Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Angel Aristotle Mendoza, Ari for short, is a fifteen-year-old loner. He feels like he’s been a loner all his life, like letting people know him and getting to know others is just something he doesn’t do. Part of this might stem from the decade-plus age gap between his three older siblings, part of this might stem from the closed-off vibes he gets from his Vietnam veteran father, part of this might stem from his school teacher mother’s “school teacher” inclinations about getting to know him. But one summer, Ari meets Dante.
What could have started off as just another random encounter with a boy who was just like every other boy changed when Dante offered to teach Ari how to swim. From that first exchange, Ari realized Dante wasn’t like all those other stupid boys who said stupid things. Dante was as extroverted as Ari seemed introverted. Dante used big words, liked art, and read voraciously and those were things that Ari didn’t mind. For one glorious summer, Ari and Dante were best friends. When Dante and his parents left El Paso for Dante’s father’s year-long stint guest teaching in Chicago, they knew things would change, even for best friends. And they do. By the time Dante comes back, the two have done some growing up—literally and figuratively. Dante is coming to terms with his being gay, though he’s only confided this with Ari so far. As for Ari, he is trying to figure out the mysteries of his older brother, who’s been in prison as long as Ari can remember, and his aloof father. Not even a year apart could split these two friends up, but there is an undeniable distance between them now.
When Dante lands in the hospital, though, it’s up to Ari to close that bit of distance—all he has to do is see what’s been there from the very beginning.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I found it a quick read; most of the chapters are super short—some as short as a few lines. It’s all told from Ari’s perspective and I liked seeing things from his point of view. His voice felt straight-forward and genuine. Being fifteen is full of conflicting feelings about a lot of things and you definitely feel Ari’s conflicts—over all sorts of things. I certainly found aspects of Ari’s character very identifiable, like how he just wanted to be left alone and for people take his good deeds and his not-so-good deeds in stride. I sympathized with his frustration when said deeds get dragged up time after time and how his parents and friends feel compelled to talk about it. In that regard, I thought Alire Sáenz captured broody teenager stuff rather successfully.
The interactions between Dante and Ari are, from the very start, charmingly quaint and quirky. Even as their relationship changes over the book and distances open and close and open between them, they manage to communicate with each other—if not on The Big Issues, then at least in ways that reaffirms that they are, in fact, friends. I also loved reading the dialogue between Ari and his mother. The dynamic between these two is just so delightfully bittersweet (but more sweet than bitter and this develops fantastically throughout the book) and I loved watching Ari, who is more than a decade younger than his siblings, learn how to really talk with both his mother and his father.
Here’s the conversation that Dante and Ari have when they meet the very first time at the public pool. Ari’s killing time at the pool because it’s summer and hot even though he can’t swim, and Dante is a swimmer at the pool to practice his sport:
…I just kept to myself and sort of floated along [in the pool]. Not that I was having fun.
That’s when I heard his voice kind of squeaky. “I can teach you how to swim.”
I moved over to the side of the pool and stood up in the water, squinting into the sunlight. He sat down on the edge of the pool. I looked at him suspiciously. If a guy was offering to teach me how to swim, then for sure he didn’t have a life. Two guys without a life? How much fun could that be?
I had a rule that it was better to be bored by yourself than to be bored with someone else. I pretty much lived and died by that rule. Maybe that’s why I didn’t have any friends.
He looked at me. Waiting. And then he asked again. “I can teach you how to swim, if you want.”
I kind of liked his voice. He sounded like he had a cold, you know like he was about to lose his voice. “You talk funny,” I said.
“Allergies,” he said.
“What are you allergic to?”
“The air,” he said.
That made me laugh.
“My name’s Dante,” he said.
That made me laugh harder. “Sorry,” I said.
“It’s okay. People laugh at my name.”
“No, no,” I said. “See, it’s just that my name’s Aristotle.”
And here’s one between Ari and his mother (they have a joke about her subscribing to a Fascist type of parenting):
I had to take my mom out for a drive before she’d let me go out [driving the truck] on my own. “You drive a little fast,” she said.
“I’m sixteen,” I said. “And I’m a boy.”
She didn’t say anything. But then she said, “If I even suspect that you’ve taken one sip of alcohol and driven this truck, I’m going to sell it.”
For some reason that made me smile. “That’s not fair. Why should I have to pay for the fact that you have a suspicious mind? Like that’s my fault.”
She just looked at me. “Fascists are like that.”
We both smiled. “No drinking and driving.”
“What about drinking and walking?”
“None of that either.”
“I guess I knew that.”
As far as the M/M aspect of this goes—I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say that it mirrors my thoughts on how Ari and his parents interacted: it is quirky and charming, bittersweet, but ultimately more sweet than bitter. Dante is definitely (obviously) the more outspoken of the two. His home life and relationship to his parents has always been very open and loving (in contrast to Ari’s whose home life is certainly loving, but part of the problem is that the three members living in the same household—Ari, his mom, and his dad—all subscribe to the Strong Silent Type about issues that are emotionally hard, particularly: the war and the in absentia elder brother) so Dante comes clean about his inclinations pretty early on. Ari, on the other hand, has as much reticence about sex and sexuality as he does about everything else in life…even when he’s with Dante. I will say this, I was certainly not disappointed by the ending.
Thanks for the review! I am glad you liked the book. I read it a while ago and it did not work too well for me. I got tired of Ari about half way through. I did like the ending, though.
I think I understand your feelings about Ari, I think the same could be said for Dante…maybe it depends on who you identify more with. Even so, I enjoyed the read and I’ll give anything that gets so much “mainstream” attention a go, eh 🙂
This is one book that I don’t even hesitate giving my 5* too (and I don’t do that often anymore haha). It was so beautiful and lovely, and just like I said in my Goodreads Review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/561591006) I gave it 10* if I could.
It was a tough call for me, but there were some issues I thought could have been handled better. Like Jen commented, sometimes Ari and Dante can be a little…well, trying I guess. Overall, though, I really enjoyed it. Personally, it wasn’t a “definitely reread no matter what” but I’d recommend it to anyone 🙂
Camille, probably because I was deeply/emotionally connected to the characters somewhat, that it never became obstacle you know? To me that is always important. Sometimes characters didn’t click and I found all the ‘weaknesses’ that I could complain about. Not this one 🙂
I see what your saying 🙂 Books always seem to feel more enjoyable if there’s something about the story or the characters that I can connect directly to my life. Or even if it’s just the right story at the right time…like how a smell can make you remember (usually positive) feelings years after it happens, but with books? 🙂
I have this book for a long time on my wishlist. Eventually I will get to it.
I hope you do! I was very pleased with the characters and the action…real-lifey without being boring 🙂
I think this has got to be worth reading just for the title alone… Am adding it to my lengthening TBR list right now!
It is a cute title, and it’s not one that comes up and beats you over the head with its overt “cleverness” at showing up in the prose. The story is a sweet coming-of-age that felt true to life (disclaimer: I am not a boy, a teenager, or on a sexual identity binary) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
This was a really lyrical and lovely story as I recall, though the alternating viewpoints and especially the length sometimes got on my nerves. (There was a time last summer where I was convinced that there was a new rule that every m/m YA now had to be nearly 400 pages.) Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda narrates the audiobook version, so that sounds cool!
Wow, I bet that is fabulous to hear!
What? Is there, like, a whole big MARKET for m/m YA? Maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in podunky small town ‘Murica, but…most of the YA sections at my library’s are all in the vein of Twilight/Hunger Games where the theme is “you’re beautiful and you’re special as hell! Don’t forget to get the boy on the way to saving the world!!”
Plus, 400 pages or more! I’m not a HUGE Y/A fan, but I do like a lengthy story…provided the story is palatable (alas, the few times I’ve picked something out, it’s fallen in the aforementioned category that incites a special rage at how shallowly vapid it is).
As far as Ari and Dante goes, I think the fact that most chapters were under 5 pages helped me keep flipping pages even when I wasn’t 110% enthralled with the story. But sometimes, I sat there and thought “Really? A one-page chapter?” Ivanhoe it’s not, eh. 😀
I have seen more of it in stores and libraries than I used to, though I’m in the general SF Bay Area and we may be a niche market. 🙂 Becky Albertalli’s SIMON AND THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA (cute, but strains credulity a bit) and Rainbow Rowell’s CARRY ON (I like the winks to fanfic, but it is S-L-O-W) are pretty lengthy, too. Then there’s Jandy Nelson’s I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, which has a terse, gorgeously written (and even tastefully sensual) m/m romance featuring an intensely lovable hero–that unfortunately bookends the majority of the story that deals with his twin sister. (Not that Jude wasn’t cool and all that, but after the killer opening chapters I spent 75% of the book muttering “Where’s Noah?” I did love it, but I long for an all-Noah and Brian sequel…)
Wow! I was at Toastmaster’s last night and someone else got the topic I would have loved to answer because it was to recommend a book and I’d recommend I’ll Give You The Sun to anyone. For me, at least, it wasn’t a M/M book but a YA book that happened to star a gay character…so I wasn’t dying to see a get-together (well, I secretly was but it was a library book and the only bodice rippers they have that they can’t classify as “classics” are hyper heteronormative, eh). That said…why shouldn’t main stream media have more out and out romances for any/all gender/sexual identities? Eh, I liked the “so what the fluff happened?!” dynamic to it and the sheer lyricalness of the writing 🙂
I thought about Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda for one of the challenges, but got enthralled by a different story (and subsequently disappointed but mostly because I was shopping for a specific genre and the book didn’t match, not that that is the book’s fault). I haven’t found the time for any Rowell yet, but I consider picking one up overtime I bump into one at the library.
Point taken…it’s not so much that I was looking for an m/m story per se, but more that I longed to see Noah happy! He’s one of the more vivid characters I’ve read in quite a while…
Oh, yes. In the back of my mind, i was forever aware of the potential romance between Noah and the drunk (names escape me and im laaazy!) I certainly woulndt have MINDED more focus on Noah, but at the same time, its kind of like letting Johnny live (from the outsiders). I might prefer it, but it would possibly change the story into something less impactful 🙂
I’ve seen a lot of good reviews and a lot of bad reviews for this book. Even here it seems to go both ways, but I really like long books and I liked the two little excerpts, so I think I’ll go ahead and give it a try. 🙂
Unless you’re really anti-YA or anti-teenage protagonist, I think just about anyone who enjoys m/m stories will enjoy this. I like that it doesn’t focus the action around the tried-and-true focal point of school (although school definitely plays a PART, it refreshingly not the structure around which all the action is dictated). What’s left is just a heart-felt showing of what it might be like for a taciturn teenage boy to come of age and find his first love Let me know what you think if you read it!
I haven’t read a YA novel in awhile. This one has an interesting title and the characters too seem intriguing. Thank you for those excerpts and the review =)
I hope you enjoy it! I don’t read much YA, either, but this and I’ll Give You The Sun are two I would recommend to anyone (the horrible truth, as much as I liked this one, I loved I’ll Give You The Sun…it’s something I’d recommend anyone to read, even if they hate YA and m/m).
Let me know what you think if you get a chance to read it!
I’ve heard such good things about this book. I need to add it to the tbr. Thanks for the review!
I thought the situations felt genuine and “lived in” by the imperfect characters who find a way to be happier together. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for your review, Camille. I’ve had this book in my TBR list forever, but somehow I could not bring myself to read it. I had a different idea about it. After reading your review, though, I’ve decided to read it whenever possible. You make it sound really appealing!
I hope it lives up to expectation! It was nice going into it not knowing more than A) it won awards (but, pffft, how subjective is that racket?) and B) it featured at least LGBT themes. I’m not a big fan of the rank and file YA, but this story I found compelling!
It’s not an easy balance to strike. I remember hearing about the controversy in Canada last year about Raziel Reid’s WHEN EVERYTHING FEELS LIKE THE MOVIES, which won a Governor General’s Award for excellence in YA literature, but generated a firestorm among parents who felt it was inappropriate for young people. I have mixed feelings about it myself: the writing is often beautiful, and the trans* lead is vividly portrayed, but it is an incredibly bleak and brutal story. (We’re talking mid-1980s afterschool special levels of tragedy here.) I think part of the problem is that the kids in it sound like 18-year-olds when they’re eighth-graders, and also because the blurb sells it as an m/m romance when it’s nothing of the sort. I remember thinking that it would be a good thing for some teachers and parents to read, and also that it would have really upset me when I was a teen. So, I don’t know.
Marketing books is another racket! You want to appeal to the greatest number of people, but sometimes that means branding something one thing when it’s obviously not entirely true (and thise distinctions can matter a lot)
As far as caregivers flipping out over fictional accounts of horrible events…well, all i can say is the times are changing and chances are even 8th graders are probably exposed to a lot more facts of a damn hard life than their caregivers may want to acknowledge (Freshman in high school reading list at a rural indiana high school contailed the semi autobiographical book Speak, which confronts the idea of sex lives among high schoolers…i take that as a sign if hope reading will open dialogue to expand meaningful discussions about these kinds of social issues, and for their own sake)
This book is definitely on my favorites list. I certainly love both Ari and Dante and their friendship throughout, but I’m glad you touched on their relationships with their parents. One of my favorite things in books is family dynamics. It doesn’t matter how old we are, family always influences us, so I love seeing how that plays out. In this one, it’s handled so beautifully, from those who are there to those who are there but absent and those who are absent. This just wouldn’t have the depth it has without them. I see someone else mentioned Lin Manuel Miranda’s audio of this one. It’s a marvelous production, and I hope my fellow audiobook (and YA) fans check it out. Thanks for your thoughts on this one, Camille!
Oh, the family dynamics are part and parcel of what makes the book interesting! It’s like a Bechdel test for YA M/M where you have to find out if the teenage characters can talk to their parents about something not teenage angst (we’ve all been/are teenagers and know what it’s like to only know how to live in the moment…but it’s lost some [a lot] of appeal for me as I’ve gotten older). I concur, the family aspects of this add a great depth that really cements the story and the characters’ places in it.
I’ve heard excellent things about this book and am looking forward to reading this. Thanks for the comprehensive review.
If you’re a fan of coming of age stories or YA, I think you’ll like it! Let me know what you think.
This is a wonderful book and I really enjoyed the the audio-book which is well narrated!
I really enjoyed it too! It’s awesome they got such a big name to narrate it, too 🙂
Nice review. I love to read gay YA as one of my genres, for the very reasons that you described in your review about the relationship and the coming of age issues .
If that’s your bag, I think this would be a great read for you! The balance struck between on-page MC friend time and MC/parent time works very well to paint a more robust picture of both and flesh out the dynamics. I hope you enjoy it!
This is probably the oldest book on my TBR. I keep looking at the pretty cover and intending to pick it up and then…we’ll, you know how it goes, LOL. Thanks for the nice review!
It has been around for a while. I’d seen it first well over a year ago but never really thought I might want to read it. But I’m glad I picked it up!
This sounds sweet and loverly. I will definitely need to give this a try someday. Thanks for the review!
The story was sweet and loverly! There’s angst, but it’s not so all-consuming that it defines the whole book. If you do pick it up, let me know how you liked it!
This sounds really cute! I’ll have to try at some point!
I’m not sure I’d go for cute, but it is a nice change from the kinds of off-the-wall situations found in a lot of non-YA m/m. The story just focuses on the kinds of stuff that daunts people still trying to figure out how to transition from childhood to semi-adulthood. I hope you give it a shot!
Thanks for the review, it does sound interesting i put it on my maybe list 😉
The story did have a good mix of our teenaged main characters and parent-child moments, highlighting what can be great and difficult about each. If you pick it up, let me know how you like it.
This book has been in my tbr list since I heard Lin-Manuel Miranda narrated the audiobook. My friends also told me it’s good. I should read this one soon. Thanks for the review!