NEED TO KNOW
A paperback edition of Aiden Thomas’ YA fantasy hit, Cemetery Boys, is arriving this summer
The novel was the first book featuring a transgender character, written by an openly transgender author, to hit the New York Times’ fiction bestseller listIn an exclusive excerpt from the new edition’s foreword, Thomas looks back on the success of Cemetery Boys, and the importance of trans, queer and Latino representation in fiction

Aiden Thomas’ celebrated young adult fantasy novel, Cemetery Boys, was a hit upon its 2020 publication.

A spot on the National Book Award longlist and nominations for the Bram Stoker Award and the Locus Award were just a few accolades bestowed upon the book about a boy named Yadriel who accidentally summons the ghost of a fellow high school student. Cemetery Boys was also the first book written by an openly transgender author, and centering a transgender character, to hit the New York Times’ fiction bestseller list.

This summer, Thomas is publishing the long-awaited paperback edition of Cemetery Boys, ahead of the second book in the series, Cemetery Boys: Espíritu, out in 2026. The author is looking back on the success of the novel that started it all — and the importance of transgender, queer and Latino representation in fiction — in the new edition’s foreword, exclusively excerpted here.

Read Thomas’ foreword to the new edition, entitled “5 Years of Magic, Mischief, and (Gay) Ghosts” below.

The cover of ‘Cemetery Boys’ by Aiden Thomas.

Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Five years ago, I introduced the world to Yadriel, a stubborn, bighearted brujo who just wanted to prove himself — to his family, to his ancestors, and, let’s be real, to that one very annoying, very attractive ghost he accidentally summoned. And now, five years later, here we are, celebrating the fact that Cemetery Boys is still here, still finding new readers, still making people cry and still proving that trans, queer and Latino kids belong in the world of magic.

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Let’s talk about Yadriel for a second. My boy has been through it. Not just in the “Oops, I summoned a dead boy and now I have to solve his murder” way, but in the “Why won’t people just believe me when I tell them who I am?” way. And if you’re here, I probably don’t need to tell you that this isn’t just fiction. Every single day, trans kids — especially trans kids of color, and especially Black trans kids — are forced to fight for the most basic recognition of their identities, their humanity and their right to exist safely. Yadriel’s story is about magic and love, sure, but it’s also about the reality of constantly having to prove yourself in a world that refuses to see you.

Which brings us to Julian.

Julian Diaz, aka human golden retriever energy incarnate, aka Yadriel’s personal chaos demon, aka the boy who saw Yadriel exactly as he was — no questions, no hesitations, no conditions. Julian charged into Yadriel’s life with the force of a supernatural hurricane and decided, immediately, This is my person. And that’s what trans and queer kids deserve — people who don’t just tolerate them, but love them. Fiercely. Unapologetically. Without question.

Aiden Thomas and fans.

Aiden Thomas 2021

I wish I’d had a book like this when I was younger. I wish I’d had a story where the trans, queer and Latino kid didn’t have to be tragic, didn’t have to be erased or sidelined, didn’t have to beg to be seen. I didn’t grow up seeing someone like me in books. And when you don’t see yourself, it’s easy to believe you don’t belong. That’s why this book exists — because we do belong. We always have. And we always will.

I won’t lie to you — things outside the pages of this book have not gotten easier in the last five years. If anything, they’ve gotten worse. Across the U.S., politicians are actively making life more dangerous for trans kids. Schools are banning books (including this one!), stripping away rights, and fueling hate that puts queer and Latino youth at risk. They want to erase us. They want a world where kids like Yadriel don’t exist — where trans kids don’t get to grow up and fall in love and be happy.

But here’s the thing — we’re still here.

And a huge reason why is because of the incredible teachers, librarians, authors and publishers who refuse to let these stories be silenced. To every educator who sneaks banned books into the hands of the kids who need them most, to every librarian who fights for inclusive shelves, to every author who keeps writing stories despite the fear and backlash and to every publisher who takes a stand — you are the reason books like Cemetery Boys exist. You are saving lives. You are showing kids that no matter what anyone tries to tell them, they are not alone.

Aiden Thomas and a fan.

Aiden Thomas 2021

And to the readers who needed this book — who held on to it like a lifeline: Maybe you read it in secret, late at night, afraid someone might take it away. Maybe you saw yourself in Yadriel for the first time and felt relief, or hope, or even grief for the years you spent not knowing you could belong. Maybe this book was a promise — a reminder that you are not alone, not now, not ever. If that’s you, if you needed this book like I once needed a book like this, I want you to know I see you. I’m so, so glad you’re here.

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Because survival is not just survival. It is a fight. It is proof that you made it.  Five years ago, when this book first came out, I couldn’t have imagined how much worse things would get for trans kids, for queer kids, for Latino kids. And yet here we are. We are still here. And if you’re reading this — so are you. Maybe you had to fight for it. Maybe it wasn’t easy. But you’re here, and that matters. You matter.

And I want you to remember this:

The world will tell you that you don’t belong. That you should be quiet, or ashamed, or afraid. But you don’t have to listen to it. You belong in stories, in magic, in love. And one day — maybe tomorrow, maybe years from now — you’re going to meet someone who looks at you the way Julian looked at Yadriel. Someone who sees all of you and doesn’t hesitate. Someone who loves you exactly as you are, and for exactly who you are.

Aiden Thomas at Barnes & Noble with his Book ‘Cemetery Boys’.

Courtesy of Aiden Thomas

And until then? You have this book. You have me. And you have a world full of people fighting for you, even if you don’t know their names.

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You are not alone. You never were.

Keep reading. Keep fighting. Keep loving. You deserve it.

Con todo mi corazón,
Aiden Thomas

Courtesy of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

The paperback edition of Cemetery Boys will be published on July 29 through Feiwei & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.