Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, #1) in Rainbow Support Group

Dec 10, 2016 Wren rated it liked it

Shelves: emotional, character-sweet-and-respectful-guys, young-adult-general, lgbtq-general, contemporary-young-adult, lgbtq-gay-lesbian

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...

Aristotle doesn't have many friends. A fifteen year old boy living in Texas, the summer provides a welcome break from school. He meets Dante at the pool, when he offers to teach Aristotle how to swim. They start a close friendship that both will cherish and that will withstand misfortune, distance, and growing up.

The main characters in this novel, Aristotle and Dante, were definitely enjoyable to read about. The story itsel

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...

Aristotle doesn't have many friends. A fifteen year old boy living in Texas, the summer provides a welcome break from school. He meets Dante at the pool, when he offers to teach Aristotle how to swim. They start a close friendship that both will cherish and that will withstand misfortune, distance, and growing up.

The main characters in this novel, Aristotle and Dante, were definitely enjoyable to read about. The story itself is told through Aristotle's eyes, so the reader gets to know him a bit more than Dante. Aristotle is surprisingly mature for a fifteen year old, and he's dealing with his own issues at home, including his father's memories of the war, and his brother's absence. Dante, on the other hand, seems to have a simpler life, with a professor for a father and, as with Aristotle, a Mexican identity.

However, this book didn't really have a plot. The whole thing seemed more like a journal written by Aristotle than a novel. There didn't seem to be any main story line besides growing up, making friends, and discovering oneself. I personally prefer books with more defined plots, lots of action, or at least a central conflict. But this book lacked these elements. Even as a contemporary novel, it was almost boring at times in comparison to other contemporary books.

The dialogue between Aristotle and Dante was, in my opinion, unrealistic. Sure, they can be mature for their age. But the way they were speaking didn't seem typical of fifteen year old boys, even mature ones. I felt like I was reading dialogue between two university students, at times. While I'm not a fan of stereotyping people, particularly based on one's age, there's no denying that the behaviors common in teenage boys generally do not include pseudo-philosophical ideas or flowery language, as observed in this novel.

I can't say too much about the ending of this book without spoiling it, but I will say that I think the ending was rushed and unrealistic as well. Very little, through Aristotle's eyes and thoughts, was expressed throughout the book to even hint that the book may end this way. Considering that it concerns a fairly important part of Aristotle's identity, I was really disappointed that the book ended this way, or, that the author failed to include any hints or ideas throughout the book that may have pointed to such an ending.

On the positive side, I will say that I appreciate that this book tackled some tough subjects such as hate crimes, and it did so pretty well. I found myself devastated when one of the characters found themself targeted by bigots, and Aristotle's descriptions of the situation really tugged at my heart.

Overall, a contemporary novel with some interesting characters, but it falls short. There was lots of potential for this book to be absolutely, five-star level amazing, but the lack of concrete plot and unrealistic dialogue took away from my reading experience.

I recommend this book to fans of young adult books, contemporary novels, and stories about friendship. ...more

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Mar 07, 2014 Luke rated it really liked it

The friendship between Ari and Dante was built with loyalty and trust—and love. Together, they go on the journey of self-discovery, like we all do. This is a coming-of-age story that shouldn't be missed. ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 L Cam rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, ya-realistic-fiction, ya-lgbtqia-themes

I really loved this book. I love how real Aristotle and Dante are in this story. It's a little bit of a coming-of-age story, but not completely. Their relationship is so unique and honest that you can't help, but get drawn into their world, or more accurately Aristotle's world as it is written from his pov. He is so relatable even as a male MC and the reader being female. The fact that details were so subtle to the MC but obvious to us and light at the same time made this a really good story. It ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Nemo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: character-centric, queer, romance, relationship, lgbtq, young-adult, friendship

I absolutely loved this book. It's such a simple story, character-centric, and not a lot happens, but, at the same time, it's thought-provoking, it's engrossing, it's highly enjoyable, and it's so full of average people and their stories, so full of love in differing forms, expressed in various ways. I fell in love with it from the first page, and I struggled to put it down between starting and finishing it. I wish there were more books like this, full of a few intriguing characters, telling a s I absolutely loved this book. It's such a simple story, character-centric, and not a lot happens, but, at the same time, it's thought-provoking, it's engrossing, it's highly enjoyable, and it's so full of average people and their stories, so full of love in differing forms, expressed in various ways. I fell in love with it from the first page, and I struggled to put it down between starting and finishing it. I wish there were more books like this, full of a few intriguing characters, telling a story, but without being the same as all the overs, re-telling the same thing over and over, just, standing apart from them.

It's sad that I can't really say I've read very many books with Mexican characters in them, but this was full of them, which I found interesting and insightful. It was nice, sweet, and although what I wanted to happen didn't really happen until the very last page, it kind of happened right at the start. Maybe if Ari had figured it out sooner, it would have been more obvious where it would end, but, like Dante, I didn't want to get my hopes up and end up a broken mess of disappointment.

Honestly, I loved all of the characters. I loved Ari, who felt so strongly he felt as though he didn't feel at all, and Dante, who loved so much and pretty much loved for everyone for as long he he could. I loved Ari's parents, both so closed off, so happy, but so sad, and their background stories that slowly trickled out the way that Ari's did. I loved Dante's parents, both so open, so happy, but also so sad, and their background stories that were more full of struggles than were apparent on first glance. Legs, I mean, who doesn't love an adorable dog with character who serves an amazing purpose? Hell, I even loved Ari's aunt Ophelia, who was cast out by her own family bar his mum and dad, unwilling break off contact with her, even if it was from afar, and the full truth of her background story that we got to discover, as Ari himself did, that also tied in and wrapped up everything with his brother. Only a handful of characters, but they were all so real, so three-dimensional, and all so interesting in that mundane kind of way, though interesting just the same. And the general theme of the whole thing, well, that's a given with me.

Despite not much happening in terms of huge events, there were so many ups and downs, to much emotional twists and turns, that I became far too invested in this book and the characters I came to adore within. It's one of those rare books that makes you want to read it to find out what happens, but then you realise you've finished and struggle to let it go, sticking with you long after. I think this is a book I will re-visit it often, and that I will always fall in love with all over again. I like this story from start to finish, and not one bit of it disappointed me. There were some really moving topics, several of which brought me to tears several times over, and most of it was because of how the characters themselves reacted.

Honestly, I don't even know what else to say, or how to best express my love for this story, but it means a lot to me to have been able to share in it, and it'll stay with me forever. Even if this isn't the kind of book someone would usually read, whatever the reason, I think it's a lovely little book to read. I also love the fact that it's set in 1987, a time when things were different from those of today, but weren't quite as bad as those that came before them. It was made up of simple characters who could appear complicated, but turned out not to be all that complex, and it was told by simple little stories that were told in dribs and drabs, yet had this huge impact. Simple characters from simpler times, but so intriguing, insightful, and kind of easy to not only empathise with everyone within, but also to relate to. I think there was a little of all of them that I myself relate to. I think I kind of envy their situations and the things that surround them at times, because even when things turned to shit, they always have each other. It's kind of nice, you know? Not something you see much of books written in the setting of today.

I recommend this to anyone who so much as glances at the cover and wonders if it's worth the read. It is. It's not a difficult read, not challenging as far as comprehension goes, but that doesn't mean it's not art, not full of beautiful things there to be studied and admired. Yeah, I recommend this to anyone who's worthy of it. And to those who see certain aspects and turn away? This book will always be too good for you, too precious. No one needs to be tainted by that. ...more

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Aug 29, 2023 Rick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awards-lambda, coming-of-age, ebooks-kindle, rickommendations, favorites, lgbtq-fiction

I LOVE this book.

Okay, so it doesn’t rain that much in El Paso. Whatever. Let’s just call it literary metaphor, literary license, whatever.

Profoundly moving story. Beautifully written.

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Jul 08, 2013 Kristy Frenken-Francis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: queer-lit, young-adult

I don't know how I will be able to review this book. It was incredible. Raw, touching, and written with so much soul, this book is a masterpiece. ...more

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