Book: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Age Rating: young adult (12+)
Page Count: 368 pages
Star Review: 5/5 stars
Summary: Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship--the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Memorable Quote: "Scars. A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had healed."
This book was absolutely stunning. I understand why it's so loved because it was gorgeously written and I fell in love with all the characters so quickly... Ari was like a son to me and Dante was the most precious character I've read about in a while. I've definitely got a new book to add to my favorites list and the announcement of a SEQUEL coming out later this year (potentially) has got me screaming!!
Let me start with the plot. It was very flexible (quite similar to that of Looking for Alaska which I love. The plot type not the plot as a whole) and I enjoy flexible plots. There was a lot going on and a lot to remember at times, but I enjoyed the plot overall. Each section was like it's own mini book, restarting the chapters with every section. I did like that since I do love it when books are split into sections. It helped it make more sense to include a lot of details, having some characters explicitly in some sections and less in others, which definitely helped.
I also loved the character development throughout the book. Ari changes the most noticeably, I'd say because he goes through so much. His attitude towards the road and view of it changes almost completely throughout the course of the book. Dante also had some very intense character development which was a joy to watch unfold. Ari and Dante actually change in opposite ways which was one of the many reasons I feel this is a very important book. Not every change is a positive one and the happiest people can be greatly changed in negative ways.
Finally, the most important part of the book in my opinion. The inclusion of gay characters. You may be thinking 'Of course, this book came out in 2012' but the book takes place in 1987 and there is very little representation of LGBT characters pre-2010 and it is very important to know that there were gay people, specifically teenagers in 1987. LGBT people were certainly not invented in 2010 and I think some people don't realize how important it is to include representation from a while back.
Would I recommend? 100% FOR SURE!!
I also loved the character development throughout the book. Ari changes the most noticeably, I'd say because he goes through so much. His attitude towards the road and view of it changes almost completely throughout the course of the book. Dante also had some very intense character development which was a joy to watch unfold. Ari and Dante actually change in opposite ways which was one of the many reasons I feel this is a very important book. Not every change is a positive one and the happiest people can be greatly changed in negative ways.
Finally, the most important part of the book in my opinion. The inclusion of gay characters. You may be thinking 'Of course, this book came out in 2012' but the book takes place in 1987 and there is very little representation of LGBT characters pre-2010 and it is very important to know that there were gay people, specifically teenagers in 1987. LGBT people were certainly not invented in 2010 and I think some people don't realize how important it is to include representation from a while back.
Would I recommend? 100% FOR SURE!!
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