Starred review from September 27, 2021
This follow-up to 2012’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, narrated once again by the cerebral Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza, resumes directly after the first book’s end. Much to his surprise, Ari finds himself in love with charming romantic Dante Quintana. It’s 1986; AIDS is raging, and being gay seems to Ari like a recipe for unhappiness. Instead, love proves life-changing. Over the course of his senior year at Austin High School, Ari grows closer to his postal worker father, another introvert with much on his mind; makes close friends; and—through a journal in the form of letters to Dante—discovers the power of words. In Sáenz’s careful, poetic hands and Ari’s stubborn, searching voice, the narrative follows the Mexican American couple as they “map out a new world” together, navigating desire (“A body thing. A heart thing. The body and the heart”), homophobia, racism, sexism, how to be a man without succumbing to toxic masculinity, how to cope with loss without giving in to grief, what it means to have—and be—a good teacher, and, fundamentally, how to love and be loved. Ages 14–up. Agent: Patricia Moosbrugger, Patricia Moosbrugger Literary.

Starred review from October 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-S�enz's long-anticipated sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe delivers tender teen romance punctuated with questions of identity and belonging. Ari and Dante, 17 and in love, want to live in the newness of their relationship forever. But summer's almost over, which means they'll not only head back to their separate high schools but also have to "map out a new world" in a 1988 Texas that doesn't universally accept them. On the bright side, meeting Dante has helped Ari break out of his "melancholy boy" phase. Ari even makes friends with classmates formerly seen as enemies. But Ari's inner battles with his sexuality and shame have him wondering, "Why does love have to hurt so much?" Meanwhile, the backdrop of the AIDS pandemic-first on TV screens and in headlines, then affecting members of their community-casts a grim shadow. Can the two boys stay together in a future that seeks to tear them apart? Nearly double in length to its predecessor, this book packs a lot into its five parts as the gay teens contend with the realities-and work-of relationships. Ari's sensitive first-person narration, which includes beautifully reflective journal entries, encapsulates struggles with internalized homophobia and its intersections with masculinity and Mexican American identity. Slow-paced and poetic, this emotional rollercoaster is buoyed by hope, swoonworthy kisses, and exquisite characterization. VERDICT This literary romance will woo hearts and minds alike. A must-purchase for all libraries.-Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., OR

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2021
As this sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (rev. 3/12) opens, the title characters take a memorable, romantic camping trip together in the desert before beginning their respective senior years at different high schools. After returning from the trip, narrator Ari comes out to people in his life, including his nemesis, whose brother has died of AIDS (like the first book, this is set in the 1980s), and in that moment a new friendship is born. The story explores many of Ari's relationships -- with his parents, particularly his father, until tragedy strikes; with his brother in prison, with whom a visit proves disappointing. But it's his relationship with Dante that dominates his thoughts, often expressed in letters written down in his journal. Saenz once again applies wisdom and humor to familiar themes such as forgiveness and redemption, the value of teachers and mentors, and the definitions of valor and manhood. The award-winning first book broke ground as a novel about LGBTQ+ people of color (Aristotle and Dante are both Mexican American). It's a mark of progress that nine years later, its sequel is not such a rare bird. Nevertheless, devoted fans of the previous installment will relish the experience of this one. Jonathan Hunt

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* S�enz's beloved characters, Mexican Americans Aristotle and Dante, return in this splendid sequel to the award-winning Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012). Now 17, the two boys are more in love than ever--although they remain out only to their wonderfully supportive families--and remain preternaturally thoughtful. "I just couldn't stop thinking about things," Ari declares while Dante agrees that "he's always thinking." The book, once again told from Ari's perspective, speaks movingly not only of his relationship with Dante but also of that with his family, especially his once-silent father. The teenagers' lives are realistically imperfect: being gay, for example, makes them feel like exiles in a world that is not safe for them and that will never love them. And as for their relationship, Dante says, "Sometimes loving you makes me miserable," while Ari thinks "sometimes loving him made me miserable, too." Nevertheless, together the two feel like cartographers of a new world who have "mapped out a country of our own" and who "want to write our names on the map of the world." S�enz himself is something of a cartographer, drawing an intricate map of the human heart. The result is a brilliant, character-driven novel that challenges its readers themselves to think about life while falling in love with those two unforgettable characters, Aristotle and Dante.

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Starred review from August 1, 2021
As the final year of high school approaches, Ari and Dante explore their love for each other--and their love for others--in S�enz's long-awaited sequel to 2012's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. For Ari, his world's beginning to open up. After years of silence, his father begins to share more about his experiences in Vietnam and the ensuing trauma, rebuilding their relationship. Once a nuisance in Ari's life, Gina and Susie now seem like the allies he needs to flourish, leading to even more potential friendships in surprising ways. And then there's Dante, the boy who "found me in a swimming pool one day and changed my life." Embarking on a relationship, Ari and Dante navigate the joys (a camping trip that takes their journey to a new level) and pains (uncertainties about life after high school) of young love. Throughout, the harsh truths of life circle the two young men: the specter of Ari's imprisoned brother, who makes a memorable appearance; questions of what constitutes one's sexual and cultural identities ("We'll never be Mexican enough. We'll never be American enough"); and the AIDS pandemic, whose tremors fill the airwaves and affect their community. S�enz packs a whole lot into these pages, but it's a testament to the characters that he's created that it never feels like too much. There's an unhurried quality to the author's wistful, tender prose that feels utterly intimate. Messily human and sincerely insightful. (Fiction. 14-18)

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