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

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

3.5

Compared to the first book in the series, this is a lot more focused on Ari. While we can see his development and growth throughout the first novel (which continues in this one), Dante is rarely featured as more than just Ari’s boyfriend and he is often painted to be selfish, impatient, and bratty, which was 1) sad because that wasn’t what his character development was moving towards from the first book and 2) confusing because the audience just can’t figure out why they’re still together if he’s rarely featured. This book focuses a lot more on side characters in Ari’s life, some of which I think add a lot to the book and to Ari’s character and some of which just don’t. 
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