Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante)

by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.

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.

Reviewed by moraa on

5 of 5 stars

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19 September 2020: 5 stars

Maybe everyone loves differently. Maybe that’s all that matters.

I first read this in the November of 2018 and though I’ve been meaning to reread it as part of my annual rereads in November this year, something about having the untouched physical copy on my shelf for months (I first got it in February) didn’t sit right with me.

I’m so glad I decided to reread this, even though it tore me up a little a lot. This is just one of those books I could go on and on about and it wouldn't be enough because I can never put what I felt into mere words.

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2 December 2018: 4 stars
I just finished this book and can I just say... wow.
I'm not usually lost for words but Saenz has knocked all the words out of me.

All the words.

I had a few minor issues with this but the pros outweighed the cons by far. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of slow burn but this was well done.

The banter was on point too, if I only I could talk to my parents that way (lol).

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