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A review by preciouslittleingenue
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
What a precious little book. I was so pleasantly surprised to hear Lin Manuel’s voice and he did an excellent job with the audiobook.
Obviously this was a friends to lovers story, but even I was convinced that maybe Ari was just not into it. Like, the logic of his internal homophobia even had *me* convinced. Dante is just such a precious nugget and needs to be protected at all costs.
The real highlight here though is Ari’s journey, with himself and his family. The way that Dante and his parents not only changed Ari but also changed his family dynamic was really beautiful to see. The mirrored opening up of Ari’s dad and Ari himself was really special to experience. Appreciated the touch of the lesbian aunt to set the precedent that hey, the family is gonna be ok when he comes out. Which, speaking of, is always nice, when a story about queerness doesn’t need to involve the excommunication from the family or making them come to terms with it. All their reactions were just so sweet and lovely while still being real and organic.
10/10 jumping right into the sequel immediately.
Obviously this was a friends to lovers story, but even I was convinced that maybe Ari was just not into it. Like, the logic of his internal homophobia even had *me* convinced. Dante is just such a precious nugget and needs to be protected at all costs.
The real highlight here though is Ari’s journey, with himself and his family. The way that Dante and his parents not only changed Ari but also changed his family dynamic was really beautiful to see. The mirrored opening up of Ari’s dad and Ari himself was really special to experience. Appreciated the touch of the lesbian aunt to set the precedent that hey, the family is gonna be ok when he comes out. Which, speaking of, is always nice, when a story about queerness doesn’t need to involve the excommunication from the family or making them come to terms with it. All their reactions were just so sweet and lovely while still being real and organic.
10/10 jumping right into the sequel immediately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence