Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, is the sequel to Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe. This book continues to follow the relationship between Ari and Dante, two young gay Hispanic men in El Paso Texas. They try to navigate a relationship in a time that was very unfriendly to them.
I enjoyed reading this book and thought that it was refreshing to read a love story about Hispanic men in the 1980’s. Although this book had an interesting plot, I felt that it could have been condensed. Many side plots and conversations felt unnecessary and unauthentic. Also, almost every conversation ended with tears and made most of the emotion shown seem forced. Even though some of the conversations seemed forced, Ari and Dante’s love story made it worth the read. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes reading fiction, young adult romance, or LGBTQ+ books.