Quite possibly one of the most intimate and sensitive books I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," delivers a character-driven plot that discovers whole heartedly the mind of a young boy. Written by Benjamin Alire Saenz, the book follows Aristotle, a young Mexican-American boy as he comes of age, and how he discovers who he is, including his sexuality. Ari, as he calls himself, is already beginning to experience the changes in his body, with his voice and with his attitude. By befriending a boy named Dante, the two discover things about themselves and Ari's identity begins to unfold.
This novel hits huge topics, one of the most important being sexuality. Ari's self-discovery process involves understanding his queerness and understanding his romantic feelings towards Dante. Dante, however, was already sure of himself and who he is attracted to. While Ari struggled to understand what he was going through, Dante urged him to figure out those feelings and to actually feel them, rather than to push them further down. Sexuality is simultaneously understood as a big thing that queer kids struggle to accept, and also a normal everyday thing since it is seen from both Ari and Dante's perspectives.
Also not often touched upon in modern young adult literature, Saenz hits straight on the idea of intersectionality; Ari discovers his queer identity while also dealing with his Mexican culture and identity. At the beginning of the story, Ari is just starting to go through puberty and becoming a man, and questioning himself and who he is, not only with his sexuality but also with his attitudes. He becomes uncomfortable with his body, with his body hair, shaving, and his attractions. Ari's self-discovery has so much to do with not only his sexuality but rather understanding his own culture and who he can become. Saenz' novel does a great job of showing a story of a queer Mexican-American boy, someone whose stories aren't often shared.
Earning itself the Stonewall Book Award and the Michael L. Printz Award, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" is an incredibly important LGBTQIA+ novel showing the experiences of people who aren't often shared. Ari's story is an important one, and important to not only the people who share the experience but also to cis heterosexual teens who can read the story to better understand and normalize the queer experience.Please note that all items are in stock as of the time of publication. As an Amazon Associate, Odyssey may earn a portion of qualifying sales.
