Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

[Sarah]

I love how subtle and clear this book was. Things happen of course, but this is a character driven book, not a plot driven book. I loved that Dante and Ari had different journeys to the same destination and that the story wasn't about what they did, but what they felt. I haven't read many books about the inner lives of boys that weren't all about the quest for sex and power.

The only thing that bothered me was that Ari's parents came to terms with his feelings for Dante before he did, which only reenforced the idea that Ari's life was written for him. I wish we got to see a little more of Ari feeling calmer and happy in his own skin, but I understand the story was about him getting there, not what happened when he got there. I am definitely going to have to read more by Sáenz. 4.75 stars.