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

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I was disappointed because I enjoyed the first one so much and this had potential to add to that (I thought). I wanted to know more about Ari's brother for example and that was one of the disappointing parts. 

This book is too long and tries too hard to be wise and philosophical so that it just ends up dripping with sentiment and repeating itself a lot. To me all the characters now sound the same (I didn't find that so much with the first one). For the first fifth of the book I was trying to say "oh but it's worthwhile, oh but we need queer books) but it was too hard to ignore how bored I was and how much it repeated.

Then also it put women on a pedestal and it tries to call that "feminism" and it really isn't...because all they want to do in the book is cook, be beautiful and emotionally care for people (mainly men). Even though there are a lot of gay men in the book (good) there is not a single queer woman anywhere in it. Characters are so black and white and individual choice is responsible for characters being good or bad. There's a suburban "learn to love your neighbours" theme that is heavily pushed. Just about every character cries because something is supposedly so "meaningful" only as a reader it doesn't feel that way. I feel more show don't tell was needed for some of it, less heavy-handed.

Just....over 500 pages of this? Really???