He expected his senior year to be the same. 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.Īri has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Could end in lightning and thunder.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. The clearest summer morning could end in a downpour. I thoroughly enjoyed it.Īnother secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. This is a novel about growing up, the pain and the wonder of it, and would be a good read for children who may be struggling with confused feelings about parents, family, sexuality, friendship and their place in the world. It is a charming and joyful read, not overt about the sexuality issue, just, celebrating it, treating it as a normal thing, which is refreshing. This book is billed as a ‘love story’, albeit a slow one, so you can probably work out where it all ends without me spelling it out! It is not graphic, however, so would be suitable for 13/14 year olds. Ari’s reaction is extreme and the events throw him into a deep depression. A crisis point is reached when Dante is hospitalised after a brutal attack by a group of boys who find him kissing another male. It becomes increasingly clear that Dante is in love with Ari. Ari meanwhile is having a more difficult time: he learns to drive, experiments with alcohol and girls, feels lonely and becomes increasingly frustrated by his family’s secrets and their inability to be open.įor a few minutes I wished that Dante and I lived in the universe of boys instead of the universe of almost-men.ĭante and his family return to El Paso and the two boys manage to pick up where they left off even though both have been through a huge amount of growing up in the time they have been apart. He also learns that he is attracted to boys and whilst he is relatively at ease with this, he is worried about disappointing his parents. It is a tumultuous year for them both: Dante at first loves all that Chicago has to offer, the bright lights of the big city, but soon misses El Paso and his friend. ![]() This part of the book is mainly narrated by Ari so we know what is happening with him through the first person. They write to each other, or rather, Dante writes and Ari receives. The boys are separated for a year when Dante’s father takes up a posting at a university in Chicago. The accident also brings the boys’ parents together and a process of transformation for both families begins. This results in several injuries to himself. Their bond is sealed when Ari saves Dante’s life in a freak road accident. ![]() Neither finds it particularly easy to make friends, but they see qualities in each other that perhaps their peers miss. The novel is set in the 1980s.ĭespite their differences, the two boys develop a close bond. Also, Ari’s father is a Vietnam veteran, a closed man, unable to talk about his war experiences. Ari has an older brother whom he has not seen since he was four years old because he is in prison, for reasons he does not know and which his family never discusses. Ari is the fourth and youngest child of somewhat more troubled parents. He is bright, quirky, bookish and artistic. The two are very different characters: Dante is the only child of academic parents. ![]() ![]() Ari cannot swim so Dante offers to teach him. Dante Quintana and Aristotle (Ari) Mendoza are two Mexican-American teenage boys who meet at a swimming pool where they live in El Paso, Texas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |