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THIS BOOK. This book. ugh I am so so in love with Ari and Dante and their story.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this one. When it was released I remember there was so much buzz going around; so many people utterly adored it. It sounded cute but I wasn’t a fan of the setting (South, 80s), although the premise did sound good.

Either way, I didn’t decide to pick it up for a LONG time. So, you might be wondering why I decided to read it now. That reason is entirely because of Hamilton. Weird, I know. Why are these even connected?

It’s a (little known) fact that I ADORE HAMILTON SO MUCH. Okay so maybe I lied, everyone should know about my Hamilton obsession by now. Lin Manuel Miranda (the creator and star of Hamilton and overall wonderful human being) narrates the audio book, and as soon as I figured that out I decided it would be my next audio book!

Wow, did I make a great decision here. I thought that this was one of the most realistic and sweet contemporary YA books I have read, ever. The story of the friendship between Aristotle and Dante was so, so cute. I loved how different they were, and how they brought out different sides of one another.

This books takes place across multiple years of friendship between Ari and Dante, and I loved how incredibly slow-burn the romance was. It was perfect. I know that doesn’t really tell you anything specific but honestly I don’t know what other words to use to describe it.

The writing was mostly simplistic, which allowed for complex emotions to be illuminated that much better. We were shown how the characters were thinking and feeling more than being told, which is always a good sign of effective writing.

Lin did a great job at narrating this story. At first the voice was so clearly Lin that it overpowered the character of Ari. I felt like Lin Manuel Miranda was reading me a bedtime story (which was great, don’t get me wrong). Over time, though, Lin’s voice turned into Ari’s, and I forgot he was narrating at all. I loved this listening experience!

The best part? Their story isn’t done just yet! Benjamin Alire Saenz recently announced that he is writing a sequel, that picks up right after the end of Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe titled THERE WILL BE OTHER SUMMERS. Talk about best news EVER.

Overall opinion

I loved loved LOVED this cute contemporary. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is all about growing up and realizing your identities and how you relate to the world and to one another. Their relationship was a sweet, slow-burn friendship-turned-romance that I adored. I couldn’t recommend this book enough, I guarantee that you’ll fall in love with these sweet boys just like I did. ♥

5 out of 5 stars to this beautiful book!

What was your most recent YA contemporary romance that you just loved every bit of? Let’s gab!