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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, Bk 1)
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Aristotle and Dante, Bk 1
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique pe...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781442408937
ISBN-10: 1442408936
Publication Date: 4/1/2014
Pages: 368
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 22

4.3 stars, based on 22 ratings
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 15
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

merciersj avatar reviewed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, Bk 1) on + 71 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I had heard so many good things about this book, so I was excited to begin listening to the audio book. From the blurb, reviews, and awards I expected the book to be filled with endearing characters, profound coming-of-age wisdom, and lots of feels. Unfortunately, this book just didnt work for me that way.

I found it very hard to connect with or feel anything for the majority of the characters. I sympathized with the issue of finding yourself as a teenager and growing into who you are truly meant to be, but at the same time I never walked away from a reading session thinking, "Wow that was intense!" or feeling my heart ache because of all the overwhelming emotion spilling off the page. Maybe I just wasnt the target audience.

The writing itself felt overly simplistic at times given the subject matter. This book is targeted at late teens I would assume, but the dialog and descriptions oftentimes felt more middle grade fiction than young adult fiction.

The one thing I can say this book conveyed particularly well was the joy and intimacy of the friendships we develop as young people. The way Dante and Ari are able to just be with one another, comfortable and happy and doing nothing, the trust that develops between them--those kinds of relationships are once in a lifetime and I was grateful to be reminded of the times in my life when I had that through these two characters.

Overall, this book was just okay for me. The expectations I had for it were just too high. I wanted more meaningful insights, more profound realizations, characters I could easily connect with, amazing dialog. These things were missing, and the story definitely suffered for it. I would recommend this book to fans of coming-of-age fiction, lgbtq fiction, and stories with heavy emphasis on the importance of friendship.
Eudial avatar reviewed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Really wasn't into this book at first, (was I finally too old for YA books??) but it seemed like a fast read and I figured I may as well finish it and I'm glad I did! Very sweet coming-of-age tale with a supporting cast of well-written adults. Some of this author's writing style wasn't my personal taste, but the characterization definitely made up for it.
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dbo avatar reviewed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, Bk 1) on + 74 more book reviews
Well-developed characters, kept my interest without needing to get all that intense or dramatic.

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