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A review by sighclopss
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Look, honestly, it wasn't the worst queer book I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't the best. Definitely a let down from all the hype it receives.
Reading it felt like seeing a never ending stream of consciousness from Ari. Funnily enough though, for all of his thinking and wondering, not once did he show an inkling of same gender attraction? So buried under internalised homophobia, he had suffocated his own feelings beyond existence I guess?
I did enjoy the relationship dynamics of the boys with their respective parents, and subsequently the relationship Ari formed with Dante's parents. Aris' Dad's growth throughout the novel was also very moving. Ari and Dante themselves however barely felt like friends, let alone two youths coming into a new love with each other.
I also find that many YA novels fall into this glaring issue; of having an adult author who fails to realistically convey their teenage characters.
This book had (spoiler alert) both internalised and physical homophobia (yay double whammy!), internalised racism and self hate- that's never resolved, pages of dialogue that do nothing to move the plot forward and a continued obsession/idealisation with a deadbeat brother who did an unforgivable crime.
I'm honestly sick that our limited resources of LGBT+ content always seem to have depictions of hate crimes and trauma.
Reading it felt like seeing a never ending stream of consciousness from Ari. Funnily enough though, for all of his thinking and wondering, not once did he show an inkling of same gender attraction? So buried under internalised homophobia, he had suffocated his own feelings beyond existence I guess?
I did enjoy the relationship dynamics of the boys with their respective parents, and subsequently the relationship Ari formed with Dante's parents. Aris' Dad's growth throughout the novel was also very moving. Ari and Dante themselves however barely felt like friends, let alone two youths coming into a new love with each other.
I also find that many YA novels fall into this glaring issue; of having an adult author who fails to realistically convey their teenage characters.
This book had (spoiler alert) both internalised and physical homophobia (yay double whammy!), internalised racism and self hate- that's never resolved, pages of dialogue that do nothing to move the plot forward and a continued obsession/idealisation with a deadbeat brother who did an unforgivable crime.
I'm honestly sick that our limited resources of LGBT+ content always seem to have depictions of hate crimes and trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism and Transphobia