Back in 2017, I was introduced to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I read much less English books back then, in fact I just rediscovered reading after a 6-year or whatsoever slump. However, I really loved said book and I was eagerly awaiting the sequel. This got published in fall 2021 and I immediately listened to the audiobook which was – again – narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. His narration really fits the story in my opinion. Several months later, the Dutch version of Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World got released. I immediately bought it, but never came around and read it. Untill this past pride month. This was an accident, I want to read pride books all year round. Anyway, I enjoyed this sequel as well and here is why.
About the book
- Title: Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
- Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
- Series: Aristotle and Dante #2
- Publication date: October 11, 2021
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- ISBN: 9781534496194
- Number of pages: 516
- Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.
Ari has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he can’t go back. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies of all kinds, and making his voice heard. And, always, there is Dante, dreamy, witty Dante, who can get on Ari’s nerves and fill him with desire all at once.
The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss, he’ll have to fight like never before to create a life that is truthfully, joyfully his own.
The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an achingly romantic, tender tale sure to captivate fans of Adam Silvera and Mary H.K. Choi.
My review
Before reading
To be fair, my expectations of this book were quite high. I was really anticipating this one and I also could remember a lot of the previous book. I expected both Ari and Dante to find out who they really want to be and also to complement eachother. I also hoped for both of them to grow and I was curious how their friendship and relationship would develop.
Characters
Well, on this pillar, my expectations were already met. Ari and Dante both stay true to themselves, but also grow in their personality. This is especially visible with Ari. In the previous book, he was a dreamer and quite invisible. Maybe even anxious. Some events, and him not being that isolated anymore, really let him come out of his shell more and actually made him let people into his life. He is still the dreamer he always was, but is more open to other people now. Many of his classmates state they didn’t even know who he was, untill now in their senior year. Dante also is a dreamer, but he shows some character development as well. He finds it tough that changes are coming and he doesn’t really know how to navigate through them all. Both boys get lots of support by their families which is great to witness.
Writing
Whenever you’ve read more books by this author, you willd efinitely recognise the writing style. The short chapters with often short sentences is some kind of trademark and it again works pretty well. I flew through this story quickly, even though I was listening to it. Audiobooks always take longer to finish in my experience. However, I enjoyed every minute of it and it really didn’t feel like I was reading a 500+ pages book.
Plot
This book is more character driven than plot driven. However, heavy themes such as loss, death, guilt and heartbreak are mentioned withouth the story getting too heavey. However, it’s never too lighthearted either. I think there’s a good balance between both the happy moments in life and the sad moments in life. This book is a sweet, heartwarming, comfort read but not without the hard parts of life. I think that’s one of the strongest things about this authors’ books and they make the story feel really realistic.
Final thoughts
As you can see, I really loved rereading Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. It is sweet, heartwarming and comforting without the hard parts of life being ignored. However, the book is never too heavy, nor too lighthearted. There’s a good balance between the two and that’s one of the strongest points of this authors’ work. If you haven’t read this duology yet, I really recommend you to do so.
Leave a Reply