Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Book Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Date Started: June 23rd 2017

Date Completed: June 25th 2017

Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Star

Final Rating: Three stars

Review:

This book is really sweet, but it wasn't for me. Contemporary books aren't my thing. I always feel guilty when I end up going back to that because it's what I say about 95% of the genre, but I keep looking to try and find that little margin that I do enjoy. Not to say that I hated reading this book; I didn't, it was lovely. But, as emotional as it is in theory, for me personally, the genre always makes it hard for me to buy into what's happening.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - despite what the title may suggest - an easy and accessible read. Both dialogue and narration are written with a flow and gentleness that makes it simple to dip in and out of and still keep up with the story. I read it in about three sittings without much bother, and even though I feel like a lot of the emotional impact washed over me, I was still motivated to keep reading even after an hour or two.

There's some really nice casual representation in this book and I suspect it's part of the reason why I think it's won so many awards. And rightly so. Alire Sáenz isn't just ticking boxes for the sake of it with his Mexican LGBT+ protagonists that go through some significant mental and physical health difficulties at times. These elements aren't just there for bragging rights of the aforementioned list, they're actually sustained parts of the story and aspects of his characters.

I don't think there's a single character in this book that isn't absolutely lovely. Flawed, of course, but Ari and Dante have some of the most supportive and friendly parents and friends you could have, even if it takes a little while to find that out. Part of why the story felt quite level to me was because everyone was so nice: I struggled to find the tension when there was so much kindness in response to every obstacle - internal or external - that the boys were facing. Having said that, I really liked the realistic portrayal of depression that hovered over Ari even when his problems were 'fixed' - of course, it's not as easy an obstacle being literally solved, the emotional blowback is still present. Alire Sáenz did a good job of getting that across, even when someone is surrounded by patient support.

If contemporary books are your thing, this is definitely one of the sweetest and more thoughtful ones that I've come across, so it might be worth a look. It's got the awards to prove it. Overall, it was a very touching story (though it does honestly have some very depressing points) but it washed over me.