Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe written by Benjamin Alire Saenz is a coming-of-age story about an angry, young Mexican boy and how he learns the secrets to his own universe and learns about himself and his family.  Aristotle is essentially an only child, his twin sisters are much older than he is and his older brother is in prison and his parents do not mention him at all.  He’s angry, upset and confused, and somewhat of a loner until he meets Dante.  Dante and his family are almost completely opposite from Aristotle and Aristotle begins to learn much more about his life as he and Dante become friends.

This book was such a quick read and I really found myself falling into the story and the character’s lives.  I think that this book can fill a very large gap in young adult literature – specifically for those teens that are Mexican American and/or for those that are gay, lesbian, or questioning their sexuality.  Children and teens can relate better to characters (sometimes) when they can see themselves in the characters and there is a serious lack of literature that portrays Mexican American characters.  This is a beautiful coming-of-age story that has won a number of book awards and is definitely worth the time!

Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2012
Page Numbers: 368 pgs.