Aristotle Mendoza is fifteen years old and lives in El Paso, Texas. He's an only child, keeps his emotions bottled inside, keeps to himself, and has no friends. He decides to go to the community pool one summer day and meets Dante, who teaches him to swim. The two boys seem to instantly become friends and the novel circles around their relationship. This book is so special and covers so many topics; friendship, family, lies, secrets, homosexuality, love, minorities, gangs, violence, and coming of age. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has no true plot. It is more about emotions, relationships, and discovering who they really are.
Saenz is a poet and it is so evident through out the book. The sentence structure is short, but it reads almost lyrically. I love how he took controversial topics head on and made them something beautiful. I really wish schools could use this book in their curriculum. It is important for the younger generation to be more accepting and tolerant of people and their lifestyle choices.
I, personally, loved how accepting and loving both Aristotle and Dante's parents were. They never put them down, nor were they angry or upset that they were gay. The Mendozas and the Quintanas wanted nothing but happiness for their children. As a parent, I think that kind of an attitude is something to strive for.
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