Dante can swim. Ari can’t. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari’s features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

I picked up this book to read knowing nothing about it, not even have read the blurb. For me, it was a random pick. If the books would be this good, then I am always ready for random picks. Because this one is my first five-star read of 2019. Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe has won many awards including the PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction.

“To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing.” 

It’s a story of friendship, relationships, love, dream and what not. It has a strong plot which left everyone in love with this book. Above all, what I adore the most is the two protagonists of the story Aristotle and Dante. Two of the excellent characters I have read so far. The author’s sheer brilliance could see in character development. The characters in this book are so real and genuine. I had a soft corner towards Aristotle A.K.A Ari from the starting of the book itself. That might be because I could easily connect with Ari than Dante.

“We all fight our own private wars.” 

The whole novel has been narrated from the perspective of Ari. The writing style is very lucid yet much more effective. Benjamin Alire Saenz has tackled every minute emotion of the characters; this rawness of characters and the simple narration makes this book a masterpiece. It also portrays the struggles of Mexican-Americans.

“I had a rule that it was better to be bored by yourself than to be bored with someone else.”

It is that book which gave me the “wow” factor in every page. The author’s keen observation and understanding of human emotions fascinated me a lot. He has included a relevant topic that needs to be discussed in the modern era. It tells that love is unconditional and has no boundary. No one can ever define a line between whom you could love and could not love.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone. A must read!.

“Words were different when they lived inside of you.”