A review by chloeeereads
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

5.0

I absolutely adored this book and I can't believe it took me this long to pick it up. Despite being very YA, I found myself completely enamoured by the story of Aristotle and Dante, and I finished this book in one sitting. We follow as Ari and Dante form a friendship in childhood that continues throughout their adolescence despite tragedy and distance, and how that friendship develops from one based on convenience, to one based on unwavering faith, loyalty, understanding, and love. It's a prototypical coming of age story, but it never felt boring or predictable, and the intense look into the self-discovery and development of Ari and Dante, both as separate people and as a joint entity, was wonderful. I did almost feel like the ending was a little hasty and an attempt to wrap up the story into a neat little bow, but I also think that it's the ending the readers deserve after such an emotional rollercoaster of a story. It's a story about war wounds, family dynamics and secrets, trauma, loneliness, loyalty, sexuality, the boundaries between love and friendship, and wanting to be understood by others while trying to understand yourself. Definitely recommend.