Tuesday 24 February 2015

Short 'n Sweet Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz


Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Benjamin Alire Saenz | Goodreads

Synopsis:
"This book took my breath away."
―James Howe, author of The Misfits

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'd had incredibly high hopes for this novel after hearing such stellar reviews, and whilst I didn't love it, I can see why others might have.


The novel featured beautifully lyrical prose, and an incredibly diverse cast of characters. Two things that I know people fawn over in YA. But for some reason it didn't really work for me, it's possible I just wasn't in the mood, but I still don't know why when it had so many great features. It featured almost  everything I look for in a contemporary novel; Friendship, family, romance, but I feel it lacked in the rising action, and the ending felt quite abrupt and a little bit forced. I did, however, have a great appreciation for both Aristotle and Dante, who were both incredibly genuine teenage boys, and who faced some very realistic issues. Also, I don't think I've ever read a book with a mexican main character? The conversations between the two are incredibly beautiful and complex without being overdone, and I think this book is full of some wonderful quotes. I believe Aristotle and Dante is a perfect fit for fans of John Green, who's books I'm not overly fond of, but I can also show appreciation for.

4/5 keys to my heart!

1 comment :

  1. Haven't read Me and Earl and the dying girl but Aristotle and Dante was a great great book! Also, I didn't know it was LGBT, so it came as a surprise and I was extremely happy! :D

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