapologetic about who they are. yadriel truly took no shit from his loved ones about his identities, and i hope to learn to be more like him in my future one day.

but just beyond my love for these characters, i was enraptured the entire time reading. as a fairly slow reader, i don't often finish reading a book within a day, but cemetery boys has joined a list of few exceptions. the story was so thoroughly thought out that i was never bored. some driving action, internal or external, pushed these characters along, and i was happy to follow.

it also just introduced me to a culture and practice that i wasn't familiar with before. aiden did such an amazing job explaining all the customs of the brujx/latinx people in a way that was not only engaging and accessible for someone unfamiliar but also showed just how important this was to yadriel. i truly adore seeing characters heavily tied to their cultures as i am to my own. and this story has made me want to continue to learn more about these customs.

i cannot recommend cemetery boys enough.