2026 Rainbow Book List “The queer young adult story that I’ve been desperately craving for years!” —Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, New York Times bestselling author of Ace of Spades and Where Sleeping Girls Lie
In this YA contemporary fantasy, the teen son of the local mortician accidentally reanimates the dead body of the boy he had more than friendly feelings for, but can he keep him alive for good before their time runs out? Perfect for fans of Cemetery Boys and The Taking of Jake Livingston!
When you grow up in a funeral home, death is just another part of life. But for sixteen-year-old Jaxon Santiago-Noble, it’s also part of his family’s legacy. Most dead bodies in the town of Jacob’s Barrow wind up at Jaxon’s house; his mom is the local mortician, after all. He doesn’t usually pay them much mind, but when Christian Reyes is brought in after a car accident, Jaxon’s world is turned upside down.
There are a lot of things Jaxon wishes he could have said to his once best friend and first crush. When he accidentally resurrects Christian, Jaxon might finally have that chance. But the more he learns about his newfound necromancy, the more he grasps that Christian’s running on borrowed time—and it's almost out.
As he navigates dark, mysterious magics and family secrets, Jaxon realizes that stepping into an inherited power may also mean opening up old family wounds if he wants to keep the boy he may be falling for alive for good.
He brought his first crush back from the dead. But can he defy fate a second time to keep him?
- A High-Stakes Race Against Time: Jaxon brought Christian back, but the magic is already fading. He’ll have to master his powers and uncover his family’s past before he loses his first love for a second time.
- YA Necromancer Fantasy: Growing up in a funeral home is one thing, but discovering you have the power to raise the dead—especially the dead boy you’ve been crushing on—is another level of complicated.
- Boys Love Story: From a pining first crush to a desperate fight for a future together, Jaxon and Christian’s story is full of heart, yearning, and emotional depth.
- Rich Latinx Culture: With authentic characters and cultural details, this story grounds its magical elements in a heartfelt contemporary world full of family and flavor.
