Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

· Sold by Simon and Schuster
4.7
784 reviews
Ebook
368
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria!
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.

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.

Ratings and reviews

4.7
784 reviews
Sam Kibby
August 13, 2014
I finished it in one setting. The first time Ive ever done that. I loved how the name actually fit into the story in more of an emotional and nonliteral way. They discover the secrets of their universes. They drank, smoked, and explored their sexuality, which I think really made them discover more about themselves and each other and it really furthered their relationship in an odd way. Ultimately I would recommend this to everyone, even homophobic people. It might help them understand that its not by choice
2 people found this review helpful
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Buddy Hatfield
July 9, 2014
A very readable coming of age tale involving two fifteen-year-olds, Ari (Aristotle) and Dante. The author follows their friendship up through their senior year of high school, exploring themes of family, culture and identity. Ari, the likeable narrator, is brooding, reserved and so well drawn that, by comparison, the ending of the book falls flat, at least for me, as it seems unnecessarily abrupt and tidy for a story that spends many pages carefully developing the teenage angst and self doubt he feels.
28 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
August 11, 2014
It's a decent book. Gets a bit philosophical at moments, which gives you good food for thought. It was an enjoyable read but it definitely didn't ruin my life for weeks afterwards like the Song of Achilles.
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About the author

Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He was the first Hispanic winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and a recipient of the American Book Award for his books for adults. He is the author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpré Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, and its sequel, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He lives in El Paso, Texas.

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