A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
This Printz Honor Book is a "tender, honest exploration of identity" (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.
| GMD | BOOK |
| Classification | F SAE |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 2014-04 |
| Subject | Juvenile Fiction / GeneralJuvenile Fiction / Family / GeneralJuvenile Fiction / Social Themes / AdolescenceJuvenile Fiction / Social Themes / FriendshipYoung Adult Fiction / Family / GeneralYoung Adult Fiction / LGBTYoung Adult Fiction / Social Themes / FriendshipYoung AdultYoung Adult FictionTeenagersAdolescenceFriendsNew FriendsRelationshipsComing of AgeFiction / Coming of AgeLGBTAmericaBullyingSocial JusticeCOMING OUT |
| Topic | SexualityhomosexualityFriendship |
| Description | REVIEWS ★ "Authentic teen and Latino dialogue should make it a popular choice." School Library Journal
★ "Meticulous pacing and finely nuanced characters underpin the author's gift for affecting prose that illuminates the struggles within relationships." Kirkus Reviews
★ "Sáenz writes toward the end of the novel that "to be careful with people and words was a rare and beautiful thing." And that's exactly what Sáenz does—he treats his characters carefully, giving them space and time to find their place in the world, and to find each other...those struggling with their own sexuality may find it to be a thought-provoking read." Booklist
★ "Sáenz has written the greater love story, for his is the story of loving one's self, of love between parents and children, and of the love that builds communities, in addition to the deepening love between two friends." VOYA
★ "Ari's first-person narrative—poetic, philosophical, honest—skillfully develops the relationship between the two boys from friendship to romance." The Horn Book
★ "Primarily a character- and relationship-driven novel, written with patient and lyrical prose that explores the boys' emotional lives with butterfly-wing delicacy." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
★ "Sáenz is a master at capturing the conversation of teens with each other and with the adults in their lives." Library Media Connection |
| ISBN | 9781442408937 |
| Additional ISBN | 1442408936 |
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