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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, #1)

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Start date: July 1, 2021

Finish date: July 31, 2021

Discussion: Member’s BOTM Discussions

Discussion leader: Zitong Ren

Why we're reading this: Member's BOTM for July. Theme: YA Contemporary …more
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Member’s BOTM Discussions

The Astonishing Colour of After discussion
By Zitong · 4 posts · 4 views

last updated Nov 18, 2021 07:24PM

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Zitong · 11 posts · 16 views

last updated Oct 12, 2021 09:30PM

What Members Thought

Jul 16, 2018 Andi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recommend-to-anyone

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I absolutely want it to be a movie with Diego Luna playing the father of Dante. As for everyone, I don't care who gets cast. Just make Dante pretty, and Ari a bad boy cute and we got it goin' on.

*cough*

Anyway. This book is just so well written and crafted that every page felt raw and real. I felt what Ari was feeling even though our experiences are so different and it took place in the 80's. Seriously, where has Benjamin Alire Saenz been in my reading life that I never picked u ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2015 Silvia rated it it was amazing

I CAN'T EVEN.

I think I cannot write a structural and complex review about this book because all that comes to my mind are just "FEELS". Feels all over the place.
Okay, I'll try to say something serious. I loved this book so much, I really did. No, I love him present tense (okay, that was not cool, I'm sorry).
Let's start again. This was hands down the best contemporary book I've read this year. Or that I ever read.
I was so attached to all of the characters, and the writer did a really great job i ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2019 Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) rated it really liked it

RE-READ:

I first read this book in 2019. I was the exact same age as the main character and I expected myself to really connect with the story. Back then, I couldn't connect. Maybe that was because of my age back then, I don't think the time was right for me to read something so philosophical like this. Put simply, I wasn't ready to discover the secrets of the universe yet. In my original review (that I kept down below), I decided that I'll get back to the book again sometime in the future but i ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

May 26, 2019 Saanvi rated it it was amazing

This was such a fast book...I never wanted it to end!!:)

7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2022 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-series, diverse, favorite-contemporaries, beautiful-covers, best-of-the-best, made-me-cry, should-be-required-reading, favorite-characters, book-couples-i-d-die-for, queer

Oh my god, this book.

Review to come (?) when I can put my thoughts into words, but I picked this book up on a whim and it ended up becoming one of my all time favorite books immediately.

6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2019 Bubbles rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, best-book-ever, 5-star

So, first things first: this. Is. Perfection.
As in, perfection.
As in as-good-as-The-Gentleman’s-Guide-To-Virtue-and-Simon-V.S.-The-homo-sapiens-agenda perfection.

THOUGHTS:
- The characters are to die for. I loved Aristotle so much - he was so relatable and I felt like I was reading a story told by him, rather than a story written by the author (which is a pretty incredible thing to do).
- Dante!! Can we just talk about Dante for a second, because he is one of my actual favourite characters of eve So, first things first: this. Is. Perfection.
As in, perfection.
As in as-good-as-The-Gentleman’s-Guide-To-Virtue-and-Simon-V.S.-The-homo-sapiens-agenda perfection.

THOUGHTS:
- The characters are to die for. I loved Aristotle so much - he was so relatable and I felt like I was reading a story told by him, rather than a story written by the author (which is a pretty incredible thing to do).
- Dante!! Can we just talk about Dante for a second, because he is one of my actual favourite characters of ever. I just honestly wish we could have read the story from his point of view as well. Also!! Dante loves the Beatles, which made me so happy because we rarely ever see characters who love the Beatles in YA novels. So, YAY!
- The relationship between Ari and Dante was perfectly told. It unfolded slowly - they started as acquaintances, developed into best friends pretty quickly, and at the end when the romance unfolded, it didn't feel rushed. It felt real. As if I was witnessing a proper relationship develop other than a Hollywood/Disney whirlwind romance. Every interaction Ari and Dante had with each other felt so real and raw. I just... give me a minute, okay??? *sniffs*
- The writing style is so poetic and... beautiful. It included lines like this:
"I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand."

"The summer sun was not meant for boys like me. Boys like me belonged to the rain."

"It seemed to me that Dante's face was a map of the world. A world without any darkness.
Wow, a world without darkness. How beautiful was that?"

and “Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry? Why do we cry when we see a painting? Why is there a riot in the heart when we love? Why do we feel shame? What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire?”

I felt like someone had written down my feelings - these words spoke to me that much.
- NO SHOES!!!
- I loved how supportive both Ari and Dante's parents were. It's rare to read YA where the main characters' parents are actually there for them and are good people, but the parents in this book were so loving and supportive.

To sum up, this book was slow and quiet. But oh, so meaningful. And this is what I believe we need to see more of in YA. A book that feels so realistic that it's not possible to read it and not relate to some aspect of it. It explored many topics such as friendship, finding yourself and accepting yourself for who you really are. It is one of those books that, I believe, if everyone were to read it, the world would be a better place.

...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2014 Jade Diamond rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Chapters are short and to the point. Some in fact are only a few sentence long. It’s like reading Ari’s journal. Ari and Dante quickly became real people to me and I easily fell in love with them both. There is no complex plot with many moving parts. It’s just a simple story about two boys and how they discover themselves, the world and the part they play in it.

Read Full Review Here ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 09, 2014 Lainy122 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, lgbt, lgbt-teen

Re-read this one in preparation of finally picking up the sequel that came out last year. Damn, I forgot how poetic it was, how beautifully the language flowed. Adored reading this when it came out and adore it now.
*Chef's Kiss*
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2014 Jessica G rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-challenge-2015, favourite-2015-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5 stars.
I think I definitely could've given this a 5 star rating, had I read it in one or two sittings.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. I read it in probably over 30 sittings.
Pretty sad.
I know.
But anyway, people weren't kidding when they said the writing was beautiful.
It was.
I think, although I for some reason, didn't like Dante all that much, I loved Ari.
Why was Ari so beautiful, and so poetic?
He was so pure, and innocent.
A boy with true thoughts. No holding back.
He's not afraid to disagr ...more

Like · see review