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

emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I found the ending of this book (not the fact that Ari is in love with Dante, but the way in which he realizes it) a touch pat for a story so invested in the unspeakable ambiguity of adolescence--the feelings we have as teenagers that are simply too big and too deep for language. I certainly can appreciate Saenz reconstructing reality, writing the happy ending that teenagers like Ari and Dante deserve but rarely get, and I can see why this book is so beloved, how it could be incredibly meaningful and life-affirming to a young person who needs it! But it is a little disappointing to me simply from a narrative perspective.
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