{"id":40825,"date":"2022-06-22T21:33:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T02:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40825"},"modified":"2022-06-22T21:33:57","modified_gmt":"2022-06-23T02:33:57","slug":"review-of-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe-by-benjamin-alire-saenz-read-by-lin-manuel-miranda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=40825","title":{"rendered":"Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire S\u00e1enz, read by Lin Manuel Miranda"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe<\/em><\/p>\n

by Benjamin Alire S\u00e1enz
\nread by Lin Manuel Miranda<\/p>\n

Simon & Schuster Audio, 2013. 7 hours and 29 minutes.
\nReview written February 12, 2022, from a library eaudiobook
\nStarred Review
\n2013 Pura Belpr\u00e9 Author Award Winner
\n2013 Stonewall Book Award Winner
\n2013 Lambda Literary Award Winner
\n2013 Printz Honor Book<\/p>\n

I got to hear Benjamin Alire S\u00e1enz give his Printz Honor acceptance speech in 2013, and that speech made me very much want to read this book. I finally got around to it after a sequel came out in 2021 \u2013 and the same day I finished listening to this, I began listening to the sequel. I am so glad to finally read this marvelous book.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a friendship story about two Mexican American boys. They meet at the start of summer before their sophomore year of high school at different high schools in El Paso, Texas, and have a laugh over their similar names. Ari is the narrator of the book, a boy who spends a lot of time in his own head \u2013 which makes him a good narrator. Dante is an open-hearted boy full of philosophical questions and free with his emotions \u2013 the sort of boy who\u2019d try to rescue a bird with a broken wing in the middle of the street.<\/p>\n

But when Dante does that on a rainy day and a car comes around the bend, without thinking, Ari runs and pushes Dante out of the way \u2013 at the risk of his own life. There are some other crises in the book, and lots of thinking about life and what things mean. Ari has a brother twelve years older who is in prison, and his family never talks about that brother.<\/p>\n

I knew from the Printz acceptance speech that this is also a book about coming out as gay and figuring out who you are. But that takes up most of the book, so I won\u2019t say a lot about that \u2013 except it is heart-wrenching and feels true. The book is set in the late 1980s, and they\u2019re up against harsh attitudes in the world around them, many of which are internalized.<\/p>\n

Something I love about this book are the two sets of parents, both of whom are wonderfully drawn and love their sons with all their hearts. It\u2019s refreshing to read a book about teens with loving and supportive parents. Ari\u2019s dad is dealing with post-traumatic stress from his time in Viet Nam, but that makes him human and real, not irreparably scarred.<\/p>\n

In fact, that\u2019s what\u2019s so wonderful about this book \u2013 all the characters feel true. Nobody\u2019s perfect, and they\u2019ve got flaws consistent with their strengths. I found myself wanting to hug these two boys.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s narrated by Lin Manuel Miranda! He didn\u2019t do a tremendous job distinguishing between the voices of the different characters, though I find I\u2019m picking up on subtle differences a little more by the time I\u2019ve started the second book. But in spite of that tiny quibble, I could listen to Lin Manuel Miranda read anything. When it\u2019s a wonderful book he\u2019s reading, it simply added to my love. Of the book!<\/p>\n

benjaminsaenz.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/aristotle_and_dante_discover_the_secrets_of_the_universe.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a>