Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe + Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Saturday, July 8, 2023--San Antonio 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World are a 2-part series of young adult fiction novels authored by Benjamin Alire Saenz.  Set in El Paso, the main characters are two somewhat misfit, loner-type boys who attend separate high schools (one at a public school and the other at a catholic school) who meet during the summer break between their freshmen and sophomore years at a local public swimming pool when Dante, the more outgoing of the two and an accomplished swimmer, notices Aristotle cannot swim and offers to teach him if he would like to learn.  They quickly become friends and begin the process of coming out of their self-imposed isolation in life.  It's obvious that the books are written not just to entertain the reader, but to try to teach adolescents how to think and reason, be tolerant, reconsider their relationships with their parents, appreciate life lessons and grow from them, etc.  The characters are charming and intelligent.  And over time, the story broadens to include other characters who become a group of friends.  The series covers topics such as love, loss, discrimination, angst, general relationship change over time, love and the fact it may not last over time, etc.  These books are among the ones that many conservatives in the USA are trying to ban from school and public libraries because Aristotle discovers he is gay over time and he and Dante, who already knew he was gay, fall in love with each other.  The closest the either book comes to describing them having sex is a simple sentence.  "We had sex."  There is nothing explicit.  I found the characters to be very interesting and funny.  I felt that the books suffered mainly because an over-abundance of both using the word "universe" and referencing cartography as an analogy for mapping out the development over time of a relationship.  I think an open-minded young adult would be think the books are wonderful.  I gave the first book 3 1/2 stars out of 5 and the second book 4 stars out of 5.