Iris Denner: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Outside Reading)

Young adult books are places where secrets are unleashed and where young readers can find characters they identify with. Adolescence is when people go through periods of great change and turmoil. This is when people go on a journey, what a book calls character development. In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the main character has a mental realization that he does not want to accept, causing him to go on a physical journey to get past his mental block. This took place over three years when Aristotle would have sporadic contact with Dante, the person he does not want to love but does. Aristotle chooses a variety of ways to try to get over his newfound sexuality, none of which are facing it head-on. He starts working out more, isolates himself, gets a job, and takes girls out on dates, but none of them distract him from the growing realization that this is not something he could run from. This journey was such a pleasure to read and was easily digestible for a younger audience than myself. It clearly displayed the parts of the journey without allowing the reader to realize it was a journey until the main character did himself near the end. Aristotle cried and let his closest loved ones comfort him as he expelled all the anger and negative emotions that had piled up while on this journey. It was a good experience to read about a journey of someone younger than myself who would not be considered a martyr or a saint. 

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