Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Simon & Schuster

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Benjamin Alire Saenz
2012

The Summary
"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.  Dante 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 perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

"But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be.  But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other - and the power of their friendship - can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side."

The Good
I loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  Although I originally encountered it as an audiobook - and, as you might guess, I'm still a little leery of audiobooks - I absolutely loved listening to Saenz's young adult novel.  It combines two critical elements:  an exceptional writer, and a phenomenal narrator.

Benjamin Alire Saenz does an excellent job of fashioning his characters.  Aristotle, for instance, is an angst-ridden teenager in search of answers to his questions and relief from his anger, and I think that Saenz properly conveys his journey of self-discovery.  Perhaps I didn't always understand Aristotle - his emotional state, his thoughts, his experiences as a young Mexican-American growing up in California - but I grew to enjoy his insights into life and love and friendship.

He's a solid character, fleshed out and fully formed.  He's believable and, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda, he felt so real to me.  Aristotle is such a candid storyteller, laying bare his hopes and dreams, his desires, and his fears.  And the way he tells his story - the way Lin-Manuel Miranda was able to bring it to life - kept me hooked from beginning to end.

And I loved Dante.  I have a special place in my heart for shoe-phobic, know-it-all Dante.  Like Ari, I slowly began to see him as an integral part, a key piece of life.  He was so important to Ari and, likewise, he became important to me as a character; moreover, he was just so much fun.  Articulate, smart, talkative and witty, he was the polar opposite to Ari, giving the story a good balance.

I fell in love with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  It was the perfect combination of writer and narrator that gave this story life and depth, and it kept me enchanted from its opening lines.

When I reached the final chapter, I was so sad to let go.

The Bad
I only wish I had a copy of Saenz's book to call my own.

The Ugly
Being a female of the species, I can certainly say I've had much different life experiences from Aristotle and Dante.  Even as an adult, knowing what boys think and feel and desire is a little strange - perhaps, even disorienting.  It's a candid account of life and loss, happiness and tragedy - and incredibly private things, if we're being honest - and I felt a bit like a voyeur as I was listening to their story.

It's a bit of an unpleasant feeling.