A review by nick13
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Whenever I found out that a sequel to the first book existed I was extremely skeptical whether or not it needed one but after reading this, I can say without a doubt it did, or well it didn't really but I'm glad it does. Usually I don't care for sequels if the first story wraps everything up as they are usually lazy cash grabs but this one is nothing of the sort. Using all of the character growth and development in the precious story, this one takes the idea of growing up and expounds upon it, showing how growing up from a kid to an adult is so much more nuanced than most think and shows how people are forever growing and developing through their own experiences and the others around them. With all this being said, what I'm really trying to get to is that this book is incredibly well written with lines that I'll think about for years to come and has a story and characters that in some aspects are even better than the first one. While I cannot say this one is better objectively from the first book due to a little bit of a lackluster ending in my view, this book seemingly had a much more profound impact on me as a person than the last one or even most books I read do.
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