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Aiden Thomas

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Aiden Thomas
Thomas in 2024
Thomas in 2024
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States of America
Alma materMills College
GenreYoung adult fiction
Notable worksCemetery Boys
Website
www.aiden-thomas.com

Aiden Thomas (born14th of July, c.1989) is a North American author of young adult novels, best known for the book Cemetery Boys which was a New York Times bestseller and won numerous awards, including best of the year recognition from the American Library Association, Publishers Weekly, Barnes & Noble, NPR and School Library Journal.

Early life and education

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Thomas was born in Oakland, California, and received a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing from Mills College.[1]

Personal life

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He was born in Oakland[2] on the 14th of July[3] and is 180cm tall [4]

He is of Cuban and Mexican heritage.[5][6][7]

In 2007-2010, he attended Mills College, majoring in English and Psychology.[8] While there, he rowed crew. The practices were at 5am, and he was always sleepy, so the coxswain called him "aidenschmaiden" which he later used for his Twitter username.[9]

In 2011, he trained as an EMT[10] and nearly completed a year before suffering a accident.[11]

In 2012-2013, he completed a post baccalaureate at Portland State University, studying English.[1]

In 2013-2015, he finished a MFA in Creative Writing at Mills College, where he got 5 stories published and his thesis became the basis of a later book, Lost in the Never Woods.[12]

Thomas lives in Portland.[13] He is transgender and uses he/they pronouns.[14]

Books

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Cemetery Boys

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Main article: Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys was published on September 1, 2020, by Swoon Reads.[15] It tells the story of Yadriel, who is queer, transgender, Latino and a brujo. Unfortunately, his family does not recognize him as a man, which has serious effects on his abilities. The book was named a best seller by The New York Times and IndieBound,[15], the first trans-centered book to do so[16], and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly[17] and Booklist.[18]

Lost in the Never Woods

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Lost in the Never Woods was published on March 23, 2021, by Swoon Reads.[19] It is a retelling of Peter Pan. The book, as well as the audiobook, received a starred review from Booklist.[20][21]

The Sunbearer Trials duology

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The Sunbearer Trials, a Mexican-inspired fantasy was published on September 6, 2022 by Feiwel & Friends.[22] It received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly.[23][24] The finale in this series, Celestial Monsters, was published on September 3, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends.[25] It received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.[25][26]

Just Max

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In October 2021, Thomas announced the acquisition of Just Max,[27] a contemporary YA novel about a trans boy going to college and navigating all the new experiences that includes. Release is set for Winter 2024.[28]

Awards and honors

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Cemetery Boys is a Junior Library Guild book.[29] It was a New York Times and Indiebound bestseller,[15] and Publishers Weekly, NPR, and Barnes & Noble named it one of the best books of 2020.[30][31][32] School Library Journal included the audiobook on their list of the top ten audiobooks of 2020,[33] the American Library Association (ALA) included it on their 2020 list of the top ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults.[34] The following year, the ALA included it in the top ten on their Best Fiction for Young Adults list,[35][36] ALA Rainbow Book List,[37] and Teens' Top Ten list.[38]

In 2023, the ALA included The Sunbearer Trials on their list of the Best Fiction for Young Adults and their Rainbow List.[39][40]

Awards for Thomas's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2020 Cemetery Boys Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel Shortlisted [41]
Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [42]
Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Novel Nominee [42]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlisted [43][44]
2021 Locus Award for Best First Novel Nominee [45]
Lodestar Award Finalist [46]
Lost in the Never Woods Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [47]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Aiden Thomas Education". LinkedIn. June 30, 2025.
  2. ^ Koehler, Mimi (March 16, 2021). "Q&A: Aiden Thomas, Author of 'Lost In The Never Woods'". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  3. ^ "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!". Twitter. July 14, 2023.
  4. ^ "Author Spotlight: Aiden Thomas". Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "Aiden Thomas". Twitter. January 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "GeekGirlCon". October 4, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  7. ^ Nava, Eliana (2024). "Aiden Thomas on Queer Joy and Magic". Chiricú Journal: Latina/o Literatures, Arts, and Cultures. 9 (1): 118–122. ISSN 2472-4521.
  8. ^ Penn, Farrah (December 2, 2020). "YA Author Aiden Thomas Discusses How Bestselling "Cemetery Boys" Wasn't Originally Supposed To Be Their Debut And How Their Identity Shaped The Story". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  9. ^ "Aiden Thomas on where his username came from". Twitter. August 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Burt, Kayti (August 10, 2020). "Cemetery Boys: A Conversation with YA Author Aiden Thomas". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  11. ^ "Aiden Thomas on how he became an author". Twitter. February 20, 2019.
  12. ^ "MacKids Spotlight: Aiden Thomas – MacKids School & Library". www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  13. ^ "Aiden Thomas". Macmillan Publishers. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  14. ^ La Jeunesse, Marilyn (September 6, 2022). "The Sunbearer Trials Is a Window Into a Rich World of Queer Demigods". Them. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Cemetery Boys". Kirkus Reviews. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Kim, Michelle Hyun (September 11, 2020). "Trans YA Author Makes History With NYT Best-Selling Novel "Cemetery Boys"". Them. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  17. ^ March Soloway, Jennifer (June 25, 2020). "Children's Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  18. ^ Bittner, Rob (May 1, 2020). Cemetery Boys. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021 – via Booklist.
  19. ^ "Lost in the Never Woods". Kirkus Reviews. May 10, 2021. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  20. ^ Smith, Candace (June 1, 2021). Lost in the Never Woods. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021 – via Booklist.
  21. ^ Leary, Alaina (February 1, 2021). Lost in the Never Woods. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021 – via Booklist.
  22. ^ "The Sunbearer Trials". Macmillan. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  23. ^ "The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer #1) by Aiden Thomas". Publishers Weekly. July 21, 2022. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  24. ^ Cohen, Stephanie (August 2022). "The Sunbearer Trials". Booklist. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Celestial Monsters". Kirkus Reviews. August 30, 2024. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Leary, Fin (July 2024). "Celestial Monsters". Booklist. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  27. ^ Thomas, Aiden (October 19, 2021). "my way of surviving quarantine was to write a story about a trans boy starting college, experiencing the foibles of being stealth in a co-ed dorm, and falling in love with the cute boy who offered to tutor him in math and now i get to share it!". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  28. ^ "Rights Report: Week of October 18, 2021". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  29. ^ "Cemetery Boys". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  30. ^ "Best Books 2020: Publishers Weekly - Young Adult". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  31. ^ "NPR's Book Concierge". NPR. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  32. ^ "Cemetery Boys|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  33. ^ Klose, Stephanie. "Top 10 Audiobooks of 2020". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  34. ^ "2021 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  35. ^ Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2021. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021 – via Booklist.
  36. ^ "2021 Top Ten Best Fiction". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  37. ^ Rainbow List: 2021. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021 – via Booklist.
  38. ^ "2021 Teens' Top Ten" (PDF). American Library Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  39. ^ "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  40. ^ "Rainbow List: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  41. ^ "The Bram Stoker Awards 2020". The Bram Stoker Awards. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  42. ^ a b "Cemetery Boys". Goodreads. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  43. ^ "National Book Awards 2020". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  44. ^ Kantor, Emma (September 16, 2020). "2020 NBA Longlist for Young People's Literature Announced". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  45. ^ "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 26, 2021. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  46. ^ "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. January 1, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  47. ^ "Lost in the Never Woods". Goodreads. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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