In the wake of the terrible attack against the LGBT+ community at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and after recently finishing season 3 of The 100, I wanted to read something fun, light, cute, and most importantly, a book where LGBT+ characters got the happy ending they deserve. Of course, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is not the only such book, but it is the first book of that kind which I read, and thus it holds a special place in my heart.
I was originally drawn towards Ari and Dante when I heard about it from some booktubers a few years ago. I had little to none knowledge about the plot, I just knew it was hugely popular and that the cover was insanely pretty, so I decided I should take a chance on it. And boy, am I glad I did; Sáenz's writing style is exquisite and all of the characters are well-developed. Ari's and Dante's friendship progresses slowly into something more rather than being just another cliched insta-love story. Furthermore, the story deals with themes of mental illness and adolescence in a very relatable way.
In my opinion Ari and Dante stood up really well for re-reading, I was just as immersed in the story the second time around as I had been when I first read it. I highly recommend picking this book up if you can get your hands on it.
-Laura
I was originally drawn towards Ari and Dante when I heard about it from some booktubers a few years ago. I had little to none knowledge about the plot, I just knew it was hugely popular and that the cover was insanely pretty, so I decided I should take a chance on it. And boy, am I glad I did; Sáenz's writing style is exquisite and all of the characters are well-developed. Ari's and Dante's friendship progresses slowly into something more rather than being just another cliched insta-love story. Furthermore, the story deals with themes of mental illness and adolescence in a very relatable way.
In my opinion Ari and Dante stood up really well for re-reading, I was just as immersed in the story the second time around as I had been when I first read it. I highly recommend picking this book up if you can get your hands on it.
-Laura
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