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

“Mature. Man. What exactly did those words mean anyway?”

Benjamin Alire Saenz’s first novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, is a-coming-of-age young adult novel about family and friendship where a special bond and separation lead to discovering of one’s self.

Aristotle meets Dante during summer, both opposites even on the perspective of life. Dante is eloquent as Ari is a boy of few words. They develop a strong bond where both try to discover the secrets of the universe, or even themselves.

Benjamin Alire Saenz wrote the story in Aristotle’s POV, where he captured a 15-year old’s angst who actually has a lot in his mind, but doesn’t really express himself much. Teenagers and who had been teenagers would resonate on either Ari’s reserved, unexpressive character or Dante’s artistic, carefree character.  

Even if Saenz wrote the book in Ari’s POV, it doesn’t necessarily focus on his own and Dante’s

google.com

character development, but also with the people surrounding them. It would feel like you’re getting a 360-degree perspective of the characters in his POV alone. Its fast paced and at the same time, you couldn’t really pinpoint what the whole book is all about until you read from chapter to chapter.

Ari and Dante show us how it’s like to go through a phase of an adolescent, not only in a perspective of someone struggling to accept his/her sexuality, but also with one’s identity as a whole person.  

Reading in Ari’s POV would also feel like you are somehow growing together with him in the book. The book shows what most of us are going through or had gone through as what Ari and Dante have as adolescents. From the frustration of being an adolescent to the resolution of becoming someone you never thought could be as you go through the process of discovering not only yourself, but also of what and who surrounds you.

Though, adolescents who are at the peak of their own youth can resonate more with the story, especially those who are still discovering or struggling with their sexuality. While in my case, since I’m an adult now, I feel like I’m looking at my past self in some ways with Ari or Dante, reminding me of my own youth and the questions in my head like they both have.

“Everyone was always becoming someone else. Sometimes, when you were older, you become someone younger. And me, I felt old. How can a guy who’s about to turn seventeen feel old?”

google.com

The moment I heard about this book from a friend, I thought I should have it. When I first bought it, the book title and cover was what really enticed me. I thought it was going to be a real, heavy dramatic book given its cover, but it was rather a heartwarming story which I didn’t expect.

Almost halfway to the story, I was really bent on selling the book but when I finally got to really sit down on it and finish in one sitting, I realized that this is a gem after all. Even if I resonated with it in a different way than some who might get really invested with their emotions reading it, I could say that it had a light effect on me. Maybe because I was reading as if I was seeing my past self on Ari, who couldn’t express himself that much but learns to discover more when he decided to finally open up over time.

Beyond the story of family and friendship, a subtle, non-provoking take on mental health, race and sexuality are being put into light without really romanticizing it. It gives us a message on how people, especially the family, could partake to one’s acceptance of his/her sexuality and individuality. At the same time, learning how to accept changes while integrating parts of the self as you open yourself more to others.

I give this book a 4.5 rating. I’m not really a fan of books involving LGBT stories (though I love the people from the LGBT community in real life), I didn’t even finish Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (Love, Simon) and stopped just halfway. However, this book really blew me away and gave me a heartwarming ending that quite lingers after reading.

So for those who would love to read coming of age young adult books that involve stories with non-provoking approach regarding sensitive topics like mental health or sexuality, then this book is for you.

“Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer morning could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.”

Writer,

Thin Girl