"Cemetery Boys" Is Normalizing Queer, Latinx Representation in YA Novels

What happened if you summoned a ghost and couldn’t get rid of it?

This was the simple Tumblr writing prompt that inspired Aiden Thomas’s upcoming novel Cemetery Boys, a paranormal romance novel that follows Yadriel, a gay, trans teen as he struggles to prove himself as a brujo to his family.

The novel, which is set to debut on June 9, 2020, perfectly balances the vibrant, energetic Latinx culture while delving into heavy topics like LGBTQ+ acceptance, deportation, colonization, and racism within authoritative establishments.

“I thought there was no way I could ever sell a book with a trans main character, let alone one that was Latinx or gay, on top of it,” Thomas tells Teen Vogue of the inspiration behind his novel. “I knew that I wanted to write a story with a trans character where it wasn’t about being trans. I wanted it to have weight, but I also wanted it to be light-hearted and fun.”

With an emphasis on Latinx culture, Cemetery Boys explores the idea of nuanced identity and often unseen struggles for queer and Latinx people. He explains that he wanted Yadriel’s story to have a positive impact on kids like him, as well as kids who aren’t like him at all.

“I wanted to create a story for readers to connect with Yadriel on universal truths that are basic to the human experience, things like struggling to fit in, feeling accepted for who you are, and being loved,” Thomas said. “Being gay and trans within the Latinx community can be incredibly difficult. We have a lot of traditions and beliefs that are so deeply ingrained, sometimes folks will blindly follow them without questioning or challenging them. It was really important for me to write Yadriel’s story because I wanted to write a book where queer, trans and Latinx kids could see themselves being powerful heroes. I wanted them to see themselves being supported and loved for who they are.”

Although the novel itself is beautifully Latinx, Thomas stresses that Cemetery Boys is not meant to be the Latinx novel, but a book that will “help normalize non-Latinx readers picking up diverse books written by people of color, about people of color—just like how Latinx kids have read, connected and fallen in love with many white stories intended for white audiences.”

Thomas notes that there are plenty of Easter Eggs are hidden within the book for Latinx kids and Spanish speakers that he is excited for his audience to read.

Cemetery Boys is a book about fighting for oneself, knowing your worth, and embracing the things that make you different. But, above all else, it seems that Cemetery Boys is about finding authentic connections with other people and feeling seen.

“Isolation is a killer in the queer community, and it’s important to find connections to keep you afloat when you feel alone. I wanted to mirror that experience in Cemetery Boys. I wanted to use Julian being a ghost both as a metaphor for the isolation we often feel and for the communities we form long-distance over the internet in order to feel less alone,” he explains. “Meanwhile, the living and physical people in Yadriel's life keep failing him. I think a lot of queer people experience people in their ‘real’ lives who let them down or don’t understand them, while the people who do make them feel seen aren’t tangible or within reach. Sometimes our sense of closeness and connection to people has nothing to do with proximity.”

Below, find an excerpt from Thomas’s upcoming novel, a Teen Vogue Book Club exclusive.

Yadriel pulled back the last of the cloth to reveal a dagger nestled inside. “Wow,” he breathed.

“It’s practical,” Maritza explained, hovering over his shoulder.

“It’s badass,” Yadriel corrected, a wide smile pressing into his cheeks.

Maritza beamed.

The dagger was the length of his forearm with a straight blade and a cross guard that curved like sideways S. Lady Death had been delicately painted onto the polished wooden grip. Yadriel held the dagger in his hand, solid and reassuring. He traced his thumb along the thin lines of gold paint that radiated from Lady Death, feeling every intricate brushstroke.

This was his dagger. His portaje.

Yadriel had everything he needed. Now all that was left was to finish the ritual.

He was ready for this. He was determined to present himself to Lady Death, whether or not anyone else approved. But still, he hesitated. Clutching his portaje as he stared up at Lady Death, sucking in on his bottom lip. Doubt crept its way under his skin.

“Hey.”

Yadriel jumped as Maritza placed a steady hand on his shoulder. Her brown eyes were intense as she studied his face.

“It just—” Yadriel cleared his throat, his eyes sweeping around the room.

Maritza’s eyebrows tipped with concern.

A brujx’s quinces was the most important day in their life. Yadriel’s dad, brother, and abuela should’ve been standing next to him. As he knelt on the hard stone floor, the emptiness pressed around him. In the silence, he could hear the static of the uneasy candle flames. Under the hollowed eyes of Lady Death, Yadriel felt small and alone.

“What if—what if it doesn’t work?” he asked. Even at nearly a whisper, his voice echoed through the empty church. His heart clenched. “What if she rejects me?”

“Escúchame.” Maritza gave his shoulders a tight squeeze. “You’ve got this, okay?”

Yadriel nodded, wetting his dry lips.

“You know who you are, I know who you are, and our Lady does, too.” She said with fierce conviction. “So screw the rest of them!” Maritza grinned at him. “Remember why we’re doing this.”

Yadriel steeled himself and spoke with as much courage as he could muster. “So they’ll see that I’m a brujo.”

“Well, yeah, but other than that.”

“Spite?” Yadriel guessed.

“Spite!” Martiza agreed enthusiastically. “They’re gonna feel real stupid once you show them. And I want you to savor that moment, Yads! Really”—she took in a deep breath through her nose and clasped her hands to her chest—“savor that taste of sweet, sweet vindication!”

A laugh jumped in Yadriel’s throat.

Maritza smiled. “Let’s do this, brujo.”

Yadriel could feel the goofy grin back on his face.

“Just don’t screw it up and make the dios shoot you down with lightning or something, okay?” she said, backing up a few steps. “I can’t carry the responsibility of the family black sheep on my own.”

Being transgender and gay had earned Yadriel the title of Head Black Sheep among the brujx. Though, in truth, being gay had actually been much easier for them to accept, but only because they saw Yadriel’s liking boys as still being heterosexual.

But Maritza had certainly earned the title in her own right as the only vegan bruja in their community. One year younger than Yadriel, she’d gone through her own quinces when she turned fifteen earlier that year, but she refused to heal because it required the use of animal blood. One of Yadriel’s earliest memories of Maritza was of her crying inconsolably when her mother had used blood from a pig to heal a child’s broken leg. Early on, Maritza decided she wanted no part of healing if it meant harming another living creature.

In the dim light of the church, Yadriel could see her portaje hanging around her neck—a rosary of pink quartz that ended in a silver cross, but the concealed vessel remained empty. Maritza explained that, even though she refused to use her powers, she still respected the diosa and their ancestors.

Yadriel admired her for her convictions, but he was also frustrated by them. All he wanted was to be accepted—he wanted to be given his own portaje, treated like any other brujo, and given the same responsibilities. Maritza, on the other hand, had been offered every right of the brujx, but she chose to reject it.

“Now, prisa!” Maritza said, waving him on impatiently.

Yadriel took a deep, steadying breath.

He tightened his grip on his Hydro Flask, the metal cool against his sweaty palms, as he exhaled through pursed lips.

With a more steadied resolve, Yadriel unscrewed the cap and poured the chicken blood into the bowl. To her credit, Maritza did her best to hide a look of disgust.

As the deep red liquid mixed with the tequila, a gust of wind blew through the church. The candle flames flickered. The air in the room felt thick, as if it were crowded with bodies.

Adrenaline coursed through Yadriel’s veins, and excited chills raced up his arms. When he spoke, he did his best to keep his voice steady and deep.

“Santísima Santa Muerte, te pido tu bendición,” Yadriel said, calling upon Lady Death to ask for her blessing.

A rush of air brushed against his face and dragged like fingers through his hair. The flames trembled, and the statue of Lady Death suddenly felt alive. She didn’t move or change, but Yadriel could feel something pressing toward him.

He lit a match and dropped it into the bowl. The liquid caught, bursting into flames. “Prometo proteger a los vivos y guiar a los muertos,” Yadriel said, vowing to uphold the responsibilities of the brujos. His hands trembled and he gripped his portaje tighter.

“Esta es mi sangre, derramada por ti.” Holding the dagger, Yadriel opened his mouth and pressed the tip to his tongue until it bit into him. He winced and held his portaje out in front of him. A thin line of red glistened on the edge of the blade in the warm light of the candles.

He held the dagger over the burning bowl. As soon as the flames licked the steel, the blood sizzled and the candles blazed like torches, their flames tall and strong. Yadriel squinted as a rush of heat hit his face.

He removed his portaje from the fire and spoke the final words.

“Con un beso, te prometo mi devoción,” he murmured before brushing his tongue over his lips. Balancing the hilt in his palm, he kissed the image of Lady Death.

Golden light sparked at the tip of the blade and raced down the hilt to his hand. His skin glowed as the light shot down his fingers and up his arm. It traveled down his legs and curled around his toes. Yadriel shuddered, the thrilling sensation robbing him of his breath.

As quickly as it had appeared, the thick thrum of magic in the church dissipated. The candle flames extinguished themselves in the same pulse. The air in the room went still. Yadriel pushed up the sleeve of his hoodie and stared at his arm in awe as the golden light faded, leaving his brown skin unadorned.

He stared up at Lady Death. “Holy crap,” Yadriel breathed, pressing his hands to his cheeks.

“Holy crap!” he repeated. “It worked!” He felt his chest, the thunderous beat of his heart pulsing against his palm. He jerked to look at Maritza for confirmation. “Did—did it work?”

The fire in the bowl glinted in her eyes, a huge smile on her face. “There’s one way to find out.”

Laughter bubbled in Yadriel’s throat, relief and adrenaline making him half delirious. “Right.”

If Lady Death had blessed him, granting him the powers of the brujx, that meant he could summon a lost spirit. If he could summon a spirit and release it to the afterlife, then he would finally prove himself to everyone—the brujx, his family, and his dad. They would see him as he was. A boy and a brujo.

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue