Aristotle and
Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle is a young teenage boy who
suffers from depression and anger. His character is the complete opposite of
Dante, who is articulate and confident. These two boys with entirely different
personalities encounter each other near a swimming pool in one summer day, then
surprisingly, form an intimate relationship. They gradually discover that their
friendship is not as pure as they previously believe. In order to keep their
connection, both of them face obstacles that they need to overcome. It’s a journey
of discovering and believing each other…
The copy that I bought has four huge
stickers on it, indicating how greatly praised and accomplished this book is. I
heard tons of buzz on YouTube and Goodreads, surprisingly, there is not even a
single negative reviews or thoughts about this book. I admit that I was highly
intrigued by this book due to those positive comments. To be honest, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of
the Universe is the first LGBT-related book I have ever read. Before reading
this book, I already had a high expectation of it. The result is satisfying
because after reading it I am certain that this book is absolutely worthy of
all this attention and hype.
This coming of age story is about two young
Mexican boys develop themselves. It doesn’t contain a lot of exciting plot
twists. It is not action packed or full of excitement. All this book does is
telling a slow paced story with mellow emotions. Reading this book brings me
gentle feelings that I have never experienced before. This is completely
different from my past reading experiences that I derive from all the fantasies
or science fictions I have read. The author’s writing style makes it very easy
to read and comprehend the story. Every chapter is not lengthy while some of
the chapters are only half a page long. This makes me fly through this book in
just about two days even I was taking my midterm exams at that time period.
-Potential Spoiler
Alert!-
Now, I would like to discuss a little bit
about the plot itself. Just like what I have said before, this book is related
to self-recognition and friendship development. But there are far more issues
that are mentioned in the story which deepen the meaning it carries. From the
identities of Aristotle and Dante who are both Mexicans, readers see the racial
diversity. From Aristotle’s imprisoned brother and how he and Dante deal with
their families, readers find the profound love between their family members.
It’s not just a simple coming of age story because it also combines the
problems of race, homosexuality and family issues all together forming this
outstanding and breathtaking work of art.
My favorite character is Aristotle even
though he sometimes gets a little less appealing through the story. I feel that
it’s amazing to see how Aristotle grows as a character. He changes so much from
the beginning to the end. At first, he appears to be an inferior and not
self-assured boy who has problems with his own father. Then, as the story
progresses, he realizes his true feelings not only toward Dante but also toward
his father. Another thing that moves me is the attitude of both the parents of
Aristotle and Dante when they discover the unusual friendship between the two
boys. They are completely supportive and even encourage Aristotle to admit and
accept his true self. It’s very difficult for parents in real society to do
this to their kids considering the fact that even nowadays homosexuality is
still sort of a forbidden topic in many parts of the world. My favorite part of
the story must be the place where Aristotle confides to Dante about his long
misunderstood feeling. I cannot hold back my excitement when I read that part
and I nearly burst into tears when I read the last sentence which is “how could
I ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana”. This sentence just makes the
best conclusion I have ever seen.
Finishing reading this book, I don’t feel
sadness or despair, all I can feel is this warm satisfaction which fills up
every inch of my body. I love this book so much and cannot recommend it more. I
believe people who enjoy reading LGBTQ-related story or people who just want to
read some coming of age, self-discovery fiction with satisfying ending may
greatly enjoy this book.
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