Trans Author Makes NYT Bestsellers List History With Cemetery Boys

With the release of their debut novel Cemetery Boys, writer Aiden Thomas is celebrating a historic first on the New York Times' Best Sellers list!

Thomas took to Twitter yesterday to celebrate their novel debuting at #8 on the Young Adult Hardcover chart. They later realized this is the first time an openly transgender author with a book centering a transgender character has appeared in the fiction verticals of the Best Sellers list. 

"Holy shit," Thomas wrote. "This is the FIRST time a trans author with a trans book has made it onto the New York Times Best Sellers list! While I am BLOWN AWAY and SO GRATEFUL, it's 2020 and I should NOT have been the first — and I'm sure as hell NOT GOING TO BE THE LAST. TRANS FAM — KEEP WRITING!"

Writers like Janet Mock and Jennifer Finney Boylan have appeared on the Best Sellers list with their memoirs, but this is a historic achievement in this genre, even more so considering the novel is Young Adult fiction.

The official description for Cemetery Boys reads:

"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 ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

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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."

Cemetery Boys is out now!