Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars but I really enjoyed the Hispanic representation and how it was clear to everyone but the protagonist what was going on. I enjoyed it overall but there were some parts that I thought were poorly dealt with in-text. Most jarring was that the reason that Ari's brother ultimately went to prison is barely touched upon and then Ari still wants to reach out to him? It just didn't seem right to me and also the only trans rep. is a prostitute who gets murdered? I'm sure that's supposed to show how different Ari and Bernardo are but I just felt like it came out of nowhere a little bit. Otherwise I feel like all of the other important characters were extremely well-written and fleshed out and I enjoyed reading how Dante and Ari's relationship develops.

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ava_23's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.75

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jifxlie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

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alikazam's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

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yasidiaz's review

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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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quinniantheduck's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

3.75

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robinks's review against another edition

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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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paulus_on_the_rocks's review

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emotional 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

2.0

Beaucoup de mal avec la construction des deux personnages. Ecriture super speed, beaucoup de dialogue, je ne connais pas assez bien la littérature jeunesse actuelle pour avoir un propos vraiment nuancé mais il me semble qu'il s'agit là plus du style de l'auteur que du genre même du livre.

Mention spéciale tout de même pour cette histoire d'amour gay qui se termine bien. L'auteur a pris soin de mentionner un couple lesbien et de forger, au fil du livre, le futur d'un couple gay tout en rappelant l'homophobie marécageuse de l'environnement de ses personnages. D'où ma surprise et mon triple carton rouge lors de la simple mention d'un meurtre transphobe commis par un personnage extrêmement important pour le MC dans les derniers chapitres du livre. On souffle.

Est-ce que je le conseille ? Si vous avez 15 ans et que vous vous posez des questions, oui, pour la représentation d'une famille qui s'aime malgré les placards remplis de traumas et qui accepte sans détour le coming-out du MC. Si vous avez plus de 15 ans, passez votre chemin à 200 km/h.

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