Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (A Book Review)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Saenz, Benjamin. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2012. ASIN B0055OJC78

Plot Summary

Aristotle is an often angry and isolated teenage boy trying to understand the meaning of life and his family's secrets about his brother. Through an unusual friendship with a boy named Dante, Aristotle begins to understand more about himself. 

Critical Analysis

Aristotle is a disgruntled and often angry fifteen year old Mexican teenager living in El Paso, Texas in the year of 1987. From the very first line of "One Summer Night I Fell Asleep Hoping The World would be different when I woke,' Aristotle has readers hooked in his constant melancholy and cynicism mixed with Spanish slang. Desperate to understand his silent father who is scarred from war and why his own mother (whom he is close to) won't speak about his brother who is in jail, Aristotle (or Ari, for short) begins a journey of self-discovery that proves to be surprising for both the reader and Ari simultaneously.  

On the surface, Ari's Summer outlook appears to be dull and uneventful as is told in introspective and sometimes amusing detail through his own voice. Set in the back drop of a normal suburban neighborhood in El Paso and accurately described, the desert becomes Ari's source of refuge when he is not visiting the community pool during the hot days. It is during one of his routine swimming pool visits that he hears a squeaky voice offer to teach him how to swim. Reluctantly, Ari allows the boy (Dante) to teach him although he's not sure they have anything in common. Ari has never had a friend before, often citing the complexities of teenage relationships as the source. Over the course of a year, the natural friendship unfolds as each boy bears witness to tragedy and the harsh realities of growing up and understanding one's place in a world during a time when society's prejudices and stereotypes had not yet evolved to today's level of acceptance.                      

Review Excerpt(s)

Pura Belpre Author Medal Winner (2013)

Michael L. Printz Honor Book (2013)

Stonewall Book Award (2013)

  

Starred review from Booklist on 12/15/2003:

"When Aristotle and Dante meet, in the summer of 1987, they are 15-year-olds existing in “the universe between boys and men.” The two are opposites in most ways: Dante is sure of his place in the world, while Ari feels he may never know who he is or what he wants. But both are thoughtful about their feelings and interactions with others, and this title is primarily focused on the back-and-forth in their relationship over the course of a year..."

Starred review from Kirkus on 04/18/2012:

"He doesn't know why his older brother is in prison, since his parents and adult sisters refuse to talk about it. His father also keeps his experience in Vietnam locked up inside. On a whim, Ari heads to the town swimming pool, where a boy he's never met offers to teach him to swim. Ari, a loner who's good in a fight, is caught off guard by the self-assured, artistic Dante. The two develop an easy friendship­, ribbing each other about who is more Mexican, discussing life's big questions, and wondering when they'll be old enough to take on the world..."

Starred review from School Library Journal on 11/08/13:

"This 2013 Printz and Stonewall award-winning book (S & S, 2012) is a wonderful coming-of-age story, and Miranda does a stellar job of capturing the essences of both teen characters. A terrific addition to audiobook collections."

Connections
Other Benjamin Saenz books to check out:

• Saenz, Benjamin. He Forgot to Say Goodbye. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN 9781416994343

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a book teens struggling with identity or sexuality can relate to on a personal level.