From the Bookshelf of Book Nerds :D…

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, #1)

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Start date: March 1, 2022

Finish date: March 31, 2022

Discussion: ❃Book of the Month (BOTMs)❃

Why we're reading this: March Book of the Month!
[close] March Book of the Month!

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 19 topics — 160 comments total

❃Book of the Month (BOTMs)❃

* January 2023 - One of Us is Lying
By Alexandria , The Third Book Nerd · 1 post · 18 views

last updated Jan 04, 2023 08:32AM

This topic has been closed to new comments.

December 2022 - Red, White & Royal Blue
By Alexandria , The Third Book Nerd · 3 posts · 20 views

last updated Jan 04, 2023 08:32AM

What Members Thought

Jun 08, 2021 Sehrish | سهريش rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-absolute-favorites, quick-reads, read-2021, 2021-nbrc-tt-viii

There is something so wholesome about this book that words won't be enough to describe.. I love Ari.. he is a precious little boy.. he needs to be protected at all costs.. needs to be loved and cherished and this story, this book needs to be passed on to generations.. someone should stand on every street corner and hand down free copies of this.. ❤️

It was so simple and sweet yet to deep.. my heart is full! ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 29, 2023 Hailey Sawyer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: overall-grade-a-plus

A very long time ago, I discovered this book (along with One Final Vinyl) through a review from some Australian booktuber who represented himself with an original animated character. Sadly, he doesn't seem to be around anymore. His YouTube and other social media accounts? Seemingly gone. But, here's to him anyway.

(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 thought A very long time ago, I discovered this book (along with One Final Vinyl) through a review from some Australian booktuber who represented himself with an original animated character. Sadly, he doesn't seem to be around anymore. His YouTube and other social media accounts? Seemingly gone. But, here's to him anyway.

(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 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.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads

The relationship between Ari and Dante was excellent. It transitions from friendship to romantic so smoothly and so naturally, it honestly blew me away. Not only that, but I really liked the amount of genuine chemistry they have together.

I also loved the writing style. It's lyrical and poetic, but is still comprehensible and sounds like something a real person might say. What's cool is that it's not just limited to the main character and his narration. It's also reflected in the dialogue of the other characters like Dante and so on.

The subplots were great. There's only two. The mystery as to who Ari's brother Bernardo is and why no one wants to acknowledge his existence and Ari's dad slowly coming out of his shell as he comes to terms with his past as a Vietnam War vet. Not only do they have just as much thought and effort put into them as the main plot, but they also don't take over the story. The way they end is satisfying too. For example, the reason why Bernardo goes unacknowledged is because in (view spoiler) This right here lines up with the previous clues and is a legitimately understandable reason.

Overall, Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe is a masterpiece and the only book to date which I have absolutely no issues with.

Overall Grade: A+ ...more

Like · see review

Jul 09, 2021 justine marie ♡ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, ya, lgbtq

It took me forever to finally pick up this book, but WOW it was so worth the wait.
This book was absolutely stunning and I loved being able to see Ari and Dante grow throughout this whole entire book. This was a very original and unique coming of age story that will be one of my favorites for years to come.

Like · see review