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

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing fast-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

4.0

I don't know if this is a book I wish I'd read when I was fifteen, because the fifteen year old me would not have been ready for this book, but something about this book healed the fifteen year old in me. As much as I love Dante as a character, I was more so deeply in love with Ari. He reflected so much of who I was as a young closeted teenager with the abundance of intense inner turmoil and the uncomfortable quietness that many queer boys are burdened to carry. Sáenz is deliberately straightforward and simple in his writing, and I felt that underneath the seemingly juvenile approach was a profound and intimate understanding of youth and boyhood. I don't think this is necessarily an incredible masterpiece of literature, but it moved me. And damn how it moved me so.