Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

9 reviews

bookishperseus's review

dark emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

felishacb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Devastated. In the best way.

This YA story is a Latine mix of Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy, and Call Me By Your Name (without the age/power dynamics). The author weaves a seemingly typical tale of two Mexican-American teen boys, lonely in their own ways, and their unlikely friendship into a masterful story about love and growing. 

There is a throughline of family secrets. At the same time, these two families support their children and show up in the hard moments. Many of us have to figure ourselves out without parents who care enough to see us, know us, and ask about our hearts. To be told that you are perfectly loved and that there is a place for the unique parts of you is a world I want for all young people.

There are so many kinds of love, and this book truly shows that well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Toxic relationship

br3anna_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I think this book did a really good job at capturing teenagers and their way of not understanding how their body works. 

But I feel at the end

when Ari decided he loved Dante. His dad shouldn't have been the one to shout it at him. Personally I think he should've had a dream where he finally sees its Dante.

It felt whenever Ari or Dante had character development. They didn't change correctly. I hope in the second book they do better with this change

Dante was getting on my nerves with this "Can't we kiss? Please? Please? Please?"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Violence, and Alcohol

oweatherwax's review against another edition

challenging emotional relaxing 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Violence, and Car accident

Moderate: Sexism, Transphobia, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Toxic relationship and Transphobia

gabriella_'s review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad 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

4.5

Benjamin Alire Sáenz put so much heart into this book. I wish I read this when I was a kid - I think I would’ve enjoyed it more when I was younger. The way he writes dialogue is fun. The way he writes emotional availability (and unavailability) feels so textured you can almost touch it. The character dynamics - especially Aristotle’s and Dante’s - have a whimsy that makes you feel young while you’re reading. 

This is a quick read if you’re in the mood for a pick-me-up coming-of-age with substance! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and War

elliereadsthings's review

hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

 A really cute story about a boy falling in love with another boy, what more could you want???

For some reason I absolutely LOVE the parents in this story, they’re amazing. I may even love them more than Dante and Ari themselves.

The start was a little slow, but I swear this book just got better and better the further in I got.

★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

“Dante. I really liked him. I really, really liked him.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

matheo's review

emotional reflective

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Alcohol

buwubie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

mermay's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Alcohol

Moderate: Transphobia, Violence, Outing, and War

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

More details about the hate crime and outing:

Dante is seen kissing another boy in an alley. The other boy runs, but Dante stays and is beaten to the point of cracked ribs and hospitalization. Due to the circumstances, Dante is outed to both his parents and Ari's parents before he made that choice for himself.