Sign in with Facebook
dan's Reviews > Cemetery Boys
Cemetery Boys
by
by
BookClub: Cat & Dan *
Month: March, 2024
* BookClub Cat & Dan is just a "book club" where me and Cátia pick up a book from the 24 previously selected each month and have to "force" ourselves to read a book.
Another month, another book I only finished the following month.
Synopsis:
The story begins with Yadriel, a teenager who is more than eager to prove himself to his family, summoning a ghost that he can’t get rid of. In an attempt to summon his cousin’s ghost to help him cross to the afterlife, Yadriel summons someone else’s ghost � Julian, his high school colleague - except this ghost won’t move on until he resolves whatever he needs to.
Together, the two come up with a plan that will help Julian achieve what he wants and move on, freeing Yadriel to do what he needs to prove himself a brujo.
However, no one said spending time with a ghost is easy.
Review:
Ever since this book came out, it had a lot of good reviews, a lot of hype surrounding it � especially because of its representation of transgender teenagers. However, as always, whatever is highly hyped on the Internet, I’m always apprehensive to dive in. By experience, most of the hype does not correspond to my opinion and, even though I try to go to a book or experience without expectations, unless you never heard of the book before, once you know the opinions of others on a piece of literature, it’s always going to be there in the back of your mind.
HOWEVER,
Having that said,
At first glance, the story is adorable. It is about a transgender teenage boy and a ghost falling in love and the first boy tries to prove himself to his family he is worthy.
The worldbuilding, at first sight, is intriguing and enticing. The brujo community and the seeming mixture of Mexican folklore with Mayan and Aztec world is nice. Until you realise it is a hot mess.
Yadriel is an egotistical child that makes being transgender his entire personality. The author should’ve given us more three dimensional characters, particularly the main characters but, aside from Julian, nothing else is given. Yadriel, so righteous on his own issues, only cares for the issues that directly affect him.
(view spoiler) He did not care for Julian’s feelings, nor much for the circumstances in which Julian became a ghost in the first place. (view spoiler) And he often dismisses Maritza’s feelings and life choices because “she has it easier than him, so why is she complaining/choosing differently?�.
His struggles were valid but some readers and Yadriel criticise his family too harshly. Anyone who comes from a family that is either close-minded or is slow to accept different things knows it takes time for people to get comfortable with an idea that, perhaps, it was never taught to them or, even, it was taught it was wrong.
Does that excuse bigotry behaviour? Not all but it sure explains it.
He only cares for bigotry when it affects him directly. The community in the book is clearly separatist and sexist in which the patriarchy is the norm. It is divided between the men, who get to carry weapons, have important roles and perform all the cool rituals, and the women, who have a rosary and have the sole purpose to heal. The entire book is sexism and Yadriel only cares about being treated as a man. There is no criticism whatsoever at how, in the modern world the story is set, treating women like ancient times is wrong.
Does Yadriel ever complain about this? No.
Personally, the story would have more impact if Yadriel, being a boy, still wanted to perform healing rituals.
The writing style wasn’t the best either. The pacing was off. The beginning started good, with displays of the world-building but most of the book was ‘no plot, just vibes�. Except the vibes weren’t even that good because we had to deal with self-centered Yadriel.
The plans are repeated over and over again, followed by info-dumping, followed by long scenes that could’ve definitely been shorter and the main plot almost disappears completely. Yadriel doesn’t seem concern about the disappearance (view spoiler) of his cousin, Miguel. He cares for about 10 minutes until he uses Julian and the disappearance of his cousin as a form to prove himself.
People praise this book for representation but only focus on what it’s convenient. The author mentions how Yadriel’s grandmother is Cuban, and mentions it quite a few times, but everything is only ever Mexican. The author also mentions his father (?) is Haitian, yet nothing is said to bring a little bit of those cultures of light, even within the Mexican context. If you’re not going to use, at least, something from that culture, then why mention it at all?
The author constantly mixes Aztec, Mayan and Incan cultures. It would be nice if they’d be done clearly distinguishing which is which or have it happen in a non-modern actual fantasy world. Not in the modern world with fantastical elements. Throwing these three cultures around and make a big mess, hoping no one would notice is idiotic. At least, make it known the difference comes from which culture and have it make a reason for it.
Julian has a reputation of a bad boy but he is sweet and never stops yapping. How the fuck does he ever get the reputation?
The whole thing was almost too lovestruck for me. It is YA so it checks out but have them fall in love in a span of 2/3 days to the point they “cannot live without each other�? Damn. Yadriel confronts the brother of his crush/love that he has known for 2 days that he doesn’t know him at all.
Representation in a book does not mean it is good.
Reviews of books from the 2024 ‘Dan & Cat� bookclub:
� January
The Prison Healer
� February
Charlie, Love and Clichés
Month: March, 2024
* BookClub Cat & Dan is just a "book club" where me and Cátia pick up a book from the 24 previously selected each month and have to "force" ourselves to read a book.
Another month, another book I only finished the following month.
Synopsis:
The story begins with Yadriel, a teenager who is more than eager to prove himself to his family, summoning a ghost that he can’t get rid of. In an attempt to summon his cousin’s ghost to help him cross to the afterlife, Yadriel summons someone else’s ghost � Julian, his high school colleague - except this ghost won’t move on until he resolves whatever he needs to.
Together, the two come up with a plan that will help Julian achieve what he wants and move on, freeing Yadriel to do what he needs to prove himself a brujo.
However, no one said spending time with a ghost is easy.
Review:
Ever since this book came out, it had a lot of good reviews, a lot of hype surrounding it � especially because of its representation of transgender teenagers. However, as always, whatever is highly hyped on the Internet, I’m always apprehensive to dive in. By experience, most of the hype does not correspond to my opinion and, even though I try to go to a book or experience without expectations, unless you never heard of the book before, once you know the opinions of others on a piece of literature, it’s always going to be there in the back of your mind.
HOWEVER,
Having that said,
At first glance, the story is adorable. It is about a transgender teenage boy and a ghost falling in love and the first boy tries to prove himself to his family he is worthy.
The worldbuilding, at first sight, is intriguing and enticing. The brujo community and the seeming mixture of Mexican folklore with Mayan and Aztec world is nice. Until you realise it is a hot mess.
Yadriel is an egotistical child that makes being transgender his entire personality. The author should’ve given us more three dimensional characters, particularly the main characters but, aside from Julian, nothing else is given. Yadriel, so righteous on his own issues, only cares for the issues that directly affect him.
(view spoiler) He did not care for Julian’s feelings, nor much for the circumstances in which Julian became a ghost in the first place. (view spoiler) And he often dismisses Maritza’s feelings and life choices because “she has it easier than him, so why is she complaining/choosing differently?�.
His struggles were valid but some readers and Yadriel criticise his family too harshly. Anyone who comes from a family that is either close-minded or is slow to accept different things knows it takes time for people to get comfortable with an idea that, perhaps, it was never taught to them or, even, it was taught it was wrong.
Does that excuse bigotry behaviour? Not all but it sure explains it.
He only cares for bigotry when it affects him directly. The community in the book is clearly separatist and sexist in which the patriarchy is the norm. It is divided between the men, who get to carry weapons, have important roles and perform all the cool rituals, and the women, who have a rosary and have the sole purpose to heal. The entire book is sexism and Yadriel only cares about being treated as a man. There is no criticism whatsoever at how, in the modern world the story is set, treating women like ancient times is wrong.
Does Yadriel ever complain about this? No.
Personally, the story would have more impact if Yadriel, being a boy, still wanted to perform healing rituals.
The writing style wasn’t the best either. The pacing was off. The beginning started good, with displays of the world-building but most of the book was ‘no plot, just vibes�. Except the vibes weren’t even that good because we had to deal with self-centered Yadriel.
The plans are repeated over and over again, followed by info-dumping, followed by long scenes that could’ve definitely been shorter and the main plot almost disappears completely. Yadriel doesn’t seem concern about the disappearance (view spoiler) of his cousin, Miguel. He cares for about 10 minutes until he uses Julian and the disappearance of his cousin as a form to prove himself.
People praise this book for representation but only focus on what it’s convenient. The author mentions how Yadriel’s grandmother is Cuban, and mentions it quite a few times, but everything is only ever Mexican. The author also mentions his father (?) is Haitian, yet nothing is said to bring a little bit of those cultures of light, even within the Mexican context. If you’re not going to use, at least, something from that culture, then why mention it at all?
The author constantly mixes Aztec, Mayan and Incan cultures. It would be nice if they’d be done clearly distinguishing which is which or have it happen in a non-modern actual fantasy world. Not in the modern world with fantastical elements. Throwing these three cultures around and make a big mess, hoping no one would notice is idiotic. At least, make it known the difference comes from which culture and have it make a reason for it.
Julian has a reputation of a bad boy but he is sweet and never stops yapping. How the fuck does he ever get the reputation?
The whole thing was almost too lovestruck for me. It is YA so it checks out but have them fall in love in a span of 2/3 days to the point they “cannot live without each other�? Damn. Yadriel confronts the brother of his crush/love that he has known for 2 days that he doesn’t know him at all.
Representation in a book does not mean it is good.
Reviews of books from the 2024 ‘Dan & Cat� bookclub:
� January
The Prison Healer
� February
Charlie, Love and Clichés
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Cemetery Boys.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
December 27, 2020
– Shelved
December 27, 2020
– Shelved as:
to-read
March 29, 2024
–
Started Reading
April 10, 2024
–
Finished Reading
July 4, 2024
– Shelved as:
absolutely-not
