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A review by dustilane
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
4.0
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We finally are welcomed back to the world of Aristotle and Dante in this sequel to the much beloved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. While the first book told the story of how they fell in love, this book follow the two boys as they figure out how to be in a relationship and how to be in love. We also get an even closer look at Ari and his relationship with his family.
This has been a book I've been so very hyped for, as a huge fan of the first book. My reaction is a bit mixed.
The writing is, of course, gorgeous and quite lyrical. Saenz has such talent when it comes to invoking emotion and a certain energy with his words.
That being said, the book felt a bit slow and like it dragged on. By the end, I was happy to be finished. It took a pretty long time for me to finish this book, considering how hyped I was for it. It just was a lot of Ari thinking to himself and capturing precious moments with Dante, which on one hand I love, but I also think it could've used a little condensing.
What I loved so much about the book is that we got to see past that initial falling in love and the beginnings of a relationship. A lot of romance focuses on that and it's great but it's also nice to get to see what happens next. And this relationship was portrayed in such a realistic way. We get to see doubt and fear and longing and all of the ups and downs that come with being in love. I just truly loved how this was portrayed in this book. There were also two specifically heartbreaking scenes that just devastated me, in the best way possible.
I'd also like to note that this book really makes you feel that it takes place in the 80s without overdoing references. There's a fine line when it comes to "historical" books, but Aristotle and Dante does it very well.
Overall, a good read for fans of the first book. Even though I am a bit disappointed, I still enjoyed the story and was happy to revisit my old friends. <3
4/5 stars
We finally are welcomed back to the world of Aristotle and Dante in this sequel to the much beloved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. While the first book told the story of how they fell in love, this book follow the two boys as they figure out how to be in a relationship and how to be in love. We also get an even closer look at Ari and his relationship with his family.
This has been a book I've been so very hyped for, as a huge fan of the first book. My reaction is a bit mixed.
The writing is, of course, gorgeous and quite lyrical. Saenz has such talent when it comes to invoking emotion and a certain energy with his words.
That being said, the book felt a bit slow and like it dragged on. By the end, I was happy to be finished. It took a pretty long time for me to finish this book, considering how hyped I was for it. It just was a lot of Ari thinking to himself and capturing precious moments with Dante, which on one hand I love, but I also think it could've used a little condensing.
What I loved so much about the book is that we got to see past that initial falling in love and the beginnings of a relationship. A lot of romance focuses on that and it's great but it's also nice to get to see what happens next. And this relationship was portrayed in such a realistic way. We get to see doubt and fear and longing and all of the ups and downs that come with being in love. I just truly loved how this was portrayed in this book. There were also two specifically heartbreaking scenes that just devastated me, in the best way possible.
I'd also like to note that this book really makes you feel that it takes place in the 80s without overdoing references. There's a fine line when it comes to "historical" books, but Aristotle and Dante does it very well.
Overall, a good read for fans of the first book. Even though I am a bit disappointed, I still enjoyed the story and was happy to revisit my old friends. <3
4/5 stars