Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

By Jenny Peterson On May 24, 2015 · 2 Comments · In Book Review

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Published by Simon & Schuster on Feb. 21, 2012
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: eBook
Pages: 368
Source: Bought
Goodreads • Amazon •

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. (Goodreads)

The Year: 1987. The place: El Paso. The boys: Dante and Aristotle, two boys with similar names and wildly different personalities.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is the sort of book that sneaks up on you and doesn’t let go. I wasn’t so sure about Ari when I first met him. He was angry, yet trying hard to act disaffected. We, the reader, are thrown into his life. It’s a life that shows up on the page in short, sputtering sentences. Dante, the boy Ari meets while pretending he can swim one hot summer day, is everything Ari isn’t. Dante is open, friendly, and as he proclaims, crazy about his parents. He is quick with smiles and laughs and tears, and he slowly breaks open Ari’s carefully hardened shell.

When I say that Aristotle and Dante sneaks up you, I mean it. I made it about half way through the book before I really became hooked. But then, how it hooked me. I loved author Sáenz’s exploration of identity—both sexual and heritage—and the way he approached Ari’s discovery of self. The subplot of a brother in prison didn’t work as well for me, personally, but that’s partly because I enjoyed the main story so much. It was quiet, beautiful, and affecting.