A review by journey2
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World 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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World picks up immediately where the first book left off. On the same magical night. Our heroes are happy and in love and have found their voices in the world but knowing what comes next is the hard part. 

These books are beautiful, the characters are intellectual, the relationships with parents and family are based on love and honesty and seeing each other as people and they are honestly so refreshing. 

The questions they ask, the things they struggle wih are real and tangible. Falling in love with another boy at the height of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and having to hide yourself for fear of persecution, I thought about these things a lot as I read them. (Arguably I read the first book in one sitting cover to cover!) 

These are gorgeous books and if you haven't read them yet I suggest you do!

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