Read It Or List It: Season 2, Series 4, Episode 3

It’s Wednesday which means there is another new episode of Read It Or List It!

Thank you so much for all the love and support last week with our return! It feels so good to be back and feels even better to be back reviewing a book I loved with Ashley. In today’s episode, we are discussing Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz!

This is our audiobook series so we’re reviewing it through that medium specifically.

You can find the episode wherever you get your podcasts. Here’s a link for the show on Spotify!

Synopsis: “Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison.

Dante is a know-it-all who has a unique perspective on life.

When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they develop 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 the universe, themselves and the kind of people they want to be.” —From the publisher

What I Liked:

1. The Narrator—It’s Lin-Manuel Miranda! My theatre kid heart was so happy. I think he did a really good job finding the playful nature of the story and making it feel very musical and lyrical.

2. The Pace—I was really impressed with how this story moved and really liked the use of letters.

3. The Characters—These characters! They’re going to stay with me for a while. I loved Ari and Dante’s families so much and was so moved by how they each interacted with their sons and their friendship.

What Didn’t Work:

1. Honestly…nothing.

TW/CW: Car accident; physical violence motivated by homophobia/hate crime

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 5/5