Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

246 reviews

kristin_kk05's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia and Homophobia

wiktoria_bojda's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Xenophobia, and Racism

Minor: Transphobia

hello_lovely13's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

This book was somehow hopeful and melancholy at the same time, and the result is just beautiful. While reading this, I really wanted to reread the first book. To say that this was a love story (in the sense that this is a romance book) would severely diminish the impact and honesty this book has. It has a simple, yet poetic writing style that makes every topic addressed in this book (self-love, grief, belonging, hate, etc.) so accessible and resonate within the reader.  There were a couple of times that I thought the writing style was too simplistic for the situation it was discussing, but for a majority of the time I thought it was perfect.  There are many everyday, meaningful conversations, and that is right up my alley.  This is a beautiful exploration of what it is like to love in a world so filled with hate, both in general and specifically for your identity.  Ari struggled a lot with self-hatred in the first book (so the first one is much more melancholy than this one), and he really deals with that in this book.  The character progression is heart-warming to see as he grows and learns.  Even if things can't last forever, it's impact will linger and become a part of who you are; it is just up to you to determine how it will change and influence you.  It is just wonderful.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Homophobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism and Transphobia

Minor: Sexual content, Deadnaming, and War

Internalized homophobia, AIDs crisis

carrot2025's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely adored this book. I think I managed to love it more the first one which I didn't think was possible. It was absolutely amazing seeing the journey of these two as they faced their first real gay relationship during the aids pandemic. Watching as they question their love and struggle to find happiness in a world that is too quick to cast them aside. I especially loved the ending. Seeing their relationship tested and them proving that no matter what, they will always be with each other and love and care for each other. 

I can not recommend these series enough. It's the absolute perfect story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Murder, Death of parent, and Homophobia

I can not stress enough how beautiful this story handles topics that most would fail at. It takes every moment and uses it as a lesson, not just for shock value. Seeing Ari grapple with just what his brother did at the same time as he's watching the world ignore the aids pandemic was just heartbreaking. Adding in the unfortunate

passing of his father and having him die in his arms

it was just amazing. It handled everything and never made one thing for less than the other. I truly felt as if these characters were alive and I was apart of them, watching as everything happened. I cried multiple times from it all and it was just perfect.

julieta_sc7's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, Death of parent, Racism, Grief, and Murder

robinks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.25

The pacing of this book was really strange, as there were parts I didn’t think needed to be drawn out so much and others that I wish could’ve been drawn out more. I liked the new characters and what the book had to show about platonic intimacy. I also liked how we got to see the teens empowered to advocate for themselves and each other.

What I didn’t like was how the relationship between Dante & Ari progressed, and I think part of it was due to the fact that Ari seemed to be a totally different person from the first book. If we had seen more of his growth, it would’ve been more believable. Also, I don’t know if I liked Miranda as the narrator of the audiobook.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Deadnaming, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Cursing

Minor: Murder, Hate crime, Sexual content, Outing, and War

davbat's review

emotional hopeful 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

Amazing and made me cry on the bus. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Homophobia

Moderate: Transphobia, War, Death of parent, and Death

alessandravaron's review

emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: War and Homophobia

Minor: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Transphobia

shirarweiss's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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 is the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. Ari is so raw and I feel like we share a soul. Ari tells me it is okay to love, to cry, to feel it all. This book is all that it is to be human. This book will live in my heart forever. I am grateful to have read it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Transphobia, War, Homophobia, Bullying, and Death of parent

kitten's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol and Deadnaming