You know that feeling when a book is sitting on your book self,
looking at you, taunting, teasing.
"If only you had time for me. You've seen my amazing
reviews. I know you desire me. I know how much you want to tear open my book
spine and ravish me"
....Only me? Okay then.
But wanting to read a book but, unfortunately, having those
annoying pre-commitment otherwise known as 'having a life', is a universal feeling. For me, it was a mixture university reading, writing for the school paper and Modern Family DVDs (aka
laziness).
However, the day came, where I was finally able to give into
my inner bookworm and read 3 books for my choice in a week. Among these was the
pretty bloody amazing Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe. Now, unless
you've been living in the hills of the Himalayas or otherwise living without
internet connect, you've probably heard about this book, being the popular choice
on Tumblr and Instagram.
As the cover shows, it’s won a shit load of awards, and it’s
not hard to see why, it's definitely above the standard of most teen
fiction/literature.
The book, set in El
Paso, Texas in the summertime 1980's, follows the first person narrative of
Aristotle (or Ari as he's nicknamed himself) who is possibly the most angst
ridden character in history. Think Harry Potter in the Order of the Phoenix
x10. He's fifthteen. He's confused. He's confused about what he's confused
about. His family are closed off and distant, his father traumatized by his
experience in the war, his mother haunted by his older brother's incarceration.
He wants answers but is too afraid to ask.
Then the friendless Ari meets Dante. An offer to teach Ari
how to swim turns into a friendship of joint exploration of self-discovery and sexuality.
Ari’s not sure why he befriends the strange Dante. Maybe it’s the similarly bizarre
name, or perhaps he’s unlike any other fifthteen year-olds, or perhaps its
Dante’s laugh. The boy’s relationship is honest and heartwarming and
beautifully written, you believe in their friendship and feel for them both
when they’re in pain.
The book predominantly focuses on a teenager’s journey of self-discovery,
what it means to be happy, to accept who you are, and most importantly, be
happy when you realize that who you are isn’t necessarily what is accepted by
others.
Without giving away too much, the story Ari’s growing alienation
and hostility towards, well everybody, is developed to the point of explosion.
Answers to why are only hinted at and only explained on the last two pages with
a huge…. BOOM!!! This makes the books narrative hella thrilling and (I know, I know
it’s a cliché) but you won’t be able to put it down. The chapters are only
about two pages long which I LOVE; makes you zoom through the book without realizing
that 4 hours have pasted and you haven’t fed the cat yet. I managed to finish
it two days all in all which, for me, is pretty bloody brilliant.
Rating
4/5
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