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A review by imme_van_gorp
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
5.0
|| 5.0 stars ||
Wow. Wow. Wow. Just wow.
This was absolutely gorgeous. It’s a little difficult to explain what made this book so incredibly good, but I think it might be because it felt so vivid and so real.
The straight-forward and raw writing style was really something special. It felt poetic, yet simple. That might sound contradictory, but somehow this book made it work. It was authentic and beautiful.
Ari might be one of the best main characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. He was such a kind-hearted and sweet boy, but he carried so much weight and pain within him. He struggled, but he never took it out on anyone but himself. His depression and self-loathing were so poignant, and to see him go on his journey of healing was a stunning sight to behold. He had such an interesting personality, and the way his mind worked captivated me. He was really special. I love him with all my heart.
What made this book even better was that it somehow managed to make us understand all the side-characters on a deeper level as well. Ari had so many meaningful relationships with the people around him, even though he sometimes felt like the loneliest boy in the world. And through Ari’s relationship with those people, we got to feel them in our own hearts as well.
Ari truly had an incredibly interesting relationship with his parents. My heart broke for the fact that they all had so much love for each other, but that they simply weren’t always able to express that in the right ways.
I believe Ari’s dad loved his son so much, which made it so painful to see how his dad’s own trauma affected Ari so negatively. I think his dad’s inability to talk, to work through his emotions, to heal from his pain, was what made Ari so bad at it as well. His mother also adored her son, that much was obvious, but she clearly hurt him with the secrets she kept about her own suffering. Ari needed them to be open with him, and because they weren’t, he couldn’t be either, and thus, he kept everything inside.
This book did an amazing job at showing how much parents’ own issues can affect the way their children grow up, even when they love them and would only wish the best upon them. Good and loving parents can also do harm, and it’s important they try to do better for their children. Which Ari’s parents did, in the end: It was absolutely heartwarming.
Of course, there is also Ari’s relationship with Dante, and I’m not sure what to even say about that. Their friendship was absolutely breathtaking. We never get to read Dante’s POV, but for once, I didn’t feel like I needed it. Dante’s character was already so captivating and wonderful from Ari’s perspective, and I loved everything about the soft and gentle love between them. They were different, but exactly what the other person needed; two sides of the same beautiful coin.
'Aristotle and Dante' series:
1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - 5.0 stars
2. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World - dnf
Wow. Wow. Wow. Just wow.
This was absolutely gorgeous. It’s a little difficult to explain what made this book so incredibly good, but I think it might be because it felt so vivid and so real.
The straight-forward and raw writing style was really something special. It felt poetic, yet simple. That might sound contradictory, but somehow this book made it work. It was authentic and beautiful.
Ari might be one of the best main characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. He was such a kind-hearted and sweet boy, but he carried so much weight and pain within him. He struggled, but he never took it out on anyone but himself. His depression and self-loathing were so poignant, and to see him go on his journey of healing was a stunning sight to behold. He had such an interesting personality, and the way his mind worked captivated me. He was really special. I love him with all my heart.
What made this book even better was that it somehow managed to make us understand all the side-characters on a deeper level as well. Ari had so many meaningful relationships with the people around him, even though he sometimes felt like the loneliest boy in the world. And through Ari’s relationship with those people, we got to feel them in our own hearts as well.
Ari truly had an incredibly interesting relationship with his parents. My heart broke for the fact that they all had so much love for each other, but that they simply weren’t always able to express that in the right ways.
I believe Ari’s dad loved his son so much, which made it so painful to see how his dad’s own trauma affected Ari so negatively. I think his dad’s inability to talk, to work through his emotions, to heal from his pain, was what made Ari so bad at it as well. His mother also adored her son, that much was obvious, but she clearly hurt him with the secrets she kept about her own suffering. Ari needed them to be open with him, and because they weren’t, he couldn’t be either, and thus, he kept everything inside.
This book did an amazing job at showing how much parents’ own issues can affect the way their children grow up, even when they love them and would only wish the best upon them. Good and loving parents can also do harm, and it’s important they try to do better for their children. Which Ari’s parents did, in the end: It was absolutely heartwarming.
Of course, there is also Ari’s relationship with Dante, and I’m not sure what to even say about that. Their friendship was absolutely breathtaking. We never get to read Dante’s POV, but for once, I didn’t feel like I needed it. Dante’s character was already so captivating and wonderful from Ari’s perspective, and I loved everything about the soft and gentle love between them. They were different, but exactly what the other person needed; two sides of the same beautiful coin.
'Aristotle and Dante' series:
1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - 5.0 stars
2. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World - dnf