First published: 2012
Pages: 368
Source: Own book
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.
Thoughts: Sáenz perfectly crafts a unique and raw story about friendship, identity, and most importantly, self-acceptance. As a 15 year old boy of Mexican heritage, with a brother in prison and an emotionally fractured father, Aristotle was an interesting protagonist to follow. The story, from Aristotle’s point of view, is a refreshing and raw account of coming to terms with self-identity and most importantly, acceptance. From the very first encounter, reader’s discover that Aristotle’s heritage is one of significance to him yet a one he tries to exclude himself from. This element of heritage, and of Mexican stereotypes in particular, is one which Aristotle finds challenging throughout the entire novel and one which I found personally fascinating. Aristotle is a cynical, yet curious, character and his narrative is filled with questions and comparisons to greater perspectives.
Running parallel to Aristotle’s Mexican heritage and family life is his friendship with Dante. Ari and Dante meet when they are fifteen, during a summer of utter boredom, and their friendship is narrated over the course of a couple of years. Their friendship is a balancing act: sweet and tender, playful and serious, full of intellectual interactions and questioning about life, the universe and everything. It is a beautiful story of friendship – although their friendship does eventually develop into an awesome romantic relationship that comes from falling in love with a person you already love so much. I like just-friends story and they are so important but Ari and Dante’s friends-to-lovers story felt so right there is no resentment from this reader.
Aristotle and Dante is a smart, intelligent, engaging coming-of-age story and a deep, thoughtful exploration of identity and sexuality. This book positively deals with stereotypes, with sexuality, and with bullying. It’s raw, unique, and utterly wonderful. My rating: ★★★★★
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