by Aiden Thomas
Part of Cemetery Boys
First published 2020
Yadriel's traditional Latinx family struggles to accept his gender identity. Determined to prove himself as a real brujo, he teams up with his cousin and best friend Maritza to perform a summoning ritual on his own. His plan is simple: find the ghost of his murdered cousin and help it pass on to the afterlife. But the ritual goes wrong. Instead of summoning his cousin, Yadriel calls forth Julian Diaz, the school's notorious bad boy who recently died. Julian refuses to move on peacefully. He wants answers about his death and needs to resolve unfinished business first. Yadriel has no choice but to help Julian investigate what happened to him. As they work together, Yadriel finds himself growing closer to the stubborn ghost. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Yadriel to imagine letting Julian go.
Genres: coming-of-age, fantasy, young-adult, paranormal, contemporary-romance
Vibes: bittersweet, emotional, intimate, supernatural, tender
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, slow-burn, unfinished-business
Period: contemporary
344 pages · Hardcover · Swoon Reads
Content warnings: death, murder