#58 - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (with Ria and Valli of Queerily Ever After)

Tune in as Ria and Valli (Queerily Ever After) hop onto 2CC for Pride Month 2022, during which queer content will be featured throughout the month of June. For the second episode, the spotlight is on Cemetery Boys, the 2020 YA contemporary paranormal novel by Aiden Thomas (Lost in the Never Woods, The Sunbearer Trials). The journey of self-acceptance that Yadriel, a 16-year-old trans Latinx boy who lives in a traditional brujx cemetery community in East L.A., goes on while also trying to help out Julian Diaz, a rambunctious and deceased (possibly even murdered) classmate whose spirit he accidentally summoned, provides plenty of material for the hosts to discuss. Plus, you can hear them talk about subjects like Portrait of a Lady on Fire being the best lesbian movie, double-checking the pronunciations of words like “brujx” and “Riordan,” the traits of water signs, and Western society’s terrified view of the afterlife. TW: transphobia, deadnaming, grief, murder, parental death, homophobia, racism; and brief mentions of animal death, self-harm, cultural appropriation, child abuse, and a car accident Spoilers start at 35:40 Good Word: • Valli: HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death • Ria: Taylor Swift, particularly “seven” from folklore • Arthur: Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix standup comedy specials Nanette and Douglas Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello! Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms! Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18 Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell