Review for Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Quick View Review
Overall Rating: **** (5/5)
Amazon Rating: **** (4.6/5)
One Sentence Review: This beautiful book will reflect the growth all teenagers must endure, and weave in the theme that love is a strength, not a weakness.
Full Review
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.
This is a really beautiful book. That’s the best way to describe it: beautiful. Because it is (and so much more). I have read this novel twice, and whenever I think about it (like now), I feel like rereading it again. It is a coming of age story that doesn’t focus on romance too much, tying it in only at the right moments. The novel touches upon insecurities and doubts all teenagers have about life and how the world works, and shows that you are not alone, no matter what you are thinking about or going through. This is one of my favorites (in my very clique-y favorite book list, of course), and I hope everyone is lucky enough to read this book. Both Ari and Dante are very normal, but their mundane qualities that readers can identify with are what make these characters, and the novel, so magical. It makes me feel magical, and not boring like the stories I have read about fantasy lands and powers make me feel. The plot is simple, and is a progression of the characters’ growth, rather than a mystery or action packed with wars and rivalry, but it is beautiful nonetheless. I learned a lot about myself and life from this book that I hope others will too. The book is very raw and reaches the core of something mysterious, all centered around love.
There are not many novels out there like this one, so I urge you to read it, and you won’t regret it.
Make sure to come back next Wednesday for a new review!
Happy reading!
Xoxo,
Zoe
