Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.
Title: Cemetery Boys.
Author: Aiden Thomas.
Genre: Fiction, YA, teen, romance, occult, death, transgender, homosexuality, ghost story.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 2020.
Summary: Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend, Maritza, he performs the quinces ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin, Miguel, 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 up 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.
My rating: 4/10
My review:
♥ But the brujx didn't like forcing a spirit to cross over. As long as the spirits were peaceful and hadn't turned maligno, the brujos left them alone. But no spirit could stay forever. Eventually, they would become violent, twisted versions of themselves. Being trapped between the land of the living and the land of the dead wore on a spirit, chipping away at their humanity. The parts that made them human eventually faded away until the brujos had no choice but to sever the connection to their tether and release them to the afterlife.
♥ Tito had been dead for four years.
When he was alive, Tito had been an incredibly talented gardener. He used to supply all the flowers for the brujx celebrations, as well as weddings, holidays, and funerals for the non-magic folks in East LA. What had started as selling flowers from buckets at the local flea market had grown into his own brick-and-mortar shop.
After dying in his sleep and having his body laid to rest, Tito reappeared in the cemetery, determined to take care of the flowers he'd painstakingly tended to for most of his life. He told Yadriel's father he still had a job to do and didn't trust anyone else to take it over.
Enrique said Tito could remain as long as he was Tito. Yadriel wondered if sheer stubbornness would keep his father from being able to release Tito's spirit, even if he tried.
♥ On a ledge halfway up the wall stood a statue of their sacred goddess, the diosa who had bestowed the brujx with their powers thousands of years ago, when gods and monsters roamed the lands of Latin America and the Caribbean: the Lady of the Dead.
The skeleton was carved out of white stone. Black paint accented the lines of her bony fingers, toothy smile, and empty eyes. Lady Death wore a traditional white lacy-trimmed huipil and layered skirt. A mantle was draped over the crown of her head, flowing to rest on her shoulders. The neck of her dress and hem of the mantle were embroidered with delicate flowers of golden thread. A bouquet of Tito's freshly cut marigolds lay in her skeletal hands.
She had many names and iterations-Santa Muerte, la Huesuda, Lady of Shadows, Mictecacihuatl. It depended on the culture and language, but each representation and image came down to the same thing. To be blessed by Lady Death, to have his own portaje and to serve her, was what Yadriel wanted most in the world. He wanted to be like the other brujos, to find lost spirits and help them pass to the afterlife. He wanted to stay up all night on boring graveyard duty. Hell, he'd even spend hours pulling weeds and painting tombs if it meant being accepted by his people as a brujo.
As Yadriel approached her, propelled forward by his desire to serve her, he thought about all the generations of brujx who had their own quinces ceremonies right here. Men and women who'd emigrated from all over-Mexico and Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia, Honduras and Haiti, even the ancient Incas, Aztecs, and Maya-all bestowed with powers by the ancient gods. A mix of beautifully nuanced, vibrant cultures that came together to make their community whole.
When brujx turned fifteen years old, they were presented to Lady Death, who would give them her blessing and tie their magic to their chosen conduit, their portaje. For women, portajes often took the form of a rosary (a symbol that had begun as a ceremonial necklace and was altered with the rise of Catholicism in Latin America). It was a piece of jewelry that could go unnoticed and ended with a charm that could hold a small amount of sacrificial animal blood. While a crucifix was the most common symbol, sometimes a bruja's rosary ended in a sacred heart or a statuette of Lady Death.
Men's portajes were often daggers of some sort, as a blade was required to sever the golden thread that bound a spirit to their earthly tether. By cutting that tie, brujos were able to release spirits to the afterlife.
Being gifted your portaje was an important rite of passage for every brujx.
♥ Air, earth, wind, and fire. North, south, east, and west. All the elements needed to call upon Lady Death.
The last ingredient was blood.
♥ Yadriel'd once asked his mom why they didn't just take all of someone's pain when they were sad. She had explained it was important to let people feel grief and mourn the loss of a loved one.
♥ Maybe he was being selfish. He wasn't trying to make the situation about him. Didn't he deserve to fight for himself? But maybe now wasn't the time.
♥ "She's just the original Lady Death from when this place was first built," Yadriel said, lifting the lantern to cast the lady in bluish light. It was an older representation, one that incorporated the more ancient symbols. A very real scythe was held in one hand, and a clay orb rested in her upturned palm.
The skeleton itself was smooth and yellowing. Her jaw was open wide, and she was missing a few teeth. Yadriel wondered if they were real bones and she was an actual skeleton.
But he was distracted by the headdress she wore. Layers of spotted-owl feathers made up the smaller inner semicircle. These were sewn together and fastened with small plates of gold in the shape of crescent moons, almost like buttons. The feathers layered under the owl's were the unmistakable plumage of the sacred quetzal bird. They were an iridescent green with hints of blue, like peacock feathers but twice as vibrant.
"Why would they just leave her here?" Maritza asked from somewhere behind him.
"I don't think she was abandoned," Yadriel shrugged, gently brushing cobwebs from Lady Death's shoulder. "I think this church is just her home."
♥ Once a spirit was attached to a tether, they couldn't venture very far from it, which was why things like haunted houses existed, but there weren't many stories about a single ghost who roamed an entire city. It was only when the spirits were free of their earthly bindings that a brujo could release them and help them pass peacefully to their eternal rest.
♥ "We call her Lady Death; she's our patron." Yadriel explained, affectionately straightening the skeleton dressed in her huipil and skirts. "She's the one who gave us our powers. She looks after us, and we help her maintain the balance of life and death."
"So, she's your patron and your patrón." Julian grinned, quite pleased with his own cleverness and ignoring Yadriel's groan entirely.
♥ "It's a brujx thing. If one of us dies, we can all feel it."
Julian looked confused. "But you don't know what happened?"
Yadriel shook is head. "Only that it was... bad." He remembered the sharp pain he'd felt. How it'd ripped through his chest.
♥ "Back up a sec-are you trying to prove to them that you're a brujo, or that you're a boy?"
The bluntness of the question caught Yadriel off guard. It took some of the wind out of his self-satisfied sails. "It's the same thing," he said, prickling with annoyance.
"'Cause, if it's to prove you're a brujo, didn't summoning me already do that?" Jules asked.
Yadriel huffed a laugh. "You just don't get how it works," he said, crossing his arms. "That's not enough."
"Not enough for who, though?" Julian questioned. He wasn't being pushy about it, not on purpose, anyway. He just seemed curious, which only irritated Yadriel further. "Not enough for them, or not enough for you?"
Yadriel froze. The question stuck in his chest. "It's the same thing," he repeated, but was it?
♥ And even if the rumors were true, did that matter? Would Yadriel change his mind about wanting to help him because he was a gang member or drug dealer? It did make him a little anxious, but still.
Right now, Yadriel could see him as he was; just a dead boy who was worried about his friends. He wanted to make sure they were okay, and probably wanted nothing more than to go home.
♥ "Stay out of sight," Yadriel told him. "And if anyone looks at you, then they're probably a brujx, so just act like a spirit-"
Julian squinted. "But I am a spirit-"
"Just don't look suspicious, okay?"
Julian looked around, clearly not sure what to do with himself.
"Never mind, just"-Yadriel flapped his hands at him-"just hide behind the van and we'll be right back!"
Julian rolled his eyes, but he did what he was told and crouched down behind the dusty van. "I don't see how this isn't suspicious, but okay," he muttered.
♥ Tamales were a staple for Día de Muertos and prepared in obscenely large batches. In ancient times, they were soaked in blood and presented as offerings to Bahlam, the jaguar god of Xibalba. Luckily for Maritza-and everyone else, really-there was no longer a blood sacrifice involved.
♥ For a moment, Yadriel considered Julian as he scowled up at the ceiling, expecting to see the ebb and flow of emotions that seemed to pass so fluidly across his face almost constantly, but, right now, he just seemed so... tired. There were shadows darkening the delicate brown skin under his eyes. Yadriel wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but he almost looked paler. No, "pale" wasn't the right word, just less solid? Untouchable.
♥ He was a bit of an ass. Headstrong, impulsive, and definitely obnoxious. But Yadriel could see how ferociously he cared about the people who were important to him. He believed Julian would die for his friends.
He probably had.
♥ Lita had been telling the legend of Bahlam, the jaguar god, ever since he was little. He knew the story practically by heart.
Bahlam, the jaguar god, was the ruler of Xibalba. When you died, you had to travel through Xibalba to reach the peaceful world of the afterlife, where Lady Death ruled. Some people were granted safe and direct passage to the afterlife by Lady Death-like those who died in battle, at a young age, or during childbirth-but most had to endure the challenges of Xibalba.
In order to make it through Xibalba, you had to be clever and brave. Also known as the Place of Fright, Xibalba was filled with monsters and death gods you had to outsmart and defeat.
Bahlam ruled over Xibalba. He ate the spirits of all those who failed in their journey. Part man, part beast, he was fearsome and cruel and insatiable. Unsatisfied with the spirits of those he caught in Xibalba, Bahlam tricked humans into helping him cross to the realm of the living so he could feed.
He used fear and manipulation to bend humans to his will. Bahlam told them that, in order to escape his wrath, they must bring him human sacrifices. Without human sacrifices to satiate his hunger, he threatened to unmake the land of the living. To bring death and destruction to the human race and ensure none of their loved ones made it to the afterlife.
To appeal to more selfish people, Bahlam also offered immense power in exchange for human sacrifices.
Under the threat of death and the promise of power, Bahlam's following grew. He gave his worshippers la garra del jaguar. The four blades had to be pierced into the hearts of four human sacrifices while the worshipper wore a jaguar head amulet around their neck. The rituals were performed at a cenote. The sinkholes and underground pools were the gateway between the land of the living and Xibalba. The blood of the human sacrifices would flow into the cenote, and once the last drop fell into the pool, Bahlam would be summoned.
He would emerge from the cenote in his monstrous jaguar form and drag the human sacrifices down to Xibalba. There, he would feast on their spirits. In exchange for their sacrifices, Bahlam gifted them powers channeled through the amulet. The wearer would become powerful enough to snuff out life with the snap of their fingers and bring people back from the dead with a wave of their hand. But power obtained with human life corrupted the mind and poisoned the body.
The followers of Bahlam killed ruthlessly. Wars broke out across the realm, led by the corrupt worshippers.
The balance between life and death was thrown off by so many spirits being trapped in Xibalba instead if passing to the land of the dead, where Lady Death ruled. Seeing the pain and torture caused to appease the jaguar god, Lady Death left her throne to confront Bahlam.
Lady Death fought Bahlam in a war that lasted three days and three nights. Bahlam was strong, but Lady Death was clever. She trapped Bahlam in Xibalba and destroyed all of la garra del jaguar so no one could summon him again.
"Except for one," Lita said, holding up a finger with a knowing look. "This last set Lady Death bequeathed to the very first family of brujos and brujas. These humans wanted to help Lady Death bring balance back to the world of the living and the dead. She blessed us with the ability to heal the injured living, and safely shepherd the spirits of the dead to the afterlife so no one would have to suffer the trials of Xibalba again.
"She trusted us with the last la garra del jaguar as a reminder of what greed and corruption were capable of. Our bloodline carries on this tradition, serving Lady Death. In exchange for our help, Lady Death gifted us with Día de Muertos, the one time a year our people can return to the land of the living. For two days, we get to see our loved ones who've passed."
♥ "If we close ourselves off to the possibilities that lie outside of what tradition has dictted-"
"Catriz-"
"We are destined for extinction."
♥ Shame simmered under Yadriel's skin and pricked his eyes.
His tío looked at him, an apology in his eyes.
When Enrique turned to follow his gaze, Yadriel didn't stick around to see his reaction. He did his best to hold his head up high and walk confidently away, even though he could feel his heart breaking. He braced himself, expecting to hear his father call for him to stop, for him to offer some sort of excuse or another forced apology.
But no one called after him. Not when he wove through the sea of brujx. Not when he left the church. Only the dead watched as he ran through the tombstones and back to the house, and they stayed silent as well.
♥ "I kind of wish I could trade my family for yours," Yadriel said with a weak laugh. They weren't even blood, but in the short time he'd interacted with them, he could see how fiercely they cared for one another. Especially Julian.
"I wouldn't trade them for the world," Julian said solidly.
Yadriel smiled. He envied whoever Julian have his fiery devotion to. It was a warm and unyielding force to be shielded by.
♥ "But they got deported."
Yadriel cringed. He thought of the brujx who had been taken away. It left a hole in their community, a pain that ached through multiple families and generations.
♥ "And just to..." He trailed off. "I don't know. Just to make sure he's okay, before I leave."
Those last few words halted Yadriel's thoughts.
Before he left.
That's right. This was all so Yadriel could release Julian to the afterlife. Where he would stay, because Julian was just a normal boy. When he crossed over, that would be that. He wasn't a brujo. There would be no ofrenda to welcome him back during Día de Muertos. For Julian, death was finite. When his dad died, he didn't get to see him again. And now, Julian's friends and his brother would never see him again, eitrher.
♥ He looked-well, he looked proud, which was a sentiment Yadriel hadn't been gifted in a very long time.
♥ Yadriel crouched down, holding Julian's shirt out for them to get a good sniff. Their wet noses snuffled against the material, making sounds that were more pig than dog.
♥ "Why don't you like to speak Spanish?"
Julian's hand paused, his fingers hovering above Purrcaso, who let out a displeased sound at the sudden lack of petting.
Silence stretched between them for a long moment. Yadriel thought he wasn't going to answer the question. It seemed like a strange thing to carry so much weight.
When Julian finally spoke, his words were quiet and tentative.
"My dad didn't know much English, so we pretty much only spoke Spanish at home." He didn't look at Yadriel but toyed with Purrcaso's tail. "It's not that I don't like speaking Spanish, I mean, it's me, you know? I think in it, I dream in it, but..." He trailed off, expression pinched as he tried to find the right words. "But it was also my dad, you know?" Julian made a frustrated sound. "I don't know how to explain it. At school we have to speak English, and my friends mostly speak in English, too, so Spanish was more like... It was what we used at home. It was what I used with my dad-the only language I spoke with him. So, when he died..."
Yadriel felt a pang in his chest.
Julian's shoulder pulled into a shrug. "I don't know, man. Just didn't feel right using it without him, I guess. Feels too..." He made a twisting gesture with his hand, frustration working his jaw.
"Intimate?" Yadriel offered.
Julian's eyes snapped to Yadriel with a look so intent, it struck him like lighting. "Yeah," he finally said. "Something like that."
♥ "How does the whole Día de Muertos thing work, exactly?" Julian asked, glancing over at Yadriel. "All the food and altars and decorations and stuff."
Yadriel stretched and tucked his hands under his neck. "Well, to welcome our ancestors back, we make ofrendas for our family members. We use their pictures, belongings, and favorite foods. Then there's the standard stuff like mezcal, pan de muerto-"
"Sounds like a party." Julian grinned.
"It is. One big party," Yadriel agreed. "We decorate the cemetery with papel picado-the colorful cutouts, we string them up like banners all over the place. We use sugarcane to make arches." Yadriel gestured with his hands, drawing an arch in the air. "We cover the arches in marigolds-cempasúchitl, specifically. They're the gateways the spirits use to pass through from the land of the dead to the land of the living. The food and trinkets, the color of the marigolds and their really strong scent of apples lead the spirits back to the cemetery."
"Do they have to be buried here to come back?" Julian asked.
Yadriel shook his head. "So many of our brujx are immigrants. From Mexico, South America, the Caribbean-all over the place. There are different cemeteries like ours all over the United States. So, no, they don't have to be buried here. It'd be kind of weird to have people digging up dead bodies or lugging their ashes across the border," he pointed out. "All your need is the ofrenda."
"Is it like, all your ancestors ever? The cemetery is pretty big, but enough to hold hundreds of generations?" Julian gave him a dubious look, eyebrow arching.
"Just whoever we call, whoever we still remember. Some people we obviously forget. I don't know who my great-great-great-great-grandmother was or anything."
Julian hummed. "That seems sad."
Yadriel lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "I don't think so. The way I figure it, all of their family they were close to died by now, too, right? So they get to all hang out and party in the afterlife together. There's no need for them to come back and visit."
"What's the afterlife like?" Julian was trying to sound casual, but Yadriel could hear in his voice that he was worried.
"I don't know," Yadriel answered honestly.
Julian looked disappointed.
"But it's got to be really nice. Everyone always comes back smiling and happy."
"Have you ever asked one of them?"
"No, it's kind of an... unspoken thing."
♥ Yadriel glanced over, meeting Julian's hungry stare. There was a recklessness in his smile. Sunset burned in his eyes.
..Julian was unleashed, brilliantly burning.
♥ He liked noisy places and noisy people. A stormy boy who seemed most comfortable in chaos.
♥ Julian was achingly beautiful, but in the way a thunderstorm was beautiful-wild, rough, electric.
And bound to leave devastation in his wake.
♥ Yadriel stared at the boy sitting next to him. A boy with a bright smile and an easy laugh. Who liked skateboarding the streets of Los Angeles and stargazing on the roof of his dad's car. Who would do anything to protect his friends. Reckless and brilliant.
The aching in Yadriel threatened to swallow him whole. Julian was still there, but Yadriel's body was already mourning the loss.
But he knew this wasn't sustainable. No one was meant to last as a spirit floating between two worlds, but especially not Julian. He was a boy made of fire who'd been turned to frost. He was meant to burn.
♥ Julian's melodic laughter echoed through the church and danced through the gaping hole in Yadriel's chest.
♥ "Mi hijo, Yadriel Vélez Flores," [Lady Death] said, watching him carefully. Her voice was beautiful and melodic, like a song but with the echoing weight of stone. She spoke with an accent that Yadriel couldn't place, like each syllable hit his ear with a ring from every Spanish voice he'd ever heard.
♥ "You're so stupid!" Julian repeated. "You-!"
"Shut up-" Yadriel threw himself against Julian and wrapped his arms around his neck and kissing him fervently.
He felt Julian's smile under his lips. Felt his arms wrap around him and squeeze him tight again.
Someone let out a low whistle.
"You know we can see both your asses in those hospital gowns, right?" Maritza called.
♥ Without her, he would be dead. And while death wasn't the end, he wasn't done living yet.
♥ "May we never fear death but remember we live on in the love we nurture in our time on earth."
♥ Things weren't magically fixed by an empowering speech, but it opened doors and built bridges. It carved out space for Yadriel to step forward and be who he was, as he was.