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

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

516 reviews

natkbailey's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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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shirarweiss's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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 was beautiful and heartbreaking. I found myself in Ari and his experiences of emotion.

While I loved the way it wrapped up with Ari accepting his love for Dante, it felt very sudden. I understand that Ari was confused but it didn’t seem like that’s how he was feeling? It felt a bit forced by his parents?

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spootilious's review against another edition

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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

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jxrr_y's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

Phenomenal book, I understand now why it’s won so many awards. It was such a cute coming of age story and constantly had me in tears while I was reading it. It reminded me of Perks of Being a Wallflower in a way, but maybe that’s just me. I would say this is one of my favorite books that I have read and I can’t wait to read the sequel and watch the movie! I would highly recommend reading this and I’ll probably read more from the author because of this book.

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