Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Benjamin Alire Sáenz | Book Review

About The Book:

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Pages: 349.
Genre: Young Adult | LGBTQIA+
Publisher: ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Buying Links: Amazon India.

Dante can swim. Ari can’t. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari’s features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

I finished this book with a smile on my face and clutter of thoughts in my mind. It took me some time to pen down my thoughts for this book. Read on to find what were those thoughts!

Brief of the Plot:

Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana, two Mexican American kids in the 1980s, are introduced in this book. Ari doesn’t have any friends, but during his summer vacation, he meets Dante at the pool, who offers to teach him to swim. They do not easily bond at first, but they quickly begin to spend significant amounts of time together. We observe their relationship evolve and blossom over the course as we observe their lives. Both of these youngsters are polar opposites, but they complement each other in more ways than you might think. The novel is written in brief, poem-like segments and told entirely from Ari’s point of view.

Review:

This book made me HAPPY!
And that is the most important thing for me as a reader.

When you close a book and you have a warm feeling in your heart, and a content smile on your face, you know that you had a great time reading it.

This book needs no special introduction, especially the main characters (Ari and Dante). But what I would really like to mention here is the role of parents in this book.

If Ari and Dante are the moon and stars in the night sky (book), the parents were the dark night sky that complimented the sky and enhanced the beauty of the moon and stars.

This was a beautifully written lyrical book. This is my first book by the author, and I think I’ll be picking up a few more. The language was simple, and I’m positive you’ll be hooked on the plot as soon as you turn the first page. The book is separated into sections, and the chapters are brief, which is a great thing for me.

Actual rating: 4.5