Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

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

234 reviews

melli29_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

just beautiful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, War, and Animal cruelty

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-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

My heart feels so full. This book will stick with me forever, and I wish I had read it sooner. I fell completely in love with these boys and their parents. Everything about this book was just so wonderful. Reading books like this makes me feel so grateful to be alive.

It's only January, but I already know this will be one of my favorite books of 2024. I'll be reading the sequel immediately!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Car accident

mikeymara's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I loved this book. If you are looking for a bl, boyxboy, gayest book, then this isn’t exactly it. It is more the life of a boy, about his sadness, happiness and his loves. It is an extreme slow burn, but in it is cute moments that you will love. I am buying the second one now, this has become one of my favorite books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Car accident

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Grief

Minor: Animal death and Bullying

mjadeh's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Car accident, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Alcohol, Animal death, and Cursing

Minor: Murder and Transphobia

mxdegroot's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I simultaneously loved and hated this book.

There's not much to say about Sáenz's writing style except that it has to suit you. The quick dialogue and fairly short sentences made for a fast paced read, but also a lack of character development. As much as I found myself relating to Ari, it was hard to really get into his head, and there was barely anything in the story itself that really hinted at his feelings for Dante.

Nonetheless, this was a beautiful book. Everyone had their flaws and learned from them, both Ari's and Dante's parents were flawed but loveable, and it was a very good portrayal of the type of teenage experience that is barely betrayed in any medium of media.

minor tw: transphobia
The one thing that did really bother me was the transvestite comment at the end. After the way homosexuality was handled all throughout the book, you'd think this would have been handled better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Car accident

Moderate: Hate crime and Homophobia

Minor: Drug use, Murder, and Alcohol

erikagibson126's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Car accident

Moderate: Drug abuse, Outing, Alcohol, Death, Confinement, Sexual content, Classism, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

packedjam's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

ough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, and Car accident

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Transphobia, and Medical content

Minor: War, Murder, Vomit, Drug use, Outing, and Alcohol

yasidiaz's review

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? Yes

5.0

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is such a raw and powerful book that everyone should read at least once. It's a story about shame and fear, about not knowing or understanding your place in the universe, but ultimately realizing there was nothing to be ashamed of. It's a perfect coming-of-age story for those who still have trouble accepting parts of themselves.

Not to get too personal, but I've been meaning to read this book almost since it came out. And you might be thinking, "But this book came in 2012, why it took you so long?" Well, being a closeted bisexual with so much internalized homophobia does that to you. I'm sure 13-year-old me knew that if I read this book I couldn't keep denying it and that it scared middle-schooler me so much. And it makes me sad that little kid let their fears make them miss such a beautiful book for so long. I wish 13-year-old and 15-year-old Yasi could see that there was nothing wrong with loving girls and boys. 

Just like Ari, I was ashamed and scared of it. But now, just like Ari, I wonder how could I have been so ashamed of being who I am. 

I hope many other kids like Ari and I get their hands on this book and see there is nothing wrong with them. I hope anyone who felt ashamed of their sexuality reads this book and sees there is nothing wrong with loving who we love.

The book is bittersweet and complex. None of the characters are perfect and that is the point. It makes the reading much more interesting and it works for a book so character-driven. 

If you are looking for a complex and bittersweet story with a hopeful and inspiring ending, this is the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Drug use, and Hate crime

Moderate: Transphobia

e_emmaa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Alcohol

robinks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.5

I’m so happy there is a sequel haha. And I want to see the movie! It was difficult for me to understand Ari in the first half of the book or so, but maybe it’s because I don’t have the experience of being a teenage boy growing up under the constraints of toxic masculinity/machismo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, War, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Racism, Drug use, Car accident, Cursing, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Grief, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Death, and Sexual assault