Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

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

40 reviews

btrz7's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

1.0

It's been a while since I read the first book and I'm gonna admit I didn't re-read it before coming into this, but the feelings I got as I finished each one couldn't be more different. While I remember enjoying the first book and finishing it with a sense that it was worth my time, this one was a chore from beginning to finish.
It's sappy, disjointed, goes nowhere with its weird fragmented chapters, seems to be just a lot of amateur philosophy and quotable sentences that seem over the top in context.
To be clear, the book was so boring and, in my opinion, badly written, that I had to go back and read a chapter because I had mostly glossed over in my head one of the major events if the book, if you can say it has any. Also was getting tired of all these characters introduced out of the blue just to tell Ari how much of a man he is.
Overall, too many attempts at moralising for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Homophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Murder, Alcohol, Violence, Transphobia, and Racism

ridesthesun's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.75

God what a beautiful story. Love in all it's many beautiful, messy forms. I want to give Ari the biggest hug on earth; it's what that boy deserves 🥺🥺🥺🥺

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Violence, and Racism

headachesince03's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Violence

lunep's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Deadnaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Pregnancy

Minor: Outing, Domestic abuse, Murder, War, Sexual content, and Death

hapalyn's review

emotional funny inspiring reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Cursing, and Racism

Minor: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Murder, Sexism, and Transphobia

dilettiert's review

emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Death, Alcohol, Deadnaming, War, Misogyny, Racism, and Transphobia

bennispizza's review

emotional funny hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, Hate crime, War, Transphobia, Violence, and Homophobia

tatianars's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cursing, Homophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Violence, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Alcohol, Grief, and Hate crime

tj_thekind's review

emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

This book isn't perfect. But nothing is. Perfection is a lie we strive towards because we have nothing else to try to reach. Instead, this book is exactly what it is meant to be. It is happy and thoughtful and heartbreaking.
Yeah, it is sad. Hell, I struggled to get through the first half because it kept making me too emotional. And the second half made me ache inside. This book is an emotional rollercoaster. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thank you Ari and Dante. For teaching me something about desire and love and friendship and how to exist.
I am forever glad for one of the kindest people I know, how wouldn't stop talking about his favourite book and leant it to me. And for him buying this one for me for candlenights.
He introduced me to characters that have changed how I view my world. And I will never be able to repay him for that.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol and Pregnancy

Minor: Deadnaming

This one hit me hard for good reasons too. Accepting parents and friends in this book made me cry for hours about my family and their lack of acceptance.

alyssadavis's review

reflective slow-paced

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

0.25

My father traced his name on my heart. And his name will remain there. And because his name lives there, I will be a better man for it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, and War