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Reviews tagging 'Death'
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
131 reviews
journey2's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World picks up immediately where the first book left off. On the same magical night. Our heroes are happy and in love and have found their voices in the world but knowing what comes next is the hard part.
These books are beautiful, the characters are intellectual, the relationships with parents and family are based on love and honesty and seeing each other as people and they are honestly so refreshing.
The questions they ask, the things they struggle wih are real and tangible. Falling in love with another boy at the height of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and having to hide yourself for fear of persecution, I thought about these things a lot as I read them. (Arguably I read the first book in one sitting cover to cover!)
These are gorgeous books and if you haven't read them yet I suggest you do!
These books are beautiful, the characters are intellectual, the relationships with parents and family are based on love and honesty and seeing each other as people and they are honestly so refreshing.
The questions they ask, the things they struggle wih are real and tangible. Falling in love with another boy at the height of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and having to hide yourself for fear of persecution, I thought about these things a lot as I read them. (Arguably I read the first book in one sitting cover to cover!)
These are gorgeous books and if you haven't read them yet I suggest you do!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Bullying, Grief, Alcohol, and Transphobia
Tw: homophobia, transphobia (use of an out dated t word that would have still been in use in the 80s, although this does seem to be rectified by the second book and handled with more care), violence, car accident, death, incarceration, AIDS.elliizzzabeth's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A lovely continuation of Ari and Dante's story. Written in that same beautiful, thought provoking way - this time we explore themes of love, sex, AIDS, death, grief, teachers and friendship.
This book is the epitome of "No plot, just vibes". At least the first book had some sort of arc from meeting Dante to realising he was in love with him. This one reads more like a diary or a collection of poetic essays, it doesn't really go anywhere except trudging forward day by day. It's more about exploring opinions and the world than having a story. If that's not your cup of tea then it may feel a little slow and boring. But if you like poetic writing and deep explorations of topics then you will enjoy this. Every other line was a beautiful, poignantly crafted thought. If you like to highlight good quotes then your copy will be glowing neon by the end.
The lack of plot did mean it dragged in some places. The start felt like I was just ari going on and on about how much he loves Dante and the end dragged out longer than it needed to. The part in Paris felt almost completely unnecessary and tacked on.
Overall a very beautiful and thoughtful book, but not quite as perfect as the first
This book is the epitome of "No plot, just vibes". At least the first book had some sort of arc from meeting Dante to realising he was in love with him. This one reads more like a diary or a collection of poetic essays, it doesn't really go anywhere except trudging forward day by day. It's more about exploring opinions and the world than having a story. If that's not your cup of tea then it may feel a little slow and boring. But if you like poetic writing and deep explorations of topics then you will enjoy this. Every other line was a beautiful, poignantly crafted thought. If you like to highlight good quotes then your copy will be glowing neon by the end.
The lack of plot did mean it dragged in some places. The start felt like I was just ari going on and on about how much he loves Dante and the end dragged out longer than it needed to. The part in Paris felt almost completely unnecessary and tacked on.
Overall a very beautiful and thoughtful book, but not quite as perfect as the first
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Hate crime, Racism, and War
I put child death but its more an exploration of death of an (adult) child. Also a lot of exploration of AIDS and the AIDS epedemicluly_sc's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Transphobia
Minor: Terminal illness
josieruby1's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Moderate: Violence and Racism
This book heavily addresses the aids pandemic.wlreed312's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of those books where I see the criticisms of it, and can agree, but it just hit me in such a special place in my heart that it can't be anything less than five stars.
This world resonates so much with me, from the way the west Texas sky is described to Ari's love of the rain to the discussions of the AIDS epidemic. I grew up in west Texas, though not as far west as Ari and Dante, and my relationship with my hometown...isn't good. But the way Saenz captures the ways it can be beautiful leaves me almost breathless. And I was also a teenager during this time, though I'm about five years younger than Ari and Dante. In fact, my older brother graduated the same year they did. I was a bit too young and too sheltered to understand much about AIDS when it first began, but reading about Ari struggling to come to terms with who he is during this time period is so gorgeous. I completely adore Aristotle, how he comes into himself and comes to understand his parents. And speaking of his parents, they are so wonderful in this book. I love how his father grows and begins to try to share the pain he brought home from the war with Ari and Lilliana. When he talks about how a fellow soldier died in his arms, and he went to tell the parents, I was an absolute mess. It really captures how many people who went through a war think war is absolute shit, and the trauma it can leave behind. I love how Ari begins to see his parents as people outside of their relationship with him, and how that helps him shape his relationships with others. I appreciate how much focus there is on friendships, outside of Ari and Dante's love story, because you can't just have one person. I thought Ari beginning to make deeper connections, and how that affected his growth, was really lovely. I loved Ari's anger and despair, as he tried to figure out his place in the world and how to be true to himself. In short, there was so much about this that I related to and loved, even if I don't share the experiences. It's a book that made me cry a lot, and parts of it were so real to things I heard and saw when I was a teen that I had to take breaks or just dissolve into tears. This is a book that feels like home to me, in the best way. But I wish I had had Ari's parents.
This world resonates so much with me, from the way the west Texas sky is described to Ari's love of the rain to the discussions of the AIDS epidemic. I grew up in west Texas, though not as far west as Ari and Dante, and my relationship with my hometown...isn't good. But the way Saenz captures the ways it can be beautiful leaves me almost breathless. And I was also a teenager during this time, though I'm about five years younger than Ari and Dante. In fact, my older brother graduated the same year they did. I was a bit too young and too sheltered to understand much about AIDS when it first began, but reading about Ari struggling to come to terms with who he is during this time period is so gorgeous. I completely adore Aristotle, how he comes into himself and comes to understand his parents. And speaking of his parents, they are so wonderful in this book. I love how his father grows and begins to try to share the pain he brought home from the war with Ari and Lilliana. When he talks about how a fellow soldier died in his arms, and he went to tell the parents, I was an absolute mess. It really captures how many people who went through a war think war is absolute shit, and the trauma it can leave behind. I love how Ari begins to see his parents as people outside of their relationship with him, and how that helps him shape his relationships with others. I appreciate how much focus there is on friendships, outside of Ari and Dante's love story, because you can't just have one person. I thought Ari beginning to make deeper connections, and how that affected his growth, was really lovely. I loved Ari's anger and despair, as he tried to figure out his place in the world and how to be true to himself. In short, there was so much about this that I related to and loved, even if I don't share the experiences. It's a book that made me cry a lot, and parts of it were so real to things I heard and saw when I was a teen that I had to take breaks or just dissolve into tears. This is a book that feels like home to me, in the best way. But I wish I had had Ari's parents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Racism
nikexistiertnik's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
first of all, i am happy i read this book, and i am happy it exists.
i loved ari's personal development - seeing him evolve, build friendships, open up for love, made me very happy, especially the relationship he came to have with his father and his mother.
meeting bernardo was one thing i had really hoped would happen in the first book, so i was excited that it finally happened now; and while i appreciated that it wasn't a fantasy meeting and that he wasn't suddenly a wonderful and misunderstood man - because sometimes people we used to love turn out to be horrible and memories can't change that -, i was really uncomfortable with how mentions of his victim were handled. i understand why bernardo would misgender her, but i really don't get why it would be necessary to mention her deadname and then have ari misgender her afterwards.
this sequel also made dante feel more human and less idealised, but i still would have wanted more of his perspective, he feels like such a slippery and blurry character to me, regardless of all the flaws and mannerisms we learn about.
although i appreciated a lot of the topics that played parts in the story, like the aids pandemic or the impact the vietnam war had on veterans etc., it seemed rushed, like there was just too much content for this book, while also being very repetitive.
as a result, i feel like waters of the world could be 150 pages shorter, but at the same time it could discuss and deal with its topics for another 150 pages - the balance is just kinda off.
the ending is another example for that; i feel like it could've been cut short and had them be broken up, because that's what happens with teenage relationships and there's no shame in that or it could've been explored in greater length and had them have better communication etc.
overall, i enjoyed the writing - even though there were kind of a lot of errors that could've been avoided by reading over it one more time - and the relationships ari was able to build over the course of the book. i couldn't fully get lost in the story, but i did feel with him, i did relate to lots of his thoughts, and i appreciated some of the political content that was brought up.
it was just not exactly what it could've been.
i loved ari's personal development - seeing him evolve, build friendships, open up for love, made me very happy, especially the relationship he came to have with his father and his mother.
this sequel also made dante feel more human and less idealised, but i still would have wanted more of his perspective, he feels like such a slippery and blurry character to me, regardless of all the flaws and mannerisms we learn about.
although i appreciated a lot of the topics that played parts in the story, like the aids pandemic or the impact the vietnam war had on veterans etc., it seemed rushed, like there was just too much content for this book, while also being very repetitive.
as a result, i feel like waters of the world could be 150 pages shorter, but at the same time it could discuss and deal with its topics for another 150 pages - the balance is just kinda off.
the ending is another example for that; i feel like it could've been cut short
overall, i enjoyed the writing - even though there were kind of a lot of errors that could've been avoided by reading over it one more time - and the relationships ari was able to build over the course of the book. i couldn't fully get lost in the story, but i did feel with him, i did relate to lots of his thoughts, and i appreciated some of the political content that was brought up.
it was just not exactly what it could've been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Cursing, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Deadnaming
kriti's review against another edition
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Deadnaming, and Homophobia
qcupquake's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
4.75/5
- i personally loved this book more than the first one
- it was so gorgeously written
- i loved the character development with Cassandra
- mwah so good
- i personally loved this book more than the first one
- it was so gorgeously written
- i loved the character development with Cassandra
- mwah so good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Death
annaki_laila's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Impossibly, it's even better than the first book. Beautiful, just so beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Homophobia
Moderate: Transphobia and Death
Minor: Deadnaming
achilles_333_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A wonderful sequel to a wonderful book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, and Racism