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A review by etawls
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really like this book. It's easy to read but it holds so so so many important things. The words are like the flow of a river, it's calm but it's not, it goes fast but we don't really get lost nor drowned.
It was easy to be taken by the river and its flow.
I adore Ari and Dante, actually, I adore most of the characters in this book.
I just wished there would've been more clues about Ari's denial about his feelings for Dante. Even though he already knew that his parents would be ok with it, the end just felt a bit rushed. He denied his feelings for a bit more than a year, and he is ok like this, this fast. Ok. Also as an aro-ace person, I really think you can love someone platonically and still jumps in front of a car for them. It doesn't have to mean that you have a crush or anything, and it almost felt like for me that the parents were like "You love Dante romantically, otherwise you wouldnt have saved him from the car." And it annoys me. You don't have to love someone romantically to care about them a lot.
Another thing that I don't entirely agree with is when, at the end, the author seems to have writen that everything that was wrong with Ari all this time was his denial of his feelings for Dante. Well, I don't really agree with this. Him admitting his feelings is definitely a part of the solution, but he was already feeling like shit before he met him. What helped him isn't the "power of love", it was honesty, from his parents about his brother, about his aunt, from his dad about the war AND then it helped him admitting his feelings. It was honesty, and breaking this cycle of silence and bottling up his feelings and emotions. Any kinds, not just the fact that he wasn't straight.
It was easy to be taken by the river and its flow.
I adore Ari and Dante, actually, I adore most of the characters in this book.
Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia
Moderate: Violence and Alcohol
Minor: Transphobia, Murder, and War