Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Locations
Call Number: R Printz Honor 2013, Teen Fiction / Sáenz, Benjamin, Teen Book / Fiction / General / Saenz, Benjamin Alire
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Ages 12 up.
Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Phenomenal Book for Teens! submitted by Desai Wang on June 14, 2015, 12:14pm The author started the book with a friendship between two completely opposite boys, in which they meet each other at the swimming pool. As they get to know each other more, their friendship grows. Eventually, they realize that they are not just friends, there is something that neither one of them would mention that lays in between. This is when the book gets interesting, will they face the problem and save their relationship before everything falls apart?
Even if you think the beginning is not so engrossing, keep on reading because it all leads to a bigger story.

Beautiful submitted by madglynm on June 27, 2016, 11:39am I read this book when I was in high school and absolutely adored it. It is beautifully written, especially for a YA book, and the story is gorgeous and heartbreaking. It's largely character driven and it's one of those books where "not much happens," but the ending is satisfying and it is definitely worth the read.

Wonderful book! submitted by bookher on August 7, 2016, 6:00pm What a wonderful book! Such a beautiful story of friendship between these boys.

Amazing submitted by c_zhang on June 28, 2019, 1:12am A beautiful and heartbreaking story. It's mostly character driven, but this book pulls it off.

Great book! submitted by Xris on December 25, 2019, 10:56pm Though I didn't want it to end where it did. I wanted a little bit more of a wrap up after it ended. (Just would have been more satisfying to have it go on a bit more.) Great storytelling though.

Sweet and Poignant submitted by reaganmalcolm on June 24, 2020, 11:41pm This book was well written for the YA genre, and caught my attention in a way other books have not. The characters are complex and it was special to watch the relationships in the book develop over time. My only complaint is my desire for more.

Beautiful and Tender submitted by Nay7 on August 15, 2020, 10:50pm Some of the best use of dialogue I've ever seen. Surprisingly grounds you more to the characters with all that's left unsaid. Deep and touching and a reality for so many

Marvelous YA Story with non-traditional leads submitted by laurenmccarthya2 on July 7, 2021, 12:50pm This is one of those rare books where you 'get' both of the characters. Background exposition comes out at a good pace, and time passes in a realistic manner. Narration is terrific, with both voices being spot on for the writing.

A book I would definitely recommend submitted by preetiramaraj on August 16, 2021, 10:56am Such a beautiful book. I really enjoyed this story which was more of a coming-of-age story which dealt with the pain of being that age as a boy so gracefully. I also was so glad that it did not have the twists and turns that are typical of a romance book - this was a boy coming to terms with his trauma, his emotions, his inability to be loved, his becoming a man. I particularly loved that how both Aristotle and Dante had such unconditionally loving parents - who were not perfect and knew it. And this love was also described so beautifully. Additionally, both of them are from mexican-american families - and even though this may not appear to be front and center, it still occupied spaces everywhere between the dialogues.

Excellent AADL recommendation submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 18, 2022, 11:11pm What an excellent young adult book about friendship and self-discovery. This is an Ann Arbor District Library recommendation, and my teen backed that up. I agree. The two main characters are complex and grow in wonderful ways. The surrounding cast are both interesting in their own rights, and also have enough depth (especially family members) to be welcome on the page. The events of the story feel believable, and the book was hard to put down. Strongly recommended.

AUDIOBOOK submitted by bcartm01 on June 21, 2022, 8:08pm Lin Manuel Miranda narrates this audiobook, I highly recommend listening. Outside of that, this book is so great not only for teens/young adults.

Everyone should read! submitted by ahlalejini on July 20, 2022, 4:07pm It's a great book and an excellent audiobook as well!

Great book! submitted by svenetianer on August 29, 2022, 12:01am Loved this. Didn't care for the sequel.