Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I give Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz: ☆☆☆☆☆

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.


My overall thought: The perfect coming of age story.


The Plot: This book was one of those story's that didn't really have a strict plot to it.  
Most contemporary books usually have this type of plot which I don't love, but it really  suited this story. The pacing was easy and slow which I found enjoyable for this story.


The Writing: The writing has to be my favorite part of this book. It reminded me a lot of John Green's writing because it was very poetic in a way but still very simple. The simplicity of it was one of the things that really drew me in. There were so many lines that I loved and really connected to me. The dialogue was amazingly written.

If I had to describe this book and its writing in one word, it would be emotional. 

The idea that everyone is fighting a war in them can not be any more truer.


The Characters: The character development was great. I think each character in this book was so grounded and just real and that really comforted me. 

Aristotle is probably the only character I've ever read about, that I can fully relate to. His internal conflict is so deep and is something that I think a lot of people go through , especially teens, when they're not quite sure who they are or who they want to be.  He's just another kid struggling with the fact that this is his life and he doesn't know what there is to it and what to feel or what to say at the right time. His emotions and his feelings are something that just impacts him.

I was really convinced that this was his story. 

Aristotle's and Dante's relationship was beautifully written. Each time you read something about these two boys, you love them even more. I can honestly say that I loved them. I miss them. 

There were many great background characters which really just ground the story more. These two main characters just balance each other out and as they begin learning things about the other, they start learning things about themselves. I easily fell in love with their parents as well. If I could meet all of these characters, I would just give them a hug.

The characters are so flawed. And their stories are so real. And it's like you know what they're going through and you've really lived the world through their eyes. 

In the End:  I would recommend this book for those who enjoy contemporary and for those who enjoy reflecting back on life.  I recommend this book for everyone. This is one of those books you won;t regret picking up. Poetically written with rich characters and a beautiful story. The book as a whole was just so believable and so legitimate and words just can't describe it.

This book was just pure and real.