Hardcover, $16.99. ISBN: 978-1-4424-0892-0.
Book Talk:
Aristotle, or Ari for short, is out of school for the summer. Fifteen years old, and he can't swim. He has trouble with words, expressing himself, and figuring out who he is. He constantly questions why his brother is in prison, he was so young when his brother was arrested, and he remembers nothing. All traces of his brother have been erased forever from the house, and no one is allowed to speak his name.
And then, Ari meets Dante. Dante is everything Ari is not. He is sure of himself. He loves art and poetry. He can easily put into words everything he is feeling. Dante has a unique perspective on life.
Ari and Dante meet at the swimming pool the first day of their summer vacation after their Sophomore year of high school. They become fast friends and spend every day all summer together, each one bringing out the unique qualities and strengths of the other person.
Between the two of them, can Ari and Dante figure out the meaning of life? Can they discover the hidden truths within themselves that will make them into men? Will they ever manage to find their way in this large and confusing universe?
Author's Web Site:
http://faculty.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=faculty.utep.edu/bsaenz
Reviewer's Note:
I loved this book no end. My book talk doesn't even begin to do justice to this amazing piece of literature. I was spell bound by the story. The story is so big, so bold, and yet so lovingly told. I fell in love with the characters. I identified with all of them, and I love how the parents are portrayed. (Perhaps because I am a parent myself!) I appreciated the fact that the parents weren't portrayed as autocratic idiots, clueless jerks, or unloving creeps. Instead, they were portrayed as humans. People who struggle with their own emotions, and with their own fears, while dealing with the issues of raising a teenager. In many ways, this was a coming of age story for the parents as much as it was a coming of age story for the boys.
The quality of the writing deserves a paragraph unto itself. I was absolutely enchanted with the story. Written in a simple, poetic, haunting style, I was drawn into the world of Ari and Dante and held there, spell bound, enjoying my peek into the depth of this story. I believe I was enchanted!
-Bettina
Book Awards:
Starred Reviews from Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus.
ALA Notable Children's Books
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Best Young Adult Book
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Pura Belpre Award
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
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