Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Melissa wrote: "I think that Dante is becoming bad news. All of the drugs he is now doing and the nonsense he keeps talking about is not good for Ari. I think Ari is a good person and is on the road to live a good life."

Interesting point, I do like the fact that Ari is living a drug-free life right now, especially how quickly he turned down the offer for trying heroin-standing up for yourself at that age with all that peer pressure is pretty amazing.

15. Do you like Ari's friends ; Gina and Susie? Do you think either are likely to replace Dante as a "best friend"? Will Ilena return to the story?
I do like them. They don't give up on Ari and I feel like that's a good thing. They make him come out of his shell and that's exactly what he needed at that moment. They definitely won't replace Dante, because Dante was closer to Ari than both of those girls ever were. I also don't think Ileana will return. She's married with a baby on the way and I think the minor role she played in Ari's life is everything she will be.

16. Dante has been experimenting and admits to Ari he likes boys. Did that surprise you? What did you think of his letter asking about masturbation? Completely out of line or a normal question for a teenage boy to ask his only friend?
It did not surprise me at all that Dante liked boys. Mainly because I have read the book before, but I also noticed some foreshadowing the second time around. I think I was surprised the first time I read it, because I was younger and I didn't expect that at all. Especially not because Dante had been talking about girls before.

The letter about masturbation I found very weird, just like Ari did. I don't feel like that is a thing to talk about in a letter. I do think it's a normal question, but I don't know. Nowadays you can look these kind of things up on Google or talk about them with your friends in real life at least. I wouldn't write a letter to my only friend asking how many times was too much.

17. How are you finding the style of the book? I found this section particularly there were lots of short bursts of prose. Does that help or hinder the story?
The first time around I fell in love with this book, but now I'm not as excited about it and that makes me sad. I do get through the pages rather quickly and I do think there are some beautiful lines and sentences, but it doesn't do much for me anymore.

18. Are you as frustrated as I am that Ari's parents won't talk about his brother? Would you have opened the envelope?
Yes, I would have opened the envelope. His parents have no right to keep a secret that big from him. They can't ask him to forget about his brother which they are kind of doing. I think it's unfair to Ari to keep him in the dark. He doesn't even know what his brother actually did to land in prison.

19. So much happened in this section in Ari's "coming of age" stage of life. Would you like to see he and Dante becoming friends again? Or is Ari better to not have him in his life?
It's their story. The book is titled after them. I know they'll become friends again after Dante comes back. I think it's hard to be friends after an accident like the one that happened, but I also think it's hard to not be friends anymore. Dante is obviously set on trying to keep the friendship alive. Ari has surprised me by even writing back, so I think that says something.

Reed wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I think that Dante is becoming bad news. All of the drugs he is now doing and the nonsense he keeps talking about is not good for Ari. I think Ari is a good person and is on the roa..."

I agree! It is so difficult being a teen now-a-days that any extra added pressure.

Going to catch up here on the previous two sets of DQs:

May 3 DQ's Sparrows Falling from the sky

6. When Ari is sick he dreams a lot. He dreams about his brother, his father and Dante. It seems as if he dreams about his father and brother because he feels disconnected to them and wants to know them better. Why do you think he is dreaming about Dante? Do you think it is for the same reason or for another one?

I think that he dreams of Dante, because he feels comforted by his presence. He may feel disconnected to his father, and think of his brother like a dead stranger but Dante is in a completely separate category.

7. Dante refers to himself as not being a true Mexican. From what I can gather it seems as if both Dante and Ari live a similar home life as far as their heritage. Why do you think Dante feels as if he is not a true Mexican but Ari doesn't seem to care?

I think Dante doesn't play the act/look of being a Mexican, but honestly Ari doesn't probably really care about it. When you have best friends, you kind of look past their appearance and what's on the inside; so no matter because Ari loved Dante for who he is.

8. Dante is leaving for the next school year. How do you think this will affect their friendship? Do you think they will be able to stay friends or will it just fizzle out?

I think that the separation will make them fizzle out, but that's because this is set in the 80s and also there is no cellphone texting thing going on. A long distance relationship tends to put a strain on things, and separation makes you forget memories, and maybe Ari wants to forget some of the memories.

The End of Summer

9. When Ari saves Dante's life there are a lot of people who are calling him a hero and Ari is extremely uncomfortable. Do you think there is a reason he feels so negatively about himself or do you think he is just depressed?

Some people, are quite uncomfortable when because give them compliments, probably because they don't like to/want to be in the spotlight of attention and praise. They'd rather cocoon themselves in their silence and screw a cork bottle on top of that.

10. Between Ari being sick and his almost dying we are seeing more interaction with him and his father in a positive way. Do you think this will help Ari's father to come out of his shell?

Habits are really hard to break, and while I'm hoping that there will be a little bit more one-on-one talking between them two, I don't think that he's ever actually going to completely come out of his shell. It's just something that's been going on for decades, and impossible for Ari to actually control.

11. I really like how Ari told his mother that he would only go to therapy if she and his dad went for their issues. Do you think they will end up going? I hope so. I think they are all damaged in ways they cannot see.

I think that because both of them are having a hard time describing their feelings, they are going to try to hide it inside of themselves and then move on silently with what life is bringing to them.

12. Ari has a lot of anger towards everyone especially Dante, do you have any ideas as to why?

Post-accident syndrome. I don't know if that's a thing, but Ari seems to be uncomfortable and itchy and cranky, probably due to the doubts and insecurities that explode inside of him after the accident.

13. I found the scene where Dante asks to bathe Ari a little strange but telling. Did this scene foreshadow something to anyone else?

After this, I also wasn't surprised that Dante was attracted to boys and trying to figure all of these things out for himself. He was changing the typical worldview, and this scene may foreshadow another cloud coming on in his life.

14. It seems as if Dante has more of an attachment to Ari then the other way around. Do you think if Dante stopped coming around then Ari would try and reach out to him?

I don't know exactly, but I think that it goes both ways. Soon hopefully that will have a mutual understanding to both coming around and spending as much time as possible together because after all, life is short.

Reed wrote: "And Jen, thank you for sharing about your relationship with your friend that you kept in touch with; it was nice to see how just taking the time to pen a letter can change the course of a friendship."

Yes, it really did. The letters and the few phone calls solidified our friendship and made it true. When he returned to California to finish out high school we were friendly, but didn't hang out together. Then when he got hurt and I started driving him to and from school. . .

Well, on our graduation night, the parents of a different friend told me that they heard two younger girls arguing behind them in the stands. They were arguing about my relationship with "him." One thought for sure we were actually dating, while the other was convinced that we hardly knew one another and that my driving him to/from school didn't mean anything.

When I found out about that conversation, I was ecstatic. And I still feel happy to think about it. :-)

But that's why our friendship lasted for 25 years. Because it began long distance, it didn't matter that I went to college in Washington state, while he stayed in California and later moved back east. Then he settled back east while I settled in Seattle.

He and I didn't see one another in person very often. When we did get together, we were rather awkward with one another. Our friendship really needed the distance to work.

But then 13 years ago he got married, and a few years after that they had their first child, and our lives just began to differ too much. I was becoming disabled, then I was fully disabled and unable to work, while he's a doctor, married to a lawyer, with now-two kids.

Plus, technology sort of moved on without us. When first e-mail and the internet, then Facebook and texting, came into being, well, it just seems like our friendship didn't work in modern times. So those regular-annual communications nowadays - for birthdays/anniversaries/Christmas - are all done via text with only very occasional e-mails, incredibly rare phone calls, and no letters.

I was/am very sad to have "lost" him, so thanks for reading this, if you read this. I need to talk about him sometimes, and I guess this was just one of those times.

But we are still friends, or at least friendly. His 13th wedding anniversary was the day before yesterday. I sent him a congratulatory text, he replied, life goes on.

Maybe it'd be healthier if we just stopped all contact, but I'm not ready - and will never be ready - to lose him completely.

Thanks again for reading, if you read this. :-)

Rachel wrote: "I enjoy reading the variety of styles because that's how I think Ari organizes his thoughts? ..."


really good point. I hadn't thought of it that way

Reed wrote: "YES, It is so frustrating especially coming from a family who discussed everything very openly. ..."

Thanks for sharing Reed. I love it when personal stories can be reflected in what we are reading

Reed wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I think that Dante is becoming bad news. All of the drugs he is now doing and the nonsense he keeps talking about is not good for Ari. I think Ari is a good person and is on the roa..."

I was so worried he was going to start heroine! I was so glad when he refused
:o

May 4&5
Letters on a Page
Pgs 155-232

15. Do you like Ari's friends ; Gina and Susie? Do you think either are likely to replace Dante as a "best friend"? Will Ilena return to the story?

Gina and Susie are immature children who are just trying to get the pleasure of the rarely given attention to anyone from Ari. They are not my favorite characters, and being in school, I always tend to stay away from that group of people.

16. Dante has been experimenting and admits to Ari he likes boys. Did that surprise you? What did you think of his letter asking about masturbation? Completely out of line or a normal question for a teenage boy to ask his only friend?

Out of line, why would you even want to talk in high school? Aren't there anymore scholarly more innocent topics to discuss, even though their friendship isn't really one for small-talk, still, Dante could have put some more effort into this and made the topic more "normal".

17. How are you finding the style of the book? I found this section particularly there were lots of short bursts of prose. Does that help or hinder the story?

A lot of the sentences are simple, for the reason that the author wants to get into the reader's brain in a very simple way. Because he doesn't express himself that well outloud or in conversation, Ari's brain is always on full-gear though. So in that sense, yes I think that it helps this particular story.

18. Are you as frustrated as I am that Ari's parents won't talk about his brother? Would you have opened the envelope?

Yes, like everyone else, I don't understand how a parent can just stop voicing anything about their child for fifteen years, and just kind of pretend like he's dead. If this affects their family, than it should be shared among the family members, not kept like a sacred secret from the between the parents. Curiosity always gets the best of me, so of course I would open the envelope. I don't why Ari hesitated so much since this has been on his mind like everyday!

19. So much happened in this section in Ari's "coming of age" stage of life. Would you like to see he and Dante becoming friends again? Or is Ari better to not have him in his life?

Dante is experimenting, so he is a bad influence. He's still an intellectual, but I wish that he would stop dragging Ari into his antics and convincing him to do stuff that his mom is afraid to death of him doing. I don't know, the disloyalty to himself(as being a good boy) and to his parents kind of really bugs me. Especially because he's "not normal", that means that he doesn't absolutely have to try it. :(

Posting a little early as I will be busy all day tomorrow.

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?

Corey wrote: "Posting a little early as I will be busy all day tomorrow. ..."

I'm answering a little early, as I'm impatient and don't want to wait. ;-)

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?
I think it's both. Children change a LOT in their first 16-18 years, so part of it is natural maturity, but also a part of it was probably because anyone seeing two 15/16-year-olds playing that shoe-throwing game in the street would have looked askance at them. They're almost grown, so games such as that should rightly be left behind in childhood, not to be resurrected until maybe one day they have children of their own.

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
At this point in the book, I suspected that they'd ultimately become "something more" to each other than just friends. Though I kept waiting for some sign from Ari that he felt "that way" toward Dante.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
I thought those scenes did a good job of showing how comfortable Ari and Dante were together, and what a good match they could make.
The closest I've ever come to those types of scenes came when I lived in Russia when I was 20-21, my junior year of college. In Russia, I didn't have to be American. I didn't even have to be "myself." No one I knew from home went to my same city, so I was free to reinvent myself. I was so successful at that, that to this day I still have within me both "Russian Jen" and "American Jen." :-)

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
I think he would/should have felt very angry with his parents over keeping his brother away from him, both in life and in memory. Knowing that he had had four years with his brother in his life before Bernardo was sent to prison, well, I just don't understand how his parents justified keeping him from Ari for so long. If they had to send Ari away to protect him from the trial and whatnot, why did they ever think that not talking about Bernardo with Ari would be a good thing? I just didn't understand his parents. :-(

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
I think it will open up more love around the three of them. (Does that make sense?) Ari will/should feel relieved to at last be able to talk about and learn about his brother. And hopefully his parents won't hide from him any longer about the important things. I also suspect that soon Ari's father will open up to talking about some of his wartime experiences.
My own father became more open about his wartime experiences when my brother was in the later years of high school/after he graduated and joined the Army. Dad never shared any of his war stories with me, but I know he talked over some of them with my brother. By the time he opened up, 30 years had more or less passed, so it was good that he was able to talk about it at last. (I know that he had night terrors when he was newly home.)

I'm sorry for your loss of your brother, Reed! That must be incredibly hard :( I'm glad that you shared with us about him. I am very close to my two brothers and can't imagine not talking about them either, no matter what they were to do.

I'm also sorry that you and your friend grew apart, Jen. That's tough. I'm very sorry to hear that you have disabilities. I have significant, debilitating health problems. (I would term myself a "spoonie".) It's a struggle to keep up with friends who have more normal lives. I don't know what I would do without books and GR!

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?
Probably a bit of both, but I think as a teenager your brain is developing so rapidly, and hormones flying everywhere, that it is natural to change significantly in a short period of time. I liked this mention of the shoes as it is the small things that signify being more 'grown up'

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
I have finished, bu at this point I thought it was a tale of life long friendship

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
I love these scenes too. For me, it was in 2009 when I lived in a small rural village in Thailand as an English volunteer. There was no TV, newspapers, smart phones. Life was just simple and beautiful

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
I think this is typical for his age that you forget about people in your life when much younger. I find it sad that although they were so close he basically had nothing to do with her for years.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
He needs this to be spoken of, it is very important for him to understand what has happened and why

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?
I think it’s some of both. There’s a lot of outside peer pressure on teens- they want to fit in and be cool, which can make them think they need to grow up faster than they do. However, teens are also testing out their burgeoning independence and who they are becoming in a natural, internally driven process, finding more mature aspects to their lives to embrace and replace childlike ones.
I, personally, think discarding things you love because you’re worried about what others think or about society’s image of what is age-appropriate is mostly silly and that we should all try and keep little bits of childhood in our lives where possible. But then, I’m an adult reading YA, so take from that what you will. ;)

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
I have finished the book, but not saying if I was correct or not, at this point I was hoping and suspecting that it was a love story. Ari has always felt like there was something off in his life. That could have had a lot to do with his brother, but I thought it was the fact that he was gay and unwilling to acknowledge and accept it.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
I enjoyed the desert scenes as well. The desert seemed like a great atmosphere for what takes place there, strengthening and representing the emotions Ari feels. (As a result, it annoys me that the cover shows a green field instead of a dessert.) I definitely felt some tension between Ari and Dante in that scene.
I don’t know that I have ever had a comparative experience, but then I don’t think I have ever felt similar outside pressures to what Ari feels. The limitations I feel come from my own body, which is not something I can ever really escape, even temporarily.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
Well, it’s cliche to say that Ari realizes that life is short, but I think that is true. I also think learning that someone he loved deeply was gay and that his parents accepted her was important.
Learning about his mother’s breakdown explains why his parents refused to talk about his brother. I think Ari was very angry at his parents for being so closed-off, but this helped him to understand a little better.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
I think having it out in the open will be good for Ari. I think fear and avoidance of the truth can often be more damaging than the truth itself.

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?

Interesting question! I think it's both. One way, there wasn't anyone saying anything about them being too old to play their little game. In this case I think it was internal maturity. They just felt they were too old. No pressure there. I remember playing imaginary games in primary school with my friends and suddenly I felt stupid playing them. My friend wanted to keep on playing our games, but I felt too old. Also internal maturity. But I can imagine my friend feeling awkward back then because she wanted to still play those games. She didn't ask me again and for her it might have been societal pressure. It's different on a case-by-case basis.

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
I just noticed I read the whole story instead of the section we had to read for the day. At this point I thought it was going to be a tale of a long friendship, because Ari didn't seem to return those romantic feelings for Dante.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
The desert scenes were probably my favourite. I feel like a lot happened in the desert. It is Ari's favourite place and I think he feels like he can really be himself there which is nice. I can't remember a place like that for myself, though. I think I'd say the beach or a forest. But I don't go to either of those places much.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
A death in the family? I don't get this question and I'm asking myself if I missed something important in the book now. Reading the other people's answers didn't jog my memory either.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
I think a lot of Ari's nightmares will disappear when he learns more about his brother (and father). This is definitely a good thing. It isn't healthy to keep something as big as this a secret from your other child.

May 4&5
Letters on a Page
Pgs 155-232

15. Do you like Ari's friends ; Gina and Susie? Do you think either are likely to replace Dante as a "best friend"? Will Ilena return to the story?
Eh, I'm not sure. I think they seem like pretty typical teenage girls, who also want friends but at the same time need to seem "cool". It's good that Ari has other people in his life though. Ones that he trust enough to drive his car! I don't think Ileana will return, at least not in a major way.

16. Dante has been experimenting and admits to Ari he likes boys. Did that surprise you? What did you think of his letter asking about masturbation? Completely out of line or a normal question for a teenage boy to ask his only friend?
Not in a macro sense, given the book's genre. But it did surprise how easily he came to that decision though, and how easy it was for him to talk about. But Dante was always more true to himself so I guess it shouldn't be that surprising. I wouldn't know how normal it is for teenage boys to talk about masturbation, but I think it makes sense for Dante given him trying to discover and understand his sexuality.

17. How are you finding the style of the book? I found this section particularly there were lots of short bursts of prose. Does that help or hinder the story?
I like it a lot. It moves quickly and is easy to read. I almost read ahead, since I was able to finish this section easily in the first day!

18. Are you as frustrated as I am that Ari's parents won't talk about his brother? Would you have opened the envelope?
Oh yeah I absolutely would have opened the envelope! That's impressive will power. It is frustrating but I'm sure they have their reasons and we'll learn more eventually.

19. So much happened in this section in Ari's "coming of age" stage of life. Would you like to see he and Dante becoming friends again? Or is Ari better to not have him in his life?
I'm sure they'll be friends again but I think it'll take some readjusting.

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?
Probably a little of both. although Ari's parents are making it clear that they don't want him to be growing up too fast, telling him he has the rest of his life to work. Maybe not necessarily internal maturity but an internal desire to be mature?

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
I think it will evolve into something more, and I think this boy Dante mentioned he's hanging out with will be the catalyst to force Ari to realize his own feelings.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
That was an interesting scene, especially how Ari seemed a bit more conflicted in his feelings about Dante at the end, saying he wasn't sure what he'd do if Dante touched him, instead of just saying he doenst kiss boys. Maybe he's just been in his head for so long he needs pot to be more open to possibilities.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
He didn't seem all that impacted. Like he knew he should be sad, but didn't seem to really feel it. But the other parts of the trip were certainly impactful. I thought it was interesting that he always thought of his father as the closed-off one and yet his mother was the one with the big secret.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
It'll help him grow up. Keeping this secret seems to be a way of babying him, implying that he's not mature enough to handle the truth about his family. If they open up to him then they're treating him as more of an adult and an equal.

Charlie wrote: "23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
A death in the family? I don't get this question and I'm asking myself if I missed something important in the book now. Reading the other people's answers didn't jog my memory either."

I'm rather surprised that no one has mentioned who it was who died in their answers to this question. Charlie, it was Ari's Aunt Ophelia in Tucson. Does that help jog your memory?

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?

I think that because this is a "coming-of-age" story, they kind of developed and out-matured throwing tennis shoes on the street. While Dante may always have a strong dislike towards shoes, at their age, I feel like they have other and more serious things to do.

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?

If my clear hunch is right, then I think that this is a unrequited love that has been happening in the back of both of their brains throughout the story, it just didn't come out to attention or to light until almost the end of the book.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?

I feel like he still didn't really feel that free, there was still a storm going on in his head at all times. Trying to figure out life and who he is as a person. I don't know, although I did probably enjoy those scenes the most, I didn't really think that that's the vibe in them.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?

I'm guessing that there was some regret in not staying in closer touch with her, as well as some natural curiosity and wanting to repay her for all that she has done for him, including leaving her house in his name.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?

He'll stop wondering every second of his life what happened to his brother, why his brother isn't present, why he went to jail,etc. I think that this is important because this torment and tug of thoughts can be settled finally.

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?
Well, since this is Ari and Dante’s story, I can see why the author revealed the information in this way, especially since the telling of Bernardo’s story was partially how Ari and Dante reconnected after Dante being assaulted. I think there were enough scenes between Ari and his parents, so this was probably more powerful. The family had been mute on the topic for so long, so Ari telling Dante indicates his family stopping keeping it a secret and Ari trusting Dante with something so close to his heart.

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?
I don’t think this was the right way to go about things. As Ari said, he wasn’t proud of it. But I can understand how difficult of a situation it was. Now there would be recourse to go to the cops or have the assailants ostracized in the community, but given the attitude towards homosexuality then, those weren’t options.
I think Ari’s actions were driven by his desire to protect Dante- subconsciously believing that if he stopped these individuals he could prevent something like that from happening again- and guilt that he wasn’t the one who was there with Dante when it happened- that he didn’t stop it.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?
I don’t know that I truly believe in “love at first sight”. I think that there can be an immediate attraction and connection, but that love is something that is built over time as a relationship grows and strengthens. I think Ari and Dante saw a kindred spirit in the other right away, but the falling in love process was more gradual.

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?
I think that every child has the realization at some point that his parents are more than just his parents- they are real, regular people with flaws and needs and desires of their own. So part of the story was Ari’s normal teenage realization of this. There was more though in how his parents really came together to support Ari and create a supportive environment for Dante and him and to help him heal over the loss of his brother by opening up about it. The three of them became a much stronger and healthier family unit. I think the love was always there, but they became better at showing it.

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?
So I’m paraphrasing from some different reviews I’ve read that I agreed with, but I thought that the way the author chose to have Ari realize his feelings for Dante- by having his parents basically just tell him instead of coming to the realization on his own- took a lot of the tension and impact out of the story. The only plot there was to the book was Ari coming to the realization of his sexuality (although whether he is gay or bi is unanswered) and that he loves Dante. This kind of mitigated that plot and was majorly anti-climatic. I even felt like it cheapened Ari’s feelings for Dante in some way. In addition, Ari gave in and agreed with his parents far too easily. He had been fighting his feelings for over a year, and all of a sudden, he was just “ok, you’re right”? There was no character development- just a radical character jump that didn’t feel realistic to me. For another, I didn’t like how Ari saving Dante from being hit by the car was used as proof he was in love with him. I think this could also just as easily have been an act of brotherly, platonic love. I did see the signs that Ari was in love with Dante, but I don’t think this was necessarily one of them.
It was a four star book for me before that point with some beautiful and powerful sentences, but the way the ending was done lowered it to 3 stars for me.
I was satisfied enough with Ari and Dante’s final scene, however. There is supposedly a sequel in the works, though, if some of you felt this lacked closure.

Jen wrote: "Charlie wrote: "23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
A death in th..."

I thought it was her! I think I forgot about it because of the events that took place after. Thank you for reminding me. :)

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernardo? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?
I think it was very effective because of the way the story had played out up until that point. Ari was being open towards Dante and Ari's parents were being open towards Ari. I imagined it was something like committing murder, but I didn't expect it to be more than one.

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?
I definitely think it was loyalty. Ari has been loyal to Dante since the moment they met each other. Nobody can hurt Dante, because they'll hurt him as well.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?
I think it was a gradual maturing love. For Dante, it may have been love at first sight but I don't think it was the case for Ari. Ari didn't even know how he felt and who he was when he met Dante. I don't think he even thought about the fact he might fall in love someday until Dante brought up kissing a girl. That was the moment Ari started obsessing over Ileana.

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?
I also think it happened that way. Ari loved his mother so much, you could see it in every interaction between them. Him being crazy about his father happened later on, I think. He didn't know his father. They didn't really speak and they finally started to speak throughout the story.

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?
It was very satisfying. I loved this book because it had everything I needed. Now I've read it for the second time, I do get why a sequel is going to be released. We don't know anything about Ari's brother, except for the fact that he killed two people. We don't know when he is going to be released from prison or even if he's going to be released. We also obviously don't know if Dante and Ari will last.

I do want to comment on Ari's sexuality. I don't feel like Ari is essentially gay while I feel like Dante is. I don't think Ari could fall in love with a guy besides Dante. I think of him more as a pansexual than a bi or gay character. But maybe that's just me.

I thought the scene where Ari's parents told him he was in love with Dante, was very weird and inappropriate. How would they know? I feel like they should have waited for Ari to realise this himself. What if Ari wasn't in love with Dante? Awkward.

May 3 DQ's Sparrows Falling from the sky

6. When Ari is sick he dreams a lot. He dreams about his brother, his father and Dante. It seems as if he dreams about his father and brother because he feels disconnected to them and wants to know them better. Why do you think he is dreaming about Dante? Do you think it is for the same reason or for another one?
I think it is the same reason and I think it says something about the relationship between Dante and Ari.

7. Dante refers to himself as not being a true Mexican. From what I can gather it seems as if both Dante and Ari live a similar home life as far as their heritage. Why do you think Dante feels as if he is not a true Mexican but Ari doesn't seem to care?
I think Dante needs to feel that he belongs. I think he misses something in his life and that might be being part of a community.

8. Dante is leaving for the next school year. How do you think this will affect their friendship? Do you think they will be able to stay friends or will it just fizzle out?
I think they will still be friends, but there won't be much contact between them.

The End of Summer

9. When Ari saves Dante's life there are a lot of people who are calling him a hero and Ari is extremely uncomfortable. Do you think there is a reason he feels so negatively about himself or do you think he is just depressed?
I think he just doesn't want the attention and wants to be left alone. Ari has set the bar very high for himself and I think that his parents completely erasing his brother when he went to prison had the effect that ari thinks that he has to behave a certain way to stay "a good boy" or his parents will completely shut him out too.

10. Between Ari being sick and his almost dying we are seeing more interaction with him and his father in a positive way. Do you think this will help Ari's father to come out of his shell?
I hope so, but I think more is needed for him to come out of his shell.

11. I really like how Ari told his mother that he would only go to therapy if she and his dad went for their issues. Do you think they will end up going? I hope so. I think they are all damaged in ways they cannot see.
I don't think they will go into therapy.

12. Ari has a lot of anger towards everyone especially Dante, do you have any ideas as to why?
I think he doesn't want to say goodbye to Dante and his trying to distance himself so that the pain will be less when Dante leaves.

13. I found the scene where Dante asks to bathe Ari a little strange but telling. Did this scene foreshadow something to anyone else?
I think it is.

14. It seems as if Dante has more of an attachment to Ari then the other way around. Do you think if Dante stopped coming around then Ari would try and reach out to him?
I don't know maybe when it takes long enough.

May 4&5
Letters on a Page
Pgs 155-232

15. Do you like Ari's friends ; Gina and Susie? Do you think either are likely to replace Dante as a "best friend"? Will Ilena return to the story?
I like Gina and Susie and the way they try to get Ari to open up a little. I hope Ilena will not return to the story.

16. Dante has been experimenting and admits to Ari he likes boys. Did that surprise you? What did you think of his letter asking about masturbation? Completely out of line or a normal question for a teenage boy to ask his only friend?
I wasn't surprised Dante likes boys. His masturbation letter was a little strange, I think it's normal to ask in a face to face conversation, but they way he wrote about it in the letter was just weird.

17. How are you finding the style of the book? I found this section particularly there were lots of short bursts of prose. Does that help or hinder the story?
I grew to like it during they story. In the first to section it felt a little amateurish or a 15 year old writing but it grew during the book.

18. Are you as frustrated as I am that Ari's parents won't talk about his brother? Would you have opened the envelope?
Very frustrated, because I think a lot of Ari's problems stem from the way his parents were handling what happened with his brother. I would have opened the envelope, I'm just to curious. I admire Ari that he didn't and by leaving the envelope closed showed his respect and love for his mother.

19. So much happened in this section in Ari's "coming of age" stage of life. Would you like to see he and Dante becoming friends again? Or is Ari better to not have him in his life?
I would love to see them as friends again, because I think they need each other.

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?
I was just so happy that Ari (and I, the reader) found out what had happened that I don't really remember how I found out about it. I had thought we had a scene with Ari in the kitchen with his parents? And that's where he found out about Bernardo? Though maybe the "finding out" took place "off-screen" and left the reader to find out when Ari told Dante? I just don't remember, but either way, as I said, I was just happy to know, so I didn't mind how we were told.

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?
Justified? No and yes. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it seems right. And this sure seemed like one of those times to me. And I think he did it because Dante is his best friend and no one is allowed to hurt him, plus, as someone said, he felt sort of guilty that he wasn't there to protect him.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?
It definitely was not "love at first sight" on Ari's part. Maybe on Dante's, it was. Dante seemed to accept who he was much earlier than did Ari. I thought Ari was more poleaxed by the realization that he was in love with Dante. Did he really say it was "love at first sight"?

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?
No, that didn't surprise me. I think every child comes to that same realization: that "Mom and Dad" are "John and Jane" or whatever, and have identities, hopes, dreams, etc., of their own. And so they come to love Mom and Dad for who they are instead of just for what they are.

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?
I didn't like it. I was not satisfied at all. The story was told from Ari's POV, and yet we never heard from Ari that he was definitively attracted to Dante "in that way" or anything. So by the end, I was left with the distinct impression that Dante is gay, while Ari is not. Dante is the one guy that Ari could love. And if not for Dante, Ari probably would have gone on to college or whatever and eventually wound up with a girl.
Also, I agree with Emily's answer to this question 1000%. :-)

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?
I'm glad they finally told him (or his father did I think), it was sad but needed to happen

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?
Well Ari was beating kids up at the start of the book (or referring to it) so I think that is how he deals with feelings. He just wanted revenge for what happened to Dante.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?
No, I think they had a connection but I wouldn't call it that

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?
I think this is part of maturing, although it perhaps happened earlier than I would have expected

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?
I totally agree with Emily on this one. I was quite surprised about the ending, and if I'm honest a little disappointed. I would have liked a book where two boys can be best friends even with one being gay because I think that is a good, positive friendship dynamic to explore. The whole scene with the parents telling him was a bit odd and unexpected, and just not believable to me. I'm still not convinced that Ari knows what he wants.
I thought it was a pretty good book, but I didn't LOVE it, and I wouldn't rush to read any more of his work.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this discussion, I sure got more out of this than I would have otherwise.

June BOM polls are up!

Anything Goes
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Your book title is amazing

May 6 - Remember the Rain

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity?
I think it is both. Also Ari has learned how to drive and has a job with responsibilities and that can make you grow up too. I thought it was nice to see that eventhough they did a lot of growing they could still act as boys a little.

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more?
Not going to answer, I have finished the book.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another?
I loved those scenes. I think those drives out into the desert gave them the opportunity to let go.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long?
I think it confronts him with how self absorbed he has been. I hope he uses this to connect with his parents.l

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari?
I think it will make him want to open up some more and not be so angry all the time.

All the Secrets of the Universe-End
DQ Questions, May 7th

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective?
I was glad Ari got the history of Bernardo, but also some of what his father experienced in Vietnam. I was happy they started to open up to each other.

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage?
I don't think breaking Julian's nose was justified, but I can understand why Ari reacted that way. He doesn't have a lot of control of his rages and when people he loves/cares about are being hurt he lets his rage out.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love?
I don't think it was love at first sight, but there was definitely and instant connection.

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened?
I think it was the way his parents talked to him and the shock of finding out his aunt had died.

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough?
I liked the ending, although I would love to read if they make it into adults together.

@Imke
I wonder if the second book will be them as adults?

I have to admit, I'm curious about the second book. Despite not liking how the resolution in this one came about and not being my usual genre, I might read it to see what the author does with it. I liked Ari and Dante, after all.
I might find it most interesting if it was about them around the start of college. Some time having passed, but not a huge amount. Another big opportunity for change and growth in the characters and challenges to their relationship.

Oh... and I would LOVE if we got Dante's POV this time!

Emily wrote: "Oh... and I would LOVE if we got Dante's POV this time!"

Yes, I agree. The 2nd book would get me reading it if it was from Dante's POV :)

1. Have you ever read any of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s works, or is this your first? If you’ve read others, do you have any recommendations? Why did you choose this book to read? This is my first book by him. I am reading this book because it is a book of the month.

2. What do you think of Ari and Dante so far? Do you like them? Have a favorite? I do like them. I like them both. I think that they are shaping up to be interesting characters. I like how they are different, but maybe not so different.

3. Ari’s father is a Vietnam Veteran. He returned home a changed man. My own father was changed by his experiences in Vietnam. And though my own Dad would never talk about his wartime experiences, he was otherwise warm, caring, and talkative. Does Ari’s father bring up any memories for you? Do you find him as “inscrutable” as Ari does? He does not bring up any memories for me, but I am very curious about him. I am interested in the comment about Ari putting together clues about his dad. That is really a good analogy for relationships.

4. Ari mentioned that his older brother is in prison. Do you have any suspicions as to what he did to earn a conviction? Do you think Ari’s older siblings will have a place in this story? Not really, maybe drugs or gang stuff. That is what Ari threatens or jokes about. I think that his family will come into play as he discovers more about who he really is.

5. Dante and Ari are very different from each other, but similar, too, in a way. Why do you think these two boys are friends? Do you think they’ll “last”? I hope they do last. I think that they are friends because they are compatible, and it seems that each of them needed a friend.

I'm only about halfway through this one (this is my first read with this group, so I wasn't aware of the schedule), but I'm loving it so far. I grew up in the same general area as the writer, and a lot of things he's mentioned are cultural touchstones many Mexican)-American) people of a certain age would recognize. It's fairly rare, at least in my experience, so see my own life reflected back to me on the page, so I'm pretty in love with this author and this book right now.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "@Imke
I wonder if the second book will be them as adults?"

I hope so, or maybe as students. I would love to read about them in college.

Esse wrote: "I'm only about halfway through this one (this is my first read with this group, so I wasn't aware of the schedule), but I'm loving it so far. I grew up in the same general area as the writer, and a..."

That's good to know Esees. I did wonder if all the Mexixan references were relevant (I'm in Australia)

A bit late to join. But here are my thoughts;

May 2, 2016: The Different Rules of Summer, pp.1-56

1. Have you ever read any of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s works, or is this your first? If you’ve read others, do you have any recommendations? Why did you choose this book to read?
--> This is my first time reading Benjamin's work. I chose it just because it was the name of the book and it was on BOM list.

2. What do you think of Ari and Dante so far? Do you like them? Have a favorite?
--> They are sweet boys who are trying to find where they belong. I kind of like Ari more tho. He's loner and has questions to everything. His family, his life, his thoughts. He reminds me of myself when I was fifteen.

3. Ari’s father is a Vietnam Veteran. He returned home a changed man. My own father was changed by his experiences in Vietnam. And though my own Dad would never talk about his wartime experiences, he was otherwise warm, caring, and talkative. Does Ari’s father bring up any memories for you? Do you find him as “inscrutable” as Ari does?
--> He resembles my grandfather, but I barely knew him. My dad once told me that my grandfather wouldn't talk much after he came back from war. All he did was reading and gardening. Although he did told us about how war was like a few days before he passed away. I guess it was so much pain to live and it can never be erased from your memory.

4. Ari mentioned that his older brother is in prison. Do you have any suspicions as to what he did to earn a conviction? Do you think Ari’s older siblings will have a place in this story?
--> I had no clue what he did to get himself locked up.

5. Dante and Ari are very different from each other, but similar, too, in a way. Why do you think these two boys are friends? Do you think they’ll “last”?
--> I like when they hang out and do stupid stuff together. That brings back old memories of mine. It'll be a sad thing if this won't last.

May 3 DQ's Sparrows Falling from the sky

6. When Ari is sick he dreams a lot. He dreams about his brother, his father and Dante. It seems as if he dreams about his father and brother because he feels disconnected to them and wants to know them better. Why do you think he is dreaming about Dante? Do you think it is for the same reason or for another one?
--> I think he dreams his fears. He's afraid he's going to lose that connections.

7. Dante refers to himself as not being a true Mexican. From what I can gather it seems as if both Dante and Ari live a similar home life as far as their heritage. Why do you think Dante feels as if he is not a true Mexican but Ari doesn't seem to care?
-->Is it becasue Dante not good at Spanish? His skin colour? I am not sure with how Dante feels. I would love to know how Dante feels, tho.

8. Dante is leaving for the next school year. How do you think this will affect their friendship? Do you think they will be able to stay friends or will it just fizzle out?
-->I am sure it's going to affect their relationship not one way or another. But still I hope they keep in touch.

The End of Summer

9. When Ari saves Dante's life there are a lot of people who are calling him a hero and Ari is extremely uncomfortable. Do you think there is a reason he feels so negatively about himself or do you think he is just depressed?
--> I think maybe it's just his character;he's not a attention seeker type of person.

10. Between Ari being sick and his almost dying we are seeing more interaction with him and his father in a positive way. Do you think this will help Ari's father to come out of his shell?
--> I hope it will. They really do need to talk.

11. I really like how Ari told his mother that he would only go to therapy if she and his dad went for their issues. Do you think they will end up going? I hope so. I think they are all damaged in ways they cannot see.
--> I hope so too.

12. Ari has a lot of anger towards everyone especially Dante, do you have any ideas as to why?
--> The struggle of not understand oneself. I feel it from Ari everytime I read. He probably jealous, angry, lonely. All that feelings mixed together and he couldn't coup with them anymore.

13. I found the scene where Dante asks to bathe Ari a little strange but telling. Did this scene foreshadow something to anyone else?
--> It IS strange. I feel something is coming. Something that could change their relationship forever.

14. It seems as if Dante has more of an attachment to Ari then the other way around. Do you think if Dante stopped coming around then Ari would try and reach out to him?
--> These two boys have some connections. I am sure that if Dante back out, Ari would try to do something to reach him.

6. When Ari is sick he dreams a lot. He dreams about his brother, his father and Dante. It seems as if he dreams about his father and brother because he feels disconnected to them and wants to know them better. Why do you think he is dreaming about Dante? Do you think it is for the same reason or for another one?
Dante is important to him. I think he is dreaming about him because he is looking for a connection. He is looking for a connection with all three of these characters.

7. Dante refers to himself as not being a true Mexican. From what I can gather it seems as if both Dante and Ari live a similar home life as far as their heritage. Why do you think Dante feels as if he is not a true Mexican but Ari doesn't seem to care?
I think Dante's family life is not as immersed in the Mexican culture as Ari's is. Dante's family does not speak Spanish at home and Dante goes to private school so he might feel more removed from the Mexican culture.

8. Dante is leaving for the next school year. How do you think this will affect their friendship? Do you think they will be able to stay friends or will it just fizzle out?

I'm not sure, but it will certainly impact their friendship. I am curious to see if Ari will write to him.

The End of Summer

9. When Ari saves Dante's life there are a lot of people who are calling him a hero and Ari is extremely uncomfortable. Do you think there is a reason he feels so negatively about himself or do you think he is just depressed?
I think that he is unsure about who he is, so in the midst of his identity crisis another identity is put upon him. He does not seem to feel that this identity truly fits him.

10. Between Ari being sick and his almost dying we are seeing more interaction with him and his father in a positive way. Do you think this will help Ari's father to come out of his shell?
I hope so. Being friends with Dante'd dad might help too.

11. I really like how Ari told his mother that he would only go to therapy if she and his dad went for their issues. Do you think they will end up going? I hope so. I think they are all damaged in ways they cannot see.
I hope so too. And if not I hope the family finds some way to cope with and grow through their issues.

12. Ari has a lot of anger towards everyone especially Dante, do you have any ideas as to why?
I think that he feels like Dante'g gratitude is impeding their friendship. I think he wants to go back to the times when he and Dante were friends just because, and now he is concerned that Dante might just be coming around because he feels like he owes it to Ari.

13. I found the scene where Dante asks to bathe Ari a little strange but telling. Did this scene foreshadow something to anyone else?
I hope not.

14. It seems as if Dante has more of an attachment to Ari then the other way around. Do you think if Dante stopped coming around then Ari would try and reach out to him?
Maybe. I really think Ari would just bury it and get on with things.

15. Do you like Ari's friends ; Gina and Susie? Do you think either are likely to replace Dante as a "best friend"? Will Ilena return to the story? I'm not sure if I like Gina and Suzy. I know I like Gina better and I don't think either will take the best friend spot. I think Ilena is out of the story. The author will probably just let her go.

16. Dante has been experimenting and admits to Ari he likes boys. Did that surprise you? What did you think of his letter asking about masturbation? Completely out of line or a normal question for a teenage boy to ask his only friend?
Yes. I thought it was weird and unnecessary for the story. Isn't this a young adult book? I don't like to see stuff like that in a young adult book. It frustrates me. I think it is wrong. Ohhh yes. I don't think that question would be asked. It was weird.

17. How are you finding the style of the book? I found this section particularly there were lots of short bursts of prose. Does that help or hinder the story? It's ok. I kind of like hitting the short pages. I can finish faster.

18. Are you as frustrated as I am that Ari's parents won't talk about his brother? Would you have opened the envelope? It seems strange to me that they won't even mention him. Open communication might help Ari figure some things out. He seems to have a good relationship with mom, you would think she would talk about it. I would have opened the envelope. Not the first time I found it, but I would have gone back. The curiosity would have gotten to me.

19. So much happened in this section in Ari's "coming of age" stage of life. Would you like to see he and Dante becoming friends again? Or is Ari better to not have him in his life? I think that he is better off without him.

20. Dante is back for the summer and the boys have changed quite a bit. At one point Ari makes a note of the fact that they were now too old to throw shoes in the street. What do you think this says about how quickly teens mature? Is it societal pressure or is it an internal maturity? I think that they mature at different rates in different aspects of their lives. Circumstances can also drive the rate that they mature. Brain development shows that the brain is not fully mature until the early twenties.

21. Dante is clearly in love with Ari, and has admitted it himself. Ari, while frustrated at times will always be loyal to Dante. Is this going to a tale or unrequited love, a tale of of a long friendship between two totally different boys, or something more? Hard to know. I hope Ari stays true to himself and they just stay friends.

22. One of my favorite chapters is when Ari and Dante hang out in the desert, and really all the desert scenes. I really enjoy the open space and freedom these scenes create. How did you interpret these scenes? Have you ever done something and been somewhere or with someone where you felt you could just do anything, be anything without any outside pressures making you be one way or another? I thought the whole running in the rain thing was strange.

23. Aristotle is surprised by a death in the family. How do you think this impacted him? How do you think learning about her and the reason he stayed with her so long? I think that he will cherish people more now that he has had a loss. I also think that he will see both his parents in a different light.

24. His parents are somewhat opening up about his brother, what impact do you think this will have on Ari? I hope that it allows new opportunities for communication with his parents.

25. What did you think about the way that his parents presented this truth of the situation with his brother Bernado? If I recall, there wasn't a direct scene of them doing the storytelling, instead there was a scene where Ari retold Dante the story. Which way did you think was more effective? I thought Ari telling Dante was a fine way to reveal the story, and we got Dante's reaction too that way.

26. Is Ari's beating and breaking nose for Julian with his rage, do think that this is justified? When he says that this was never his enemy until the accident, and that Julian's father was in fact a friend of his father, do you think that this was more directed by loyalty or rage? No, he should have gone to the police. By beating Julian up he just stooped to his level. I'm not sure I understand the second part of the question. I think Ari was motivated by both.

27. Did you agree with Ari that this was "love at first sight" or did you think that it was more of a gradual maturing love? I don't understand this question either. Maybe I missed something. It appears to me that Ari was pushed reluctantly into the relationship by both sets of parents.

28. Were you surprised of how things turned out and Ari matured and got "crazy for his parents"? I think that he may have known all along but just actually had the realization hit him. How do you think that it happened? I think he did always love his parents and his family.

29. What's your opinion of the ending? Do you think that it was conclusive and satisfying enough? I did not like it. I thought it was wrong for the parents to push him into the relationship. He was happy with them just being friends. They should have left it that way. I was very disappointed in the ending.