Reviews tagging 'Death'

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

190 reviews

marleysclassics's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

It's really difficult to write my thoughts about a book that I found to be very confusing at times. It's also quite difficult to explain why - most of it probably is the writing style's fault. It is very minimalistic and I have to admit that this isn't necessarily my favorite thing. When authors try to express everything in a few words it can easily seem a little pathetic - at least to my mind. And yes, that's what I thought here too - sometimes. At other times these one-to-three-word sentences, these half-a-page chapters really hit the spot.
Thus, Aristotle and Dante definitely made me think and feel quite a lot. Here too, I somehow feel pathetic because I guess that's exactly what the author wanted to achieve. But I have to admit: it worked. I certainly experienced a wide range of emotions, from feeling seen to being angry to being shocked to feeling touched to being annoyed to smiling at the pages in front of me. And at all times there was a certain dullness, a thing lingering in the air.
I'm not sure if it is that thing that was resolved on the last, very last page(s), I don't know if I want it to be. Because I feel like it would make everything that is so deep and entangled and there in this book unauthentically simple. But also ... it wouldn't. And even if it kind of seems like this in the end, I think it might be exactly what the story needed. These last to pages, this last sentence - I was just happy. Okay, maybe not just. But quite a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Death, Transphobia, Medical content, Murder, and Lesbophobia

twilightfanboy's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.75

I litterally cant say anything bad about this book I loved it so so much I cant wait to read the second one, the writing was beautiful.
Only thing I would say is

I kind of wish we had a bit more romance between the two of them and not only nearing the end but i don't mind it much the book was still absolutely wonderful and maybe there's more of that in the 2nd book

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Car accident, and War

Minor: Death, Transphobia, and Murder

xandry's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Car accident

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Death and War

kenzieb8's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Car accident, Murder, and War

grizzlysnack's review

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

4.25

Overall a good book! A wonderful message, and memorable characters to go along with it :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Car accident

Moderate: Drug use, Transphobia, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Murder, and War

mical45's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Car accident, and Murder

chezoree's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

i did enjoy the book and it was rlly cute to read

the only part i didn’t like is the ending when the parents literally had to make him realize that he was in love with dante that felt a little rushed

besides that i loved this book rlly cute!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Homophobia

Moderate: Drug use

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

This book truly reads/listens like the voice of a 15 year old. The story of growing up and discovering who you are was told with such a wonderful mix of cynicism and sincerity that you can’t help but empathize with Ari. Lin Manuel Miranda did a fantastic job narrating, and it’s one of the best audio recordings of a book I have ever listened too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Car accident

Minor: Alcohol

psitstorrie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Car accident, and Outing

Minor: Death, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

nachognomie's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Death, Hate crime, Transphobia, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol

Great book! All the listed triggers are very very minor in my personal opinion and not a main focus or graphically described in more than a couple sentences.