Book Review : 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.

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First of all, I think the book cover was very pretty. The title was great. But the most important thing is, the book was AWESOME! I fall in love with this book after reading the first chapter. I knew that I have to finish it, and I did in just one day despite of the thickness of this book. It has 400++ pages but the chapters were short and the language was very simple but poetic and philosophical. The main character was a young boy who was in the process of searching himself and who he really is and found the answer after meeting a new friend. I personally like this kind of books as it makes me think a lot about life.

This book was about an emotional and lonely 15 years old boy named Aristotle (Ari), an American-Mexican in search of himself, making new friend with another boy named Dante. They have different personalities ; Ari was a bit harsh, strong and quiet while Dante was the opposite of Ari but they shared similar interests in finding the secret of the universe. They became closer and best friends until one fateful day changed everything. Ari saved Dante from an accident and Dante had to move to another city for a year or two. They exchange letters, living their life while thinking and missing each other and finally at the age of 17, Dante returned and they resumed their friendships as usual. 

I love how the writer wrote this book. It was very poetic and light. The friendship between Ari and Dante was super amazing and I nearly cried at the end. The ending was perfect. The book was also about family, grief, love, innocence of young adults and puberty. I was never a fan of contemporary books but I just can't get my hands off this book and I was really sad when the book has ended. I wish this book has a sequel about Ari and Dante in college or work and how their relationship expands and how they faced the stigma from the society. This book was definitely about homosexuality so it might not attract some readers who doesn't like this genre.

I love this book a lot and I give this book 5 stars (out of 5).