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susnpusn's review
challenging
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.75
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
If I am sure of one thing related to this book, it's that it probably opened up the road to queer reads to me.
Aristotle (Ari for everyone) is an alone type of guy. He doesn't feel like he fits in into the group of other 15-years-old boys and it's a generally known fact that he doesn't have any friends. But then Dante shows up, with a difficult to understand smile and it's like the universe is bringing them together. With a new best-friend and explosive feelings, Ari's life is a little bit harder than he'd like.
This book came to me at the right time. I can see why some people might adore it and why might think it's horrible. For me, it was what made me cry, it broke my heart and make me choke on my own pain and misery, so I guess it's a good book. But it's summer, I'm still a teenager and I needed to know that things are not okay for a lot of people and that summers are also for sulking and reading and shooing boredome away in the most common ways.
I loved the characters and I could connect so much with Ari. His feelings were horribly familiar and it ate away at my heart a little bit. I love books that make me feel self-aware or that graze old scars just to remind me that I have them. For me, it was a very personal experience, reading this book. That's why I am also so ready to forgive other flaws, because what mattered to me was one of the main focuses of the story, so what does anything else matter? I am not a critical reader.
I liked the way the characters evolved. It's a really wonderful thing to observe how people change when meeting other people, we're all connected, we all have an effect on this world and those we know. But all the small steps, all the questioning and wandering brought a result and it's good to know that everything passes, that change (even though overrated) holds so much of our hope and potential.
Also, I adored every relationship in this book, especially the ones between the boys and their parents, they were all so crazy for each other and loved and cared for each other so, so much that it actually hurt. It was a normal way of interacting and even though, of course, each with its own problems and unspoken things, they still were some of the nicest portraits of families I met in books (especially YA ones).
I adored Dante's honesty and bravery, his choice of not hiding his own feelings, of talking things through. I think it's very healthy to ask when you want to know something, to say what you have to say, to do what you feel like doing. There are some pretty good lessons in this book, especially when it comes to acceptance. The world needs more kindness.
There's a thing with the writing that just makes me want to scream about how much I love it. Literally, I have no words for how much I adore short sentences that mix just the perfect words. I'm a total sucker for it and I think it fitted the story really well. Because, well, Ari is a really unreliable narrator, he deals with his own (emotional and not only) problems and things are foggy when it comes to his own feelings. But aren't they to every miserable 15 years old teenager?
I liked this book. I loved parts of it. It's not the greatest, but it still was so, so nice for me.
Aristotle (Ari for everyone) is an alone type of guy. He doesn't feel like he fits in into the group of other 15-years-old boys and it's a generally known fact that he doesn't have any friends. But then Dante shows up, with a difficult to understand smile and it's like the universe is bringing them together. With a new best-friend and explosive feelings, Ari's life is a little bit harder than he'd like.
This book came to me at the right time. I can see why some people might adore it and why might think it's horrible. For me, it was what made me cry, it broke my heart and make me choke on my own pain and misery, so I guess it's a good book. But it's summer, I'm still a teenager and I needed to know that things are not okay for a lot of people and that summers are also for sulking and reading and shooing boredome away in the most common ways.
I loved the characters and I could connect so much with Ari. His feelings were horribly familiar and it ate away at my heart a little bit. I love books that make me feel self-aware or that graze old scars just to remind me that I have them. For me, it was a very personal experience, reading this book. That's why I am also so ready to forgive other flaws, because what mattered to me was one of the main focuses of the story, so what does anything else matter? I am not a critical reader.
I liked the way the characters evolved. It's a really wonderful thing to observe how people change when meeting other people, we're all connected, we all have an effect on this world and those we know. But all the small steps, all the questioning and wandering brought a result and it's good to know that everything passes, that change (even though overrated) holds so much of our hope and potential.
Also, I adored every relationship in this book, especially the ones between the boys and their parents, they were all so crazy for each other and loved and cared for each other so, so much that it actually hurt. It was a normal way of interacting and even though, of course, each with its own problems and unspoken things, they still were some of the nicest portraits of families I met in books (especially YA ones).
I adored Dante's honesty and bravery, his choice of not hiding his own feelings, of talking things through. I think it's very healthy to ask when you want to know something, to say what you have to say, to do what you feel like doing. There are some pretty good lessons in this book, especially when it comes to acceptance. The world needs more kindness.
There's a thing with the writing that just makes me want to scream about how much I love it. Literally, I have no words for how much I adore short sentences that mix just the perfect words. I'm a total sucker for it and I think it fitted the story really well. Because, well, Ari is a really unreliable narrator, he deals with his own (emotional and not only) problems and things are foggy when it comes to his own feelings. But aren't they to every miserable 15 years old teenager?
I liked this book. I loved parts of it. It's not the greatest, but it still was so, so nice for me.
kmmathena'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? Yes
4.25
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was an incredible read. It was fun and lighthearted, yet it left me thinking about who l am as a person and my own flaws. It's written in a way that makes the story fly and keeps you intrigued. All-in-all, I love this book.
kendallcmuir's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
fannfran's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so emotional right now...... this book this book. I feel empty. I love and hate books so much.
maryfairy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
clearskyzs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Truly a masterpiece
reya94's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
noorandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The quiet over the phone was strange. "Do you think it will always be this way?"
"What?"
"I mean, when do we start feeling like the world belongs to us?"
I wanted to tell him that the world would never belong to us. "I don't know," I said. "Tomorrow."
And tomorrow, the world was theirs.
This book has me sobbing and was such an amazing read and I think that everyone has to read this like. I'm about to throw hands. You need to read this. This was just. An absolutely amazing story. The way it's written is just so romantic and feels like you really are discovering the secrets of the universe and the dialogue, oh god, the dialogue is just too good.
My one problem though was with the transphobia:
Other than that,,, here's more of me sobbing to the book
My father nodded. "Ari, the problem isn't that Dante's in love with you. The real problem - for you, anyway - is that you're in love with him."
I didn't say anything. I just kept looking at my mother's face. And then my father's face.
I didn't know what to say. "I'm not sure, I mean, I don't think that's true. I mean, I just don't think so. I mean-"
"Ari, I know what I see. You saved his life. Why do you supposed you did that? Why do you suppose that, in an instant, without even thinking, you dove across the street and shoved Danted out of the way of a moving car? You think that just happened? I think you couldn't stand the thought of losing him. You just couldn't. Why would you risk your own life to save Dante if you didn't love him?"
"Because he's my friend."
"And why would you go and beat the holy crap out of a guy who hurt him? Why would you do that? All of your instincts, Ari, all of them, tell me something. You love that boy."
I kept staring down at the table.
"I think you love him more than you can bear."
I'm sorry I just I need a few minutes a few hours let me reread this book a few hundred times maybe I'll be okay then
"What?"
"I mean, when do we start feeling like the world belongs to us?"
I wanted to tell him that the world would never belong to us. "I don't know," I said. "Tomorrow."
And tomorrow, the world was theirs.
This book has me sobbing and was such an amazing read and I think that everyone has to read this like. I'm about to throw hands. You need to read this. This was just. An absolutely amazing story. The way it's written is just so romantic and feels like you really are discovering the secrets of the universe and the dialogue, oh god, the dialogue is just too good.
My one problem though was with the transphobia:
Spoiler
Ari's brother gets humanized to hell. It's treated as though he didn't commit 'trans panic' and a hate crime and I just... I despised that. And the sex worker isn't treated with proper pronouns or a name, just an extension of Ari's brother's character? I mean??? That just struck me as so awful. I hope maybe the next book goes into it and maybe addresses the homophobia that Ari clearly has.Other than that,,, here's more of me sobbing to the book
Spoiler
My father nodded. "Ari, the problem isn't that Dante's in love with you. The real problem - for you, anyway - is that you're in love with him."
I didn't say anything. I just kept looking at my mother's face. And then my father's face.
I didn't know what to say. "I'm not sure, I mean, I don't think that's true. I mean, I just don't think so. I mean-"
"Ari, I know what I see. You saved his life. Why do you supposed you did that? Why do you suppose that, in an instant, without even thinking, you dove across the street and shoved Danted out of the way of a moving car? You think that just happened? I think you couldn't stand the thought of losing him. You just couldn't. Why would you risk your own life to save Dante if you didn't love him?"
"Because he's my friend."
"And why would you go and beat the holy crap out of a guy who hurt him? Why would you do that? All of your instincts, Ari, all of them, tell me something. You love that boy."
I kept staring down at the table.
"I think you love him more than you can bear."
I'm sorry I just I need a few minutes a few hours let me reread this book a few hundred times maybe I'll be okay then