Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz | AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

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In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.

Ari has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he can’t go back. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies of all kinds, and making his voice heard. And, always, there is Dante, dreamy, witty Dante, who can get on Ari’s nerves and fill him with desire all at once.

The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss, he’ll have to fight like never before to create a life that is truthfully, joyfully his own.

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz | AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

There is nobody that writes books quite like Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

And because of it, this is one book I would recommend to anyone, no matter of age or sex. Aristotle and Dante’s story is something special. A one of a kind novel, with a one of a kind narrator – Lin-Manuel Miranda.

I listened to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe in 2020 and must admit that I was intimidated by it. Not just by its success, but also by how much everyone seemed to love it. It took me much too long to pick it up, but when I finally read it, I understood! It was so obvious why this book was so beloved. Why it spoke to everyone who read it.

It’s not just because of the way the author tells this story. Although his writing is beautiful, and a bit philosophical too and I don’t have a philosophical bone in my body. But the story itself is timeless, touching and moving.

Compared to the first book, this sequal had a much stronger focus on the AIDS pandemic, and the fear that came with it. A fear of not knowing what happened and not having a cure. It was at a time of fear and anxiety not only in the gay community. And it broke my heart!!!

After I finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe I didn’t feel like it needed a sequel, but I was happy to read more about them. And now more than ever, I want to find out what happens to Ari and Dante when they are adults. In the end this book was as enjoyable as the first one, I just love these two and I’m glad I got another book about them.

So, if you haven’t read about Ari and Dante yet, don’t wait anymore. Grab yourself a copy or even better listen to the audiobook, and get pulled into a story that is poignant, touching, and just magical!!

FOUR STARS

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Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz | AUDIOBOOK REVIEW