What Am I Reading Wednesday (03/03/2021)

How do you know when you've been absolutely pulled into a story?

I know I've been pulled into a story when I have to physically put the book in another room so I can focus on my work. (Seriously.)

This is the best way to describe how I felt after I started today's WAIRW book. 

Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

First Reading: Yes (It was one of my new fantasy book recs!)

Initial Impression: I love a good ghost story, and after reading the synopsis I had high hopes for this one.

Final Thoughts: I'd say this is the best book I've read so far this year! This is a rich story that managed to be funny, suspenseful, and heartfelt - all while tackling several societal and cultural issues.  

You want to talk about a serious book hangover? I finished it over the weekend and I'm still processing.

*****

Amazon Synopsis:

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.

*****

Author Bio:

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, OR. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, useless trivia, Jenga, finishing sentences with “is my FAVORITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.

(Bio & Photo Source: https://www.aiden-thomas.com/ )