LGBTQ Book Review

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

By Benjamin Alire Saenz

Renee Chaffin

This is a beautiful book that caught me by surprise. Thank you, Sean, for the great recommendation in class! I devoured this book, racing to the end to see how Saenz would conclude the poetic tale of love, teenage angst, family, and identity through his tender words and memorable story-telling.

It’s 1987 Aristotle or "Ari," and Dante are Mexican teenagers struggling with their identity and heritage in El Paso, Texas. Ari’s brother is in prison, and he is the youngest of four. His mom is a high school teacher and his dad is Vietnam veteran with war scars that are difficult for him to reveal. Dante is an only child in a loving family. His father is a university professor and his mom is young and ambitious. Both somewhat loners, they meet one day at the pool when Dante asks Ari if he wants to learn how to swim. From every day after that, they are inseparable. Best friends, they often drive to the desert to discuss literature, poetry, and the secrets of the universe.

Dante likes kissing boys, which doesn’t really bother Ari. Ari has only kissed one girl, but struggles to figure out why he is so mad and angry. His thoughts are intense, yet his mother is supportive and gentle. His father bottles up his truths, and the whole family has buried Ari’s brother’s past in the past. Ari struggles to ask the questions he wants to know the answers to, because he’s not quite sure he wants to know the answers, which he is forced to search for in the secrets of the universe.

This powerful book breaks stereotypes about Hispanic teens and is a beautifully written in a poetic style with a lot of dialogue. With Saenz’s use of strong symbolism and imagery, the reader travels deep into the minds of these young men, remembering what is was like to once be so uncertain and full of angst. I highly recommend this book to teens and adults, and will recommend it to my mature middle schoolers who are ready to read a book that talks about drugs, alcohol, and gender identity. This book is a must read and I have become an instant fan of Benjamin Alire Saenz. I can’t wait to read his other works.

I have included a link to a website that has more resources for teaching about identity and heritage: https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/february-2014-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe/