The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Thomas, Aiden. Cemetery Boys. Macmillan Publishing Group, 2020.

Yadriel is a transgender Hispanic teen living in East Los Angeles. His entire family comes from a line of brujos who are capable of doing magic. Brujos help wayward spirits cross over from the human world into the spirit one. They are also able to heal humans and animals.

Yadriel and Maritza hurry home when they both feel a horrible pain and realize that their cousin, Miguel, has died. They search for Miguel's body in order to release his soul to the spirit world. When they are unable to join the search party organized by the family's men, they resolve to look for him on their own.

While looking for Miguel, Yadriel and Maritza find another spirit, a teenage boy named Julian. They promise to help Julian get to the spirit world as well. Yadriel brings Julian to stay at his house and also to the high school with him.

Yadriel and his family gather at a church reception to celebrate and honor Miguel's life. They are all growing increasingly worried about why Miguel has not been able to contact them from the afterlife. They are suspicious of everything strange that seems to be happening.

Yadriel and Julian are also growing closer as the novel continues. Yadriel feels seen by Julian because he does not need to hide his gender identity. He feels as though he can be vulnerable with Julian because Julian has also experienced discrimination and prejudice for being gay. Julian also affirms Yadriel when he tells him that there is nothing strange about him despite his unique personality and background.

Yadriel is worried that he and Julian are running out of time as Day of the Dead approaches quickly. He does not want to forcibly release Julian's spirit to the other side but he fears he will have no choice. Yadriel is also beginning to form romantic feelings for Julian, so he is even more conflicted as the Day of the Dead is coming up. He really wants to keep Julian by his side, but he knows that he cannot blur the line between the worlds and upset the balance of nature.

Yadriel and Julian get to the bottom of the mysterious deaths at the end of the novel on the night of Day of the Dead. They discover a hidden crypt in the basement of the church where Miguel's body is laying. Tio Catriz appears and reveals that he killed Miguel and the others in order to perform a human sacrifice ritual and increase his own power so he can close off the human world from the spirit one. Yadriel is horrified by the betrayal but he does not have the strength to fight off his uncle.

All of the children work together to fend him off until Yadriel summons Lady Death. Catriz's power destroys him and Yadriel is blown back and hurts himself.

Yadriel wakes up in the hospital and learns that Julian survived and has been able to stay in the human world once again. The boys kiss and find acceptance with their families.