Young Adult

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-10-12 01:50:58
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Benjamin Alire Sáenz
  • ISBN：153449619X
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Summary

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。

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。

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Reviews

Eve ，

*PTERODACTYL SCREECH* IT'S THIS MONTHHHHHHH *PTERODACTYL SCREECH* IT'S THIS MONTHHHHHHH 。。。more

alli ，

just like the first one， this book is amazing。 the writing is so beautiful， and this highly anticipated sequel does an incredible job describing the ups and downs of love， and how it is to love and be queer in a world that doesn’t always love you as much as you love it。 additionally， set against the background of the aids crisis， it all is layered so well and is just so beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect。 highly highly recommend！！fav quote （out of many）: “to live and never understand the st just like the first one， this book is amazing。 the writing is so beautiful， and this highly anticipated sequel does an incredible job describing the ups and downs of love， and how it is to love and be queer in a world that doesn’t always love you as much as you love it。 additionally， set against the background of the aids crisis， it all is layered so well and is just so beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect。 highly highly recommend！！fav quote （out of many）: “to live and never understand the strange and beautiful mysteries of the human heart is to make a tragedy of our lives。” 。。。more

Lisa Welch ，

3。5 stars。 I have been super excited for this one since I loved the first book in the series （probably in no small part to the audio narration by Lin Manuel Miranda）。 I enjoyed this sequel， but it in no way compared to the first book in the series。 My favorite part of this book is the relationships that Ari develops throughout the story （Susie， Gina， Cassandra， his mom and dad）， but overall the character development was weaker and I just was not as invested in what was happening to everyone。 The 3。5 stars。 I have been super excited for this one since I loved the first book in the series （probably in no small part to the audio narration by Lin Manuel Miranda）。 I enjoyed this sequel， but it in no way compared to the first book in the series。 My favorite part of this book is the relationships that Ari develops throughout the story （Susie， Gina， Cassandra， his mom and dad）， but overall the character development was weaker and I just was not as invested in what was happening to everyone。 The plot was meh in many places， and places where it could really have taken off （visiting Bernando）， it just fell short （and there were some things that happened that straight up ticked me off）。 In addition， the thing that bothered me the most was the way the teens talked。。。。。it felt too adult and too enlightened to really feel true to the characters and that age group。 If you read the first book， I definitely think you need to read this one， but do not set the bar as high or you will be disappointed。 。。。more

Carlynn ，

I GIVE THIS BOOK 4。5 STARS。 KINDA SPOILERS。 ok so i LOVE ari so much。 i feel like he truly doesn’t know his self worth， but throughout the book we can see him grow into a person that we all love。 dante， not so much。 i feel like his character just gets worse throughout the book。 by the end， i was pulling for them to break up and stay broken up。 i loved dante so much in the first book， but in the second book he just doesn’t compare。 he’s lost all of his wit and charm and just turned into an ass。 a I GIVE THIS BOOK 4。5 STARS。 KINDA SPOILERS。 ok so i LOVE ari so much。 i feel like he truly doesn’t know his self worth， but throughout the book we can see him grow into a person that we all love。 dante， not so much。 i feel like his character just gets worse throughout the book。 by the end， i was pulling for them to break up and stay broken up。 i loved dante so much in the first book， but in the second book he just doesn’t compare。 he’s lost all of his wit and charm and just turned into an ass。 ari’s growth with self love and confidence is astonishing and powerful and i LOVED to see it。 he learns to love himself， his family， and his friends around him。 WE LOVE CASSANDRA IN THIS HOUSE！！ his friends are to die for and i love seeing their development and their support of ari。 overall， this book is good and i enjoyed reading it， but it pissed me off in some sections。 well let me rephrase that， DANTE PISSED ME OFF。 we really see a different side of him， and i didn’t like it。 he’s always been a smart-ass， but i hate how he always views himself as so much smarter than ari。 ari isn’t perfect， but at least he tries to be better and love himself。 TW FOR TRANSPHOBIA， HOMOPHOBIA， HOMOPHOBIC SLURS， AND SLIGHT BIPHOBIA BEFORE READING 。。。more

Llywelyn Seager-Pascoe ，

Beautiful， heartbreaking and moving in all the best possible ways。 Sáenz is a master of soothing something deep inside of you that you didn’t even realize was hurting。 This book is a bit about the secrets of life， about grief and growth， and entirely about love。“Everyone has stories to tell。 My dad had them。 My mom had them。 And I had them。 Stories were living inside us。 I think we were born to tell our stories。 After we died， our stories would survive。 Maybe it was our stories that fed the univ Beautiful， heartbreaking and moving in all the best possible ways。 Sáenz is a master of soothing something deep inside of you that you didn’t even realize was hurting。 This book is a bit about the secrets of life， about grief and growth， and entirely about love。“Everyone has stories to tell。 My dad had them。 My mom had them。 And I had them。 Stories were living inside us。 I think we were born to tell our stories。 After we died， our stories would survive。 Maybe it was our stories that fed the universe the energy it needed to keep on giving life。 Maybe all we were meant to do on this earth was to keep on telling stories。 Our stories—and the stories of people we loved。” 。。。more

Jinke ，

6/5。 Benjamin Alire Sáenz does it again

Josie ，

This book tackled a lot of important topics， especially the Aids pandemic in the 80s。 Watching Aristotle learn about himself， while dealing with the challenges that come with being gay， was equally heartbreaking and heart warming。 Throughout the story， Aristotle and Dante learn to rely on one another and still be individuals。 I love the focus on family in this book， especially when Ari's dad passed away。 Overall， I found this book to be magical and beautiful。 The narration of the audiobook was s This book tackled a lot of important topics， especially the Aids pandemic in the 80s。 Watching Aristotle learn about himself， while dealing with the challenges that come with being gay， was equally heartbreaking and heart warming。 Throughout the story， Aristotle and Dante learn to rely on one another and still be individuals。 I love the focus on family in this book， especially when Ari's dad passed away。 Overall， I found this book to be magical and beautiful。 The narration of the audiobook was spot on and I hope we get more books in this series。 。。。more

Emilie ，

Happy to have a sequel to the amazing first book but I felt quite a few of the metaphors were super belabored which stalked the book a bit for me。

Kelly MC ，

😢

––––•（-•The Insomniac Book Hoarder•- ，

~~~~~~~Given an e-copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~~~~~~~"We will always live between exile and belonging" - this quote from the book irrevocably summarises the whole amazing story in one sentence。 As I had stated earlier with the first book's review， I had received a copy of this e-arc even before having read the foundation that was Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe。 The reason I had requested for a copy， is largely due to amazing word of mo ~~~~~~~Given an e-copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~~~~~~~"We will always live between exile and belonging" - this quote from the book irrevocably summarises the whole amazing story in one sentence。 As I had stated earlier with the first book's review， I had received a copy of this e-arc even before having read the foundation that was Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe。 The reason I had requested for a copy， is largely due to amazing word of mouth via social media and， my goodness did it not disappoint。 So， I immediately ordered a copy of the first book， smashed the book in almost a single sitting and cried near the end。 I immediately started reading the second one （this） in August。 Suffice to say that I had finished this book just today on the 8th of October 2021， just a few minutes before time had ran out from my NetGalley shelf。 Don't ask me why it took me that long， I could give you both answers- answer 1; I was still high from the first book and possibly did not think that its sequel would be able to measure up ， or it could also be that it was too good of a story to just smash read within a single seating and figured reading it in two months （under pressure） was a much better option。 This book was an anticipated sequel of Aristotle and Dante's red string of fate; what happens once you have confessed to wanting， yearning， loving a person from the same gender， But， this book is more than a YA book， more than a lgbtq+ book， more than a romance book， it encompasses and explores what it is to be a human being in its entirety- its perfection， vulnerability， flaws and growth。 Ari and Dante have officially started dating and have come out to both of their family - they are met with respect and unquestionable love （Mendozas and the Quintana family are what every family should aspire to be）。 Ari is slowly coming to terms with his sexuality， his relationship with his parents， his hang ups with his older brother and his self identity。The book is a love story， not just the romantic kind， but a story about love of family， love of pets， love of new found friends and love of oneself。 It is written in such simple terms that it cannot be misunderstood， but so profound that it hits you right in the feels。 There is racism， but there is also acceptance; There is loss， but there is also new beginnings and much more room for growth。 The book is balanced in its delivery， as is life if we look at it closely。 Did this book fare better or worse that its predecessor？ Only the reader can tell， but I felt like it was a fantastic sequel that made me appreciate Ari more as a human being and the world view of someone not so different from myself， it is relatable and unflinchingly real in its deliver。 It is not a happily ever after， life is not a fairytale， but live in the moment and that moment can be' Happy for now'。 You make the choice， just like Ari did in the end。 I leave you with some of my favourite quotes from the book- "A lot of people don't know how to think at all- they just know how to feel"。"A man who loves another man does not matter because he is not a man- and his paintings poems and whatever he thinks or says or feels do not matter。 That is what people believe， those are lies， and I do not believe any of those lies。 So I became an artist and a poet so I could paint and write the things that mattered- even if they only mattered to me。 And that is the only thing that matters"。"If we're very lucky。 If we're very lucky， the universe will send us the people we need to survive"。"He's my son， Susie。 Jaime and I have always believed that a parent holds a sacred office。 And we will never abdicate or resign from that office just because things get difficult"。 "No one asks to be born。 And no one wants to die。 We don't bring ourselves into the world， and when its time for us to leave， the decision will not be ours to make。 But what we do with the time in between the day we are born and the day we die， this is what constitutes a human life。 You will have to make choices- and those choices will map out the shape and course of your life。 We are all cartographers- all of us。 We all want to write our names on the map of the world"。 。。。more

Igraine ，

I don't know whether this was due to a mistake from our supplier in The Netherlands， but I recieved the book yesterday and I finished it last night。 So。 Ari is still moody and overthinking everything and Dante still is unpredictable。Now that Ari knows that he's gay， he suddenly is much better able to connect with people， not only his parents and friends Gina and Susie （who actually are the sweetest， most loyal friends you can imagine）， but also his classmates and his teachers。 His father， who st I don't know whether this was due to a mistake from our supplier in The Netherlands， but I recieved the book yesterday and I finished it last night。 So。 Ari is still moody and overthinking everything and Dante still is unpredictable。Now that Ari knows that he's gay， he suddenly is much better able to connect with people， not only his parents and friends Gina and Susie （who actually are the sweetest， most loyal friends you can imagine）， but also his classmates and his teachers。 His father， who started opening up at the end of the last book， has found his voice and Ari and he have a lot of in-depth conversations。Ari still worries a lot。 He often is ashamed of being gay and he thinks a lot about the AIDS-pandemic， about how the world sees gay people。Ari has grown up really fast and it is emphasized a lot。 People continually tell him he is no longer a boy and sometimes Ari agrees。 He's kind and sweet， even makes new friends。 I feel like the change in Ari's behaviour is a bit much。 I know he's really happy and he loves Dante so much， but his personality is really changed， almost 180 degrees。 Smart aleck in class， talking a lot， going to parties。 The brooding and the dreams are still there， but more subdued。 I hardly feel like such a personality change can happen in a few days， but it doesn't make Ari an unrealistic character。 It just takes some time getting used to。 He is， like I said， still moody， and his friends keep being wary of him。Ari also （finally） finds his voice as a writer， which gives him opportunities to think about the future and what he wants to do when he goes to college。The problems Ari encountered in book one were mostly centered around Ari， Dante， their love and their families。 In this book， broader issues like the AIDS-pandemic， feminism and racism are tackled。 Due to finally opening up to the world， Ari has become more politically aware。 This gives the book a very different atmosphere than the first book， less oppressing and irksome， more open。The loss Ari sustaines is a bit predictable。 At first， I wasn't able to connect with Ari when he's confronted by his loss。 I felt like he was too emotionally distant， not all there。 But that was probably because the loss had to sink in。 A few pages later， I did shed a few tears when Ari is overcome by grief。The book is oddly paced。 Sometimes， things happen so fast you get the feeling you missed a couple of pages， sometimes things go slow， because Ari thinks about it so much， but this doesn't get in the way of the story。I know BAS has been accused of transphobia， but I feel like he's trying to redeem himself in this book。 But， since I am not trans， I can not judge if this is done in the right way and if it is done sufficiently。All in all， this is a really happy book。 The warmth， the love， it's brimming over the pages and it fills your heart with joy to be with Ari and Dante again。 。。。more

Jenesy Gabrielle ，

I really enjoyed this， especially for a sequel to a book that didn’t really need a sequel。 It was very sweet and has beautiful imagery。 It went to places thematically that the first book didn’t go。 Overall it’s definitely worth the read especially if you enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe。

noor ，

10/7/2021: Oh my god yes yes THERE'S A SEQUEL AND THE TITLE IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE COVER IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND I AM READY TO SOB！！！ 10/7/2021: Oh my god yes yes THERE'S A SEQUEL AND THE TITLE IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE COVER IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND I AM READY TO SOB！！！ 。。。more

Rafael Andrade ，

This is the most beautiful book I`ve read this year。 It is Delicate， profound， and it is love in its purest state。 Poetry in the shape of a story that will warm， destroy， and mend your heart。 Release date: October 12th， 2021 This is the most beautiful book I`ve read this year。 It is Delicate， profound， and it is love in its purest state。 Poetry in the shape of a story that will warm， destroy， and mend your heart。 Release date: October 12th， 2021 。。。more

Amy Kett ，

This book was sweet。 Sometimes it got sweet bordering on cheesy， but I feel like the queer boys deserve a little dopey， cheesy goodness now and again。 Lin Manuel Miranda's narration is exceptional to the surprize of exactly no one。 If you liked the first Dante & Ari book， you definitely want to pick this one up。 This book was sweet。 Sometimes it got sweet bordering on cheesy， but I feel like the queer boys deserve a little dopey， cheesy goodness now and again。 Lin Manuel Miranda's narration is exceptional to the surprize of exactly no one。 If you liked the first Dante & Ari book， you definitely want to pick this one up。 。。。more

winds ，

This will be my joker

H。 ，

So， so beautiful。 this was a wonderful continuation of one of my all-time favorite books。 The writing was lovely like expected。 The continuation of relationships introduced in the first book and the introduction of new characters was the highlight。 My only complaints are that it was so long。 While everything was impactful and important some things could have been cut or really just split into two books。 idk but so much happened in these 500+ pages。 Also， the characters are so sincere。 It felt li So， so beautiful。 this was a wonderful continuation of one of my all-time favorite books。 The writing was lovely like expected。 The continuation of relationships introduced in the first book and the introduction of new characters was the highlight。 My only complaints are that it was so long。 While everything was impactful and important some things could have been cut or really just split into two books。 idk but so much happened in these 500+ pages。 Also， the characters are so sincere。 It felt like everything everyone said had to be poetic and meaningful and that was a lot。 Everyone felt more like real people in this book （imo） so those really sincere moments were awkward。 I'm mainly just happy that this book and Ari and Dante's relationship and love exist for queer kids to read。 the first book meant so much to baby gay Hope and this book means the world to me now。 <3333 。。。more

Ali Schanbacher Brand ，

“I was also learning that loving someone was different from falling in love with them。”Such a beautiful book about about living and loving。 I’m so happy this book exists。

Kristen ，

Edelweiss+ provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This was a JOURNEY。 *sob*I forgot so much about Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe （although， in my defense， I read it almost 10 years ago）。 I forgot this was historical （1980's AIDS crisis）。 I forgot how quirky Dante is。 I forgot how beautiful Aristotle's soul is。 I forgot how amazing both sets of parents are。 I forgot how absolutely BREATHTAKING Benjamin Alire Sáenz's writing is。 I mean。。。so many t Edelweiss+ provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This was a JOURNEY。 *sob*I forgot so much about Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe （although， in my defense， I read it almost 10 years ago）。 I forgot this was historical （1980's AIDS crisis）。 I forgot how quirky Dante is。 I forgot how beautiful Aristotle's soul is。 I forgot how amazing both sets of parents are。 I forgot how absolutely BREATHTAKING Benjamin Alire Sáenz's writing is。 I mean。。。so many times I had to just stop reading and stare off into space thinking about how lovely something was。 *sigh*Some readers aren't going to like this because it's a bit of a meandering story with no real conflict to focus on。 We mostly watch as Aristotle comes slowly out of his shell and learns about himself， his love for Dante， his relationship with his father， and the demons he fights regarding his brother。 We watch him finally make friends， find his voice。。。and It。 Is。 Everything。Seriously。。。this could have gone on for 200 more pages and it still probably wouldn't have been enough for me。 Can we just get books that follow Ari and Dante throughout the rest of their lives？ 。。。more

Marv ，

Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana… two of the most beautiful boys in literary history…

Sammy Berrie ，

I was lucky enough to receive this ARC ebook， and am so glad it made its way into my hands。 The short chapters help make this 500+ page book fly by， and before you know it you’ll find yourself wanting more。

I often go back to my copy of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and review quotes and passages I had highlighted， and can confidently say that this book was the same。 Saenz has this way of taking an average thought and turning it into a beautiful bit of poetry。 Without I was lucky enough to receive this ARC ebook， and am so glad it made its way into my hands。 The short chapters help make this 500+ page book fly by， and before you know it you’ll find yourself wanting more。

I often go back to my copy of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and review quotes and passages I had highlighted， and can confidently say that this book was the same。 Saenz has this way of taking an average thought and turning it into a beautiful bit of poetry。 Without even realizing it I had highlighted a quote from almost every page。 

This story follows the new couple， Ari and Dante， as they discover what it’s like to love and be loved in a world that doesn’t show them much love at all。 Ari goes a little beyond his love for Dante in this book and discovers a deeper love and appreciation for not only his parents， but for his growing group of friends and even a few teachers。 

Where at times I did find the young love trope was pushed a little too far， I couldn’t help myself from smiling at the growth in character that Ari displayed。 I’ve never met anyone like him and wish for the opportunity to in my future。 

The AIDS pandemic was a large theme throughout this novel， as was the fight for equal rights for women。 Saenz often refers to a line stating that everyone sees the deaths from AIDS as a number， but each of those numbers represents a human being; and I think that is a way of seeing things that will stick with me。If I look at this story as just a love story between two boys I feel underwhelmed， but once I broaden my perspective and see it as a story about love in general it becomes so much more。 
If you haven’t read anything by Saenz before- I highly recommend reading Aristotle and Dante’s stories and pre-ordering this one ！ 。。。more

Quinn D ，

I didn’t enjoy this book。 I liked the first book， but it was far out of my comfort zone。 The characters were so sensitive and all about finding themselves。 I like serious books， but every sentence from this entire book feels like it’s precisely made to sound more complex than you think it is。 It feels even the lighthearted things in this book had a deeper meaning I didn’t want to have to question。 （Idek if that makes sense）

Amanda Shepard （Between-the-Shelves） ，

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review！ I remember loving Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe back when it came out， so I was excited to dive into this one。 Especially because it has an absolutely gorgeous cover！This book picks up pretty much where the first one left off， if I remember correctly。 It’s been quite a while since I read the first book。 What’s great about these books are definitely the characters。 Like Ari， you’ll fall in Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review！ I remember loving Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe back when it came out， so I was excited to dive into this one。 Especially because it has an absolutely gorgeous cover！This book picks up pretty much where the first one left off， if I remember correctly。 It’s been quite a while since I read the first book。 What’s great about these books are definitely the characters。 Like Ari， you’ll fall in love with Dante， his quirky personality， the way he doesn’t seem to care what other people think。 The side characters are also well developed， creating a cast you’re sure to fall in love with。However， this book is very slow moving。 Usually， I’m fine with slow moving books， but I just had a hard time getting into this narrative。 Maybe it’s because it’s been too long since I read the first book。 I don’t know。 I’m not sure this book needs to be as long as it is， as pieces of the plot definitely feel like they drag a bit。 There are beautiful moments， and I wish we had more of a chance to focus on those。Despite the length， there are absolutely lyrical moments throughout the book。 I do wish we got to see more of Dante throughout the book， as this is definitely more focused on Ari’s journey。 But， if you loved the first book， I’m sure you’ll be just as hooked in this one。 。。。more

Andie ，

4。5*

Teri ，

With the highest recommendations from book club friends， I listened to the first book in this series over the summer， and then was ecstatic when I received an ARC of this highly anticipated sequel。These boys grabbed my heart in the first book and didn’t let go – Ari， who would rather spend time with his dog than anyone else while pondering the meaning of life， and Dante， a born romantic who wears his heart on his sleeve。 They squeezed my heart even tighter this time around and even shattered it With the highest recommendations from book club friends， I listened to the first book in this series over the summer， and then was ecstatic when I received an ARC of this highly anticipated sequel。These boys grabbed my heart in the first book and didn’t let go – Ari， who would rather spend time with his dog than anyone else while pondering the meaning of life， and Dante， a born romantic who wears his heart on his sleeve。 They squeezed my heart even tighter this time around and even shattered it at times。 This novel is set in the eighties when the AIDS epidemic made headlines every day – when two teenage boys tragically had to hide their sexuality because it wasn’t safe for them to admit they were gay。“My love for him is silent。 There are a thousand things living in that silence。”Fortunately， these two have a strong support system in their parents and a few select friends。 That doesn’t mean they don’t have doubts about who they are。 When Ari asks his mother if he’s a sin， it nearly brought tears to my eyes。 Plenty of these heartfelt conversations may require tissues， so be prepared。Ari finally steps out of his comfort zone and allows people in who’ve had their hands extended in friendship for years。 He also discovers maybe he and one of his enemies have more in common that he believed。 You can never be sure what people are dealing with in their lives。“When you are standing all alone， the people who notice – those are the people who stand by your side。 Those are the people who love you。”Something I found amusing was how Ari comes to the realization his parents are actual people。 After mending the relationship with his father， the two of them spend time together that will profoundly affect Ari for the rest of his life。 He also sees the influence his mother has had on her students and the sacrifices she’s made along the way。 How his parents met and fell in love。This is a coming of age story that deals with love， loss， grief， homophobia， and racism， but also offers hope for a better future。 As you can see from the above quotes， the writing is beautiful and inspirational， and the characters undergo tremendous growth。 It’s a series I’ll continue to recommend。I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more

T ，

I wrote this rant review in five minutes and I’m not bothering to edit it。I received this book from work， and was ecstatic。 I had no idea the author was terrible beforehand so I was excited to read this。 Aristotle and Dante was an important book to me in high school， being one of the only queer books out there that dared to venture beyond the white cis gay narrative。 It is also， however， a story that relies on transphobia。 This obviously warranted the backlash it got。 As a queer trans person mys I wrote this rant review in five minutes and I’m not bothering to edit it。I received this book from work， and was ecstatic。 I had no idea the author was terrible beforehand so I was excited to read this。 Aristotle and Dante was an important book to me in high school， being one of the only queer books out there that dared to venture beyond the white cis gay narrative。 It is also， however， a story that relies on transphobia。 This obviously warranted the backlash it got。 As a queer trans person myself， I’m glad。 And I hoped the second book would reflect the author’s growth as a person。 Considering that the first book follows Ari coming to terms with himself， it’s no surprise that the second is about him discovering himself and the world。 So when I first read the infamous transphobic scene that was released earlier this year I thought， okay that’s bad。 But if this book focuses so much on Ari and Dante unlearning their faults， it’s a necessary conversation。 Every cis person has to reconcile with their transphobia。 And given the storyline with Ari’s brother， it makes sense。 It serves a purpose， one that ultimately addresses the transphobia of the last book and also the way cis ppl don’t view us as real people。 Unfortunately， that did not happen。 It only got worse。I am not allowed to share quotes from the book but I don’t think I would anyways。 This book is full of harmful transphobia that is never reconciled。 The book also goes on to be deeply biphobic and misogynistic。 None of these things served the story。 To say I’m disappointed is a severe understatement。 How can Saenz write a book about the trials and tribulations of youth， the way we all realize we have work to do in order to be “good people”， and then casually toss in his own bigotry？ What this tells me as a trans and bi person is that I only exist as a burden for cis gay men。 And guess what？ I already know many of them view me that way。 I don’t need to read it in a story。 I truly believe books like this will further harm queer kids， specifically those who are women/femme-aligned， bi， and/or trans。 I grew up with works that were deeply offensive with the notion that “oh they didn’t know any better”。 And to an extent， that was fair。 The reach of the Internet （in terms of feminist outreach） is a very new phenomenon。 I understand that previous generations didn’t have the privilege of unlearning their bigotry and biases at the speed that many of us do。 And with publishing being the mess that it is， I don’t expect anyone in that institution to call out a person’s mistakes。 It’s 2021 though。 And these authors know better。 I recently learned that Saenz harassed trans readers who wanted nothing more than to talk。 This shit is inexcusable。Anyways， what I’m trying to say is—this book is dangerous。 But the good news is that we live in a time where so many others queer books exist。 The world isn’t the same as when I was a kid。 There’s plenty of trans and queer authors whose books don’t push offensive ideas onto their readers。 So spare yourself the pain and pick up one of those instead。 They’re actually worth your time。 。。。more

Keathe Steigert ，

Aristotle and Dante are back in this sequel， picking up from where they left off。 This year the boys are seniors in high school， and are privately dating。 It's hard to narrow down exactly what I liked about this book。 The writing style of Benjamin Alire Saenz， is as always， very different to what we are used to。 His narration through Ari is almost a stream of conciousness style of writing。 As such it is sometimes stilted， and is very dialogue heavy。 In general， I don't particularly enjoy that st Aristotle and Dante are back in this sequel， picking up from where they left off。 This year the boys are seniors in high school， and are privately dating。 It's hard to narrow down exactly what I liked about this book。 The writing style of Benjamin Alire Saenz， is as always， very different to what we are used to。 His narration through Ari is almost a stream of conciousness style of writing。 As such it is sometimes stilted， and is very dialogue heavy。 In general， I don't particularly enjoy that style of writing， but it is done so masterfully in Saenz's books， that it seems to add to the enjoyment of the book， rather than detract from it。 Ari grows emotionally a great deal in this book。 He starts to open up to people who have been trying to be his freinds （most notably， Gina and Susie）， and has more meaningful and in depth conversations with both of his parents。 He learns a lot about himself， and the reasons that he has hidden himself away from others。 The AIDS epidemic is still in the forefront of the news cycle， and it is a poignant reminder of just how terribly the disease ravaged the world。 In a time when most of us don't need to recall just how horribly the world acted toward gay men during this time of crisis for them， it brings back the enormity and hopelessness of the time。 It also， sadly， brought to the forefront of my mind just how far we still have to go in the acceptance of all lifestyles。 It is devestating to be reminded of just how little progress we have made in nearly 35 years。 Reading about Dante and Ari again is like returning home to see two old friends。 I very much enjoyed this sequel， and the many issues tackled， and being with Ari as he navgates a new world as a gay man。 It is a book I will encourage my teenagers to read， and one I will be thinking about for a long time to come。Thank you so much to Simon and Shuster for providing me an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more

Payal ，

Disappointing。 As a sequel to such an important and iconic book， I had expected a lot more。 In Ari's voice， it sounded repetitive and affected， a concerted effort to tell the reader about his angst rather than making them feel it。 The conversations between the boys， in Ari's head， between the parents—it was the same thing over and over again， about how the boys were loved and supported and how difficult it was going to be。 I could not finish it。（Review copy from NetGalley） Disappointing。 As a sequel to such an important and iconic book， I had expected a lot more。 In Ari's voice， it sounded repetitive and affected， a concerted effort to tell the reader about his angst rather than making them feel it。 The conversations between the boys， in Ari's head， between the parents—it was the same thing over and over again， about how the boys were loved and supported and how difficult it was going to be。 I could not finish it。（Review copy from NetGalley） 。。。more

Alexia Fernandez ，

I received an ARC of this book for an early review。 My life has been blown to bits and reshaped， again。 An astounding sequel to “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe。” My heart has been broken just as it has been reinforced。 I couldn’t put it down and yet I wanted to take my time with every word。 Benjamin Alire Saenz maps out every human emotion with a gentle and loving hand as Aristotle and Dante figure out their places in the Universe。 Grab a copy as soon as you can。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0