From the Bookshelf of The Reading Challenge Group…

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

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Start date: June 1, 2016

Finish date: June 30, 2016

Discussion: Group Read Archive 2014-16

Why we're reading this: Genre Group Read (Minority Studies/LGBT) - June 2016
[close] Genre Group Read (Minority Studies/LGBT) - June 2016

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Group Read Archive 2014-16

Genre Group Read (Humour) - December 2016 - You Are Not So Smart
By Allison , Quest Hound · 11 posts · 30 views

last updated Dec 28, 2016 04:05PM

Alternate Group Read (Classics) - December 2016 - Mansfield Park
By Allison , Quest Hound · 5 posts · 18 views

last updated Dec 04, 2016 09:34AM

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What Members Thought

Feb 03, 2020 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 2020genrechallenge, 2020-ng-group-challenge, 2020, audiobook, lgbtq, romance, ownvoices

What a beautiful book! I absolutely love Aristotle as he learns who he is and why he can't seem to open up to the people who love him. For much of the book, he attributes it to his being like his father, who also struggles to open himself up after the war, and also thinks it has something to do with his brother, who is now in prison, although neither parent will talk about it. Through his friendship with Dante and Dante's parents, he starts to learn how to connect with his own parents, especiall ...more

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Nov 12, 2014 🥀 Rose 🥀 rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, audio-book, coming-of-age, lbgtq

I feel this is a very important YA that should be read by teens and parents. Open your heart to understanding and learn what it is to be a teen struggling with their sexual identity.

Meet Ari and Dante. Ari is introverted, quiet, tough, alone and trying to figure out what happen to his brother, what happened to his father in viet nam that was so awful he hardly speaks heart. One day he meets Dante one day at the pool. Dante is outgoing, speaks his heart, big personality, comfortable in his own s
I feel this is a very important YA that should be read by teens and parents. Open your heart to understanding and learn what it is to be a teen struggling with their sexual identity.

Meet Ari and Dante. Ari is introverted, quiet, tough, alone and trying to figure out what happen to his brother, what happened to his father in viet nam that was so awful he hardly speaks heart. One day he meets Dante one day at the pool. Dante is outgoing, speaks his heart, big personality, comfortable in his own skin and has the most loving parents one could ask for. Very unlikely friends, but friends who balance each other out wonderfully.

This is a story about learning who are and acceptance, never letting the world change you. It deals with very real struggles certain teens may go through. We see of glimpse of this struggle between Dante and Ari.

SPOILER!!!!

I gave this book 3, more like 3.5 stars because the ending did not ring true at all!!! After all the build up and sexual tension, denial etc., I felt I was being led down a path of self discovery and was waiting for that powerful moment. Ari was working through all of his feelings, working out who is was and how did he fit in the world. Dante was gay and was at ease with who he was and loved Ari. Ari not realizing that he too was gay never found this out on his own. His parents sat him down and basically outed him. I'm sorry, 1986, Latino family, only son left and they knew and told him!!! Nope, did not buy it at all. What about the parents struggle? This would still be a process for parents to go through before they are ok with it and eventually parents who love their kids unconditionally would be ok in the end. But to tell your child that's who they are? As a therapist which was Ari mom, she should have known its best to let that be discovered on their own. It just ruined the journey. Unrealistic! The ending was also just rushed.

I still believe this is a good story for teens and parents I just didn't care the ending but the journey is worth it.

...more

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Dec 05, 2020 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, ya-fiction, lgbtqia, award-winner-or-honor, realistic, own-voices, young-adult, latinx

This was a great book to read at the end of this year because it leaves me with a feeling of hope and after this year, that is a good thing.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2023 Claire Fun rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, a

Officially my first book of the year, but mostly I read it last year, so th last book in my year of reading 'a' titles. Being an audiobook, I had too many family members around to get the chance to listen to it in that far-too-noisy- time between Christmas and New Year, which was my original plan. STILL! Excellent narration by Lin-Manuel Miranda ofc, because I love him and everything his cute little cinnamon roll face does. A book where the non-english words are read by someone who can acually p ...more

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