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

Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

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

434 reviews

spootilious's review

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

Read: August 21, 2023
Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Series: Aristotle and Dante#1
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5
Review:

The moment I began reading this book all I could think of was how Benjamin Alire Saenz’s writing style reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Of Love and Other Demons is perhaps one of my favorite magical realism novels I have experienced thus far. And as for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe… It is magical realism at its finest! Perhaps not quite Gabriel Garcia Marquez but I’m not surprised it has won so many rewards.

Obviously, I find the writing absolutely beautiful. The story, although engaging, had no real plot and tended feel a bit forced with some of its dialog but I was never bored. Overall, it was a simple but beautifully written slice of life.

I will admit, though, it was not what I expected this book to be. The light hearted young adult LGBT romance I expected turned out to be the study and exploration of it is to be human; of the loving and strained relationships between a parent and their child; of the existence of one’s self outside of expectations both imposed and internal; a study of the complexity of emotions; and a simple coming of age story. This book was all of these things and more…. And less.

I think (and this is just my opinion) that Benhamin Alire Saenz didn’t write this book to be simply read… but rather to be experienced. While, that sounds simple on the surface it can be a very arduous task for the author and for the reader. Experiences are not universal and thus will not always appeal to some individuals, so I cannot recommend this book to just anyone.

However…

If you are one that loves poetic verse, the simplicity of a slice of life novel, or simply wish to try to discover the secrets of your own universe…. I cannot recommend this novel enough.

Quotes:

“Words were different when they lived inside of you.”

"We all fight our own private wars."

TW: Violence, homophobia, transphobia, foul language, injury, Mentions of Murder, Underage drinking, drug abuse

Content Warnings

lambclown's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-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

Content Warnings

gimmedcookie69's review

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emotional tense fast-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

minervacerridwen's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

2.5

This was a fast read and I enjoyed most of it. It was interesting to follow the experiences of two queer Mexican-American teenagers in the eighties. However, the ending seriously dropped the rating for me.

The whole book had built up to the discovery of who Ari's brother was and how he had ended up in prison. The big reveal was that the brother had killed a prostitute he'd picked up as a 15-year-old because she turned out to be a transvestite. In the same breath, Ari and his parents decide to put up framed pictures of this bigoted brother Because He Is Family After All, and not another thought is spent on that (while thus far, the whole book had been all about Ari's thought processes, so it definitely wouldn't have been out of character or slowing the story down).
I also didn't like the intervention of the parents telling Ari that he Had To Be In Love with Dante for a number of Logical Reasons that would perfectly have been explained by friendship. I'm sorry the author didn't have close friends he would have jumped in front of a car for. If Ari had been ace, that type of amatonormativity would have been confusing as hell (and so it may be for young aromantic or asexual readers who pick this up). I wish Ari would have gotten a chance in the story to figure out his identity in his own time. It really is a beautiful example of boys loving boys, but in terms of specifically romantic love, it had definitely felt one-sided up to that point. Surely you don't want the message of a coming-of-age book to be that your parents are right about everything and need to point everything out to you, including your own very personal feelings that you might not even be ready yet to study closely?

And on top of that, Ari had to out Dante to his parents. I definitely do see the value of them talking to each other about those subjects, but the way it was handled just didn't feel right for the type of book I generally had a feeling this wanted to be.

Considering how this was once lauded as a great book with a queer romance, I was surprised that it ended right after Ari acknowledged his feelings for Dante. It made me wonder even more if this really was the right decision for him. Which could have been intentional, but that doesn't quite match the way this book is marketed, which leaves me feeling weird about it all. It felt a little as if the author didn't quite know where to end the story and then just decided to cut it off after a quick tie-up.

I learned there is a sequel, so I could only hope some of these issues are resolved in that, but I don't think I have enough faith in it to pick it up.

Coming-of-age stories set in the real world are not my preferred genre, but if a little more thought had been put into the ending, I'd really have appreciated this one.

Content Warnings

piikasmalls's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

elio_altomare's review

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inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

3amonline's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring 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? No

5.0

Content Warnings

agchalle's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

viselik's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I adored every aspect of this book; it had me completely engrossed, making it a challenge to put down. The way the author crafted Aristotle's character and his growth felt incredibly genuine and organic. It was heartening to witness him mature and embrace his true self, especially in the touching plotline about discovering the truth about his brother. The way Ari's family came to terms with it and supported him throughout was truly heartwarming and endearing.

Dante's character was equally captivating, with his aloof and humorous demeanour, balanced by the love and care shown by his family. Throughout the book, Dante's development took some unexpected turns, which added to the depth of his character.

The gradual progression of their relationship from being so different to becoming close friends was undeniably heartwarming. Witnessing their individual growth and the way they supported each other was truly delightful. I couldn't help but adore how Dante fell for Ari first, while Ari himself was initially unaware of his feelings and even denied them. Watching him come to accept himself and embrace his emotions, with the help of his loving family, was incredibly sweet and made the eventual coming together of Dante and Aristotle all the more heartwarming. This book is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and love that left me with a warm and satisfied feeling by the end.

Content Warnings

kristiklinkii's review

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medium-paced

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

2.0

thought it was okay until the transphobia of the author and within the book ruined it

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