Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

"Makes me laugh and think at the same time!"

" CUTIE PATOOTIES 🫶🫶🫶"

"This book is beautiful. I love the way it is written and the characters. Their interactions make me so happy. Made me think of the world, and other things. I loved it."

"LAST SENTENCE HITS. LIKE. A. TRUCK."

"3.8⭐️. <br/>Oh my saints. This book is just beautiful, truly. I don’t know what to say but I’ll try. Okay, so the way it’s written is just, yes"

"tender and heartfelt 🩷🩵"

"“And even though I felt it was a beautiful thing, I also felt it was a weight. Not that she meant it to be a weight. But love was always something heavy for me. Something I had to carry”<br/><br/>4.7/5<br/><br/>First off, I’m gonna say that I’m usually super satisfied with books that don’t give me closure. I love that! I love books that don’t give me that completed feeling, that have that complicated ending that leaves more despite the book having been “finished”. The difference between this book and other books I’ve read is that, while other books lack closure, they still feel complete. This book, doesn’t just feel like it’s not giving me closure. It feels like it FAILS to give me closure, or rather that sense of completion. It isn’t a five, but I definitely thought it was more than a 4.5. So I settled. Good thing there’s a sequel! Will be picking that up soon.<br/><br/>I love love love this book! I love love love Dante! And I love love love Aristotle! (Triple whammy wooo!!!) I kinda feel emo for saying that I relate to Ari in the way he thinks and approaches things? Other than the fact that he’ll actually commit himself to something once he actually puts his mind to it LOL. But idk. Something about depressed highschoolers that love reading and the arts and not knowing what to do ever. <br/><br/>I put this book off for a long time for a reason I’m not really sure of myself, but I was able to read it all in a few hours while sick in my hotel room (thank goodness I brought books with me!). <br/><br/>Overall, what I liked about the book itself: <br/>~I really liked and somewhat related to the characters. I enjoyed witnessing their development (and sometimes lack thereof on Ari’s part). <br/>~I enjoyed observing the character’s relationships with each other, and what each individual character thought/observed about said relationships.<br/>~I noticed and appreciated the subtle importance of the setting. I feel like it’s easy to ignore, but it’s clearly significant.<br/><br/>Would definitely recommend to a friend as a for fun read; I would study it but not for a class LOL.<br/><br/>“I wanted to know all the secrets that were contained there. Maybe I would be free. But why wasn't I free? I wasn't in prison, was I? … Maybe I wanted too much”<br/>"

"I really loved this book but to me it was not a 10/10 but still really good"

"A gay love story between two Mexican American boys in 1980s El Paso. Banned in a number of conservative states (Texas, Florida, Wyoming, Tennessee), this was a "required reading" for my class LLSS 450, short for <i>Language, Linguistics, and Sociocultural Studies - Books and Related Materials for Young Adults. </i> <br/><br/>This has been perhaps our most enjoyable read of the semester, but still hard hitting like any of the books we've read. I feel that this is a rather accessible novel, making it so that many kids of many different ages would be able to read, enjoy, and understand the novel. Though, despite this book being set in the 80s, a little over 40 years ago, much is still the same. While we do have same sex marriage now, there are definitely states that are trying to challenge the Supreme Court's decision. <br/><br/>In certain parts of the country, the attitudes that Aristotle and Dante faced in 1980s El Paso, are very much the same, or at least similar, boys still get beat up, and some kids are subjected to religion and conversion therapy. I mean, look at how the book has been banned in at least 4 states as of right now (2023). <br/><br/>There is nothing graphic, just some kissing, a little underage drinking and drug use. Usually movies consisting of such things would be PG-13. In fact, the people that rate such films, seem to agree. "This may include stronger language, extended violence or sexual situations and drug-use." <i>(Michigan State University, 2017)</i> <br/><br/>So unless Florida, Texas, Wyoming, and Tennessee are going to somehow change the guidelines created by the MPAA for the PG-13 rating (no this is not a suggestion to try to do so, please don't), then there is no reason that this book should be banned at the high school level, much less the middle school level. <br/><br/>It seems quite apparent that the issues that the above listed states have with this book is the discussion of queer identities and race, even more frustrating that the book takes place in Texas (El Paso) and has been banned there. <br/><br/>With there being many more interesting side topics, and things that I connected with a bit too well at times, this book was just so well done and is perfect (in my opinion) for anyone starting middle school, and older."

"When I read this book I was in 8th grade, I liked it because of the unique friendship they developed over time. But I think I was also lost in some of parts of the book because I wasn't grasping of few of the connections."