Published: February 21, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Pages: 368
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Buy this book at: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Book Depository
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is, as its title would suggest, a coming of age novel. It is a story about friendship and family, discovering your true identity and being okay with being you.
“Words were different when they lived inside of you.”
The writing is so lyrical, at times you really get lost in the world. You forget everything around you and you are left with these characters which at first may seem invisible in their surroundings, but as you read you grow with them. It is real and honest, showing exactly how much impact friendship has on everyone, what it means to lose it and how it makes you different, makes you grow up and become more open, take risks and responsibilities for the people you love.
“To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing.”You get the story from Ari's point of view. He struggles with family problems - his dad was a soldier in the Vietnam war and now he has become more like a stranger. He doesn't talk and keeps everything to himself. There are a lot of ghosts in his house - of his brother Bernardo, who is in prison and his twin sisters who think he was born "a little late".
The story is a bit slow-paced. Ari is not a very action-based character. He thinks a lot and the secrets he keeps, the things that he doesn't say out loud affect the plot. I actually liked it more that way, the tension from not knowing what will happen was missing, but I still was really interested and I couldn't put it down.
To sum it up - it is a wonderful simple story of two teenagers growing up and coming to terms with themselves and who they truly are deep inside.
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