Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
★ Top 25 book of 2012 · #14 on Best Books of 2012
Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner whose brother is in prison. Meeting Dante and becoming his friend leads Ari to ask new questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he had never raised until now.
Best for: Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories about friendship and self-questioning
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar.
What Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is about
Ari Mendoza is fifteen, angry, and used to keeping to himself. It is the summer of 1987 in El Paso, Texas, and his brother is in prison for reasons his family will not talk about. Then he meets Dante Quintana at the local pool. Dante is open, sincere, and a far better swimmer than Ari will ever be, and he treats Ari as someone worth knowing.
The two Mexican-American boys bond over their unusual names, borrowed from a Greek philosopher and an Italian poet, and Dante introduces Ari to books and poetry. Their friendship deepens as they work out who they are, what their families mean to them, and where they belong. The writing is tender and reflective, and it handles identity, sexuality, and love with patience. It suits teenagers and adults who like quiet, character-driven stories about growing up.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe on the Best Books of 2012
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe came out in 2012. Of the 58 books first published in 2012 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #14 on our Best Books of 2012 list.
Why it made the list: 751 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (54 ratings); 38 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2012 list
- Bared to You Sylvia Day, #12
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself Joe Dispenza, #13
- The Dragonet Prophecy Tui T. Sutherland, #15
- Steal Like an Artist Austin Kleon, #16
See all Best Books of 2012 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2011 Best Books of 2013.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 617 want to read it, 38 are reading it now and 96 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 54 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 72 | 55% |
| Reader love | 79 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 71 | 20% |
Questions about Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
When was Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe published?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz was first published in 2012.
Was Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe one of the best books of 2012?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar. 751 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (54 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
Why is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe on the Best Books of 2012 list?
751 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (54 ratings); 38 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2012
- Wonder R. J. Palacio, #1
- The Fault in Our Stars John Green, #2
- The Selection (the Selection #1) Kiera Cass, #3
- Drama Raina Telgemeier, #4
- Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas, #5
- The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg, #6
See the full Best Books of 2012, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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