Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World

This book was somehow hopeful and melancholy at the same time, and the result is just beautiful. While reading this, I really wanted to reread the first book. To say that this was a love story (in the sense that this is a romance book) would severely diminish the impact and honesty this book has. It has a simple, yet poetic writing style that makes every topic addressed in this book (self-love, grief, belonging, hate, etc.) so accessible and resonate within the reader. There were a couple of times that I thought the writing style was too simplistic for the situation it was discussing, but for a majority of the time I thought it was perfect. There are many everyday, meaningful conversations, and that is right up my alley. This is a beautiful exploration of what it is like to love in a world so filled with hate, both in general and specifically for your identity. Ari struggled a lot with self-hatred in the first book (so the first one is much more melancholy than this one), and he really deals with that in this book. The character progression is heart-warming to see as he grows and learns. Even if things can't last forever, it's impact will linger and become a part of who you are; it is just up to you to determine how it will change and influence you. It is just wonderful.

Content Warnings

carrot2025's review

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely adored this book. I think I managed to love it more the first one which I didn't think was possible. It was absolutely amazing seeing the journey of these two as they faced their first real gay relationship during the aids pandemic. Watching as they question their love and struggle to find happiness in a world that is too quick to cast them aside. I especially loved the ending. Seeing their relationship tested and them proving that no matter what, they will always be with each other and love and care for each other.

I can not recommend these series enough. It's the absolute perfect story.

Content Warnings

julieta_sc7's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

Content Warnings

annabella's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book and so maybe it was right place right time but I really liked this book. I found it deeply emotional - a critique of the first for me was it was too dialogue heavy, though this was years ago. Here there were beautiful metaphors and I admit I had to just lean into some of the dramatic existential language of Ari but leaning into that made me love it and him, he had such strong character growth. The exploration into AIDS added another element for me and it was refreshing to have a queer love story which gave just as much love and focus to making supportive parents (although this was also heartbreaking at points), and it made me so angry at the world. A book that I was excited to pick up each evening and knew the tears would be flowing!

Content Warnings

allieskat17's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a nice continuation of the story of Aristotle and dante. In a way this is a less intimate continuation as it included the worldly at the time of the novel including AIDS. However the author did try to keep the intimacy with journal entries from ari. This was definitely a slower paced book than the first

Content Warnings

pagingmrsvarnum's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Don’t mind me SOBBING HYSTERICALLY while driving home from school and finishing this beautiful, wonderful, hopeful, devastating, inspiring story about two of the most lovable characters in literature since Frodo and Sam. And then you take Benjamin Alire Saenz’ poetic writing combined with Lin Manuel Miranda’s emotional narration… I loved every aspect about this book and will be thinking about it for a long, long time.

I was nervous that this sequel wouldn’t capture the emotion and magic of the first book, but I can honestly say that I loved it just as much. Ari’s growth that takes place in the first book just continues to deepen and develop, and so does the writing. There are so many beautiful lines in this story that I am very tempted to purchase hard copies so that I can highlight them all and refer back to them as I like.

I am now of the age where I find myself relating more to the parents than the protagonists in YA books, and this book was filled with inspiration that spoke to me both as a parent and a teacher. I was inspired to be more understanding, vulnerable, and real with my sons and my students, as well as with others in my life.

This book is for anyone who has ever loved, who has ever thought deeply about life, who loves words, or who loves young people. I’m so glad I read this series and allowed it to sink deep into my heart.

Content Warnings

classicalhell's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? N/A

4.5

Content Warnings

yochananvered's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe did not need a sequel, but somehow this was the perfect follow up. Sáenz has a way of writing that feels incredibly real. Reading this felt like simply watching a boy’s life play out, rather than following a strict plot, and that sounds like it shouldn’t be a good thing, but it was oddly beautiful.

The ending was pretty cheesy in my opinion, but it didn’t ruin the rest of the book for me. It was great seeing Ari’s evolution and him forming stronger connections to his parents and friends. This book gave closure for a lot of unanswered questions from the first book. Like I said, it didn’t need a sequel, and those questions didn’t necessarily need answers, but if was still great to have them. Reading this really felt like the story had already finished and now I was just seeing the aftermath.

Despite having both their names in the title, this book is about Ari. Dante was really the worst part to me. This book was about Ari using the lessons he learned in the first book to live his life in a brighter way. This was a book where the morals have already been told, and it’s just a matter of the character implementing them now. There’s something comforting about seeing a character continue learning and growing after the initial plot has already come to a close. Like I said before, this felt less like reading a book and more like getting a glance into a person’s life. Not every book can accomplish making a reader feel that way.

Content Warnings

More...