Cemetery Boys

Thomas, Aiden. Cemetery Boys. 2020. 352p. ISBN 9781250250469. Available at FIC THO on the library shelves.

Despite being born in a girl's body, Yadriel has always known he was a boy. He came out to his cousin and best friend, Maritza, when he turned fourteen, and she was anything but surprised. He came out to his mother, who accepted the change, but his father found it rather more difficult, because Yadriel revealed at the same time that he is gay. Yadriel's family is a family of brujos, witches who help the spirits of the newly deceased find the afterlife, and who protect the world from malevolent spirits. Brujos also connect with their deceased relatives during the Dias de los Muertos. 

At age 15, every member of the extended brujo family is welcomed into the fold with their powers, either as a brujo, armed with a dagger to sever the tie that holds spirits back to this world, or as a bruja, who specializes in healing. Yadriel's father refused to perform the initiating ceremony for brujos for Yadriel, instead offering him the bruja ceremony. Yadriel refused, and now he is like his uncle Patrice, powerless and not recognized as a full-fledged member of the brujo clans.

Determined to show everyone that he is a real brujo, Yadriel plans to perform his own initiation ceremony, and he and Maritza smuggle themselves into the cemetery church next to their house, where he performs the ceremony and is anointed by Lady Death herself. Unfortunately, at the same time all of the brujos feel the pang of pain as one of their own dies. Miguel, who was on guard in the cemetery, is missing and his body can't be found. Yadriel decides to help by attempting to recall Miguel's spirit to get more information about his death, but instead he summons Julian Diaz, a semi-homeless boy who evidently has also recently died. All Julian remembers is that he was trying to protect one of his friends in a park, then nothing.

As Yadriel, Maritza and Julian begin crusing Los Angeles trying to find out what happened to Julian and to Miguel, Yadriel begins to fall for Julian, but Julian's only got a few days left as a spirit before it's time to send him to the afterlife. Knowing there is a killer out there, can there be is an happily ever after between boy and ghost?

This is an excellent story featuring characters not usually present in young adult books. Yadriel is conflicted with his emotions and his transition to a boy. Julian is angry with life and his circumstances, and being dead doesn't help. Maritza refuses to accept the heritage of her family, and proudly stands up for what's right. All of them have deep motivations and issues with trust and acceptance, and as a group of misfits they belong together.