Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Two boys meet at a swimming pool in El Paso in the 1980s. One teaches the other how to swim. What follows is a summer, then a year, then a life quietly cracking open. It's a story about anger, silence, family secrets, and the terrifying, tender act of letting someone see you.

I first read it as a young adult when it came out. Now, older, it's still a book I return to. I'm not the same person as I was when I read it the first time, I could much more relate to the confused feeling of trying to find yourself when you don't know who you are. But, everytime I re-read it, I still get that feeling of being gently held.

The beautiful, measured language makes the characters come alive in all their complexity. The books shows that writing well and writing deeply, doesn't mean writing complex sentences. The thoughts Ari works through, the dialogues with his parents, with Dante, with his friends, I still enjoy reading them.

I would recommend this to everyone who is still young, especially anyone who is still finding themselves. This is a book that understands that sometimes, the hardest person to come out to is yourself. Once those first steps have been taken, things might not be so scary on the other side. It take you through that, and gently reminds you that you're not alone.

I would also recommend it to anyone who just wants to read a cozy, heartwarning and very well written book. There is a strong summer feeling to it, with the hot streets of El Paso. Even though the characters are far from perfect, they are portraits are so full of heart that it always makes me feel slightly better about humanity. And, I think we all need to sometimes feel like things can get better.