I wanted to like this because I liked the first book.. but a big part of me kept thinking.. is this necessary? ... and, no, not really.

Not many YA contemporary books need a series. By the end of the book, I was no longer in love with Ari or Dante. Everything was just TOO MUCH. Too much on the philosophical parts of life, too much of the unrealistic dialogue, too much of repeating the same topic over and over.. while still introducing new topics that somehow cluttered the overall plot..? I didn't know that was possible, but it happened.

I think that Saenz is a beautiful writer, but I think that he should have let these characters be.

I waited so long for this book, but it was so worth the wait. Benjamin Alire Saenz has the ability to put to words all of the complex feelings that I have about love and life. It's kind of cheesy to think that writer is writing for me, but it truly feels like he is.

This is sequal is the natural elevation of the message from the first book wherein Ari discovers a deeper understanding of himself. In the squeal, Ari discoveres a deeper understanding of others. I may be a white female, but I relate so much to Ari and his journey. I too often feel underseving of love and struggle to connect with others on a deep, emotional level. Like Ari, I think too much. But over time I've realized that the people around me are more complex then they appear. Ari goes through that same realization throughout the book. It's a journey I deeply relate to.

It's difficult for me to write any sort of objective review of this book because its' messages are so personal to me. But I think that in iteself really speaks to the mastery of the author; that he can make a story about a Mexican-American teen relatable to a white girl. Alire Saenz makes you care so deeply about his characters so that we as readers can project that humanity outward towards the people in our lives. His messages are universal and if everybody read his books then the world would be a better place.

Much awaited sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Beautifully and thoughtfully written; you just want to wrap up Aristotle and Dante and keep them safe. This book wraps up some of the loose ends from the first book, but then leaves some of its own. Dare I hope for a third book revisiting the boys after college?

This is the continuation of the story of Aristotle and Dante, characters I absolutely fell in love with in the first book. While I still love Aristotle and Dante after reading this sequel, I think this second book lacked the focus of the first book. There were many issues covered in this story from dealing with being gay in the midst of the AIDS crisis, discrimination, racism, loss, and normal teenage angst. The book felt a little all over the place and a bit too long because of that.

What I enjoyed about this sequel was also what I enjoyed about the first book. Aristotle is a thoughtful young man, and it is a joy to watch him grow and mature over the course of the story. By the end of the book, he really discovers how to see things from the perspective of the other people in his life and how to put aside his own needs to be there for the people he cares about. He learns a lot about this from his very sweet group of friends who are always there for him.

Aside from the lack of focus I felt while reading this, I also wish there had been more of a connection to the metaphor in the title. In the first book, it is really clear how Aristotle and Dante have "discovered the secrets of the universe". The reader goes on the journey of discovery with Aristotle and Dante. This second book doesn't feel like Aristotle and Dante's journey. It feels like a lot of personal battles Aristotle is fighting, and how he makes his way through them. When the metaphor of "diving into the waters of the world" comes up, it feels a bit stretched and forced.

This is definitely a good read for those who enjoyed the first book and love Aristotle and Dante. I'm glad I read it and got to see the continuation of their story, but the first book will stick with me longer than this one will.

this book filled all the holes in my heart and i wanted to write something more eloquent and lengthy...but really I'm just sitting here clutching the ARC and trying to find the right words.
I love this book. So much.

Aristotle and Dante are back!! A recommended first purchase for public YA and high school fiction collections.

I love these characters so much! This story was very beautiful. There were so many worthy lines to keep as quotes. The only reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars is because I had a hard time getting past a few slow points. Other than that, I fell more in love with the parents this time around and I loved the lessons weaved into the story. I can’t say enough how beautiful the words in the story were. There were a couple times I had to put the book down because I couldn’t see past the water filling up my eyes. Stories like this are so important. I am grateful I was able to take my time reading this and let the words soak in one at a time. The author did an excellent job covering the topics he did. Aristotle and Dante will forever be in my heart.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this sequel, Sáenz develops Aristotle and Dante’s existing storylines, introduces a few new characters, and draws in discussions about darker topics surrounding lgbtq+ issues in the 80s/90s (specifically the AIDS epidemic).

When Simon & Schuster agreed to send me an ARC of this novel, I almost cried. I read this 500+ page book in less than 24 hours. I adore Sáenz’s beautifully lyrical writing style and was perfectly happy reading his words for hours straight.

As a huge fan of the first novel, I savored every ounce of this sequel and somehow fell more in love with each of the characters by the end. Through Ari’s narration, we continue to see these characters grow with all of their messiness and flaws that truly make them feel human. This book does well at tying up a lot of unresolved conflict, while also embracing the fact that a lot of these characters’ struggles must be accepted rather than fixed.

While waiting for this sequel, I had expectations that this book would focus on Ari and Dante’s relationship, which is not really the case. Although their relationship extends throughout the book, it felt more like a subplot and no real conflict seemed to take place for a majority of the novel. But in the end, there were still romantic and fluffy moments, and I was still invested in all the other topics and storylines that were explored.

One minor thing I could see as feeling unnecessary or tedious to a reader was that certain sentences of narration were repeated word-for-word a little too often. I understand the importance of repetition when reading Ari’s thoughts, but it felt a little overboard at times.

Overall, I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to read this ARC. Nothing can compare to the pure delight I feel when reading about these characters and I never wanted it to end.

I will not be finishing reading/ reviewing this title due to the author’s continued and consistent transphobia.

Alright, I am preparing myself to receive much hate mail. It's fine. I have thick skin (I hope). But, I did not love this book as much as apparently everyone else who has read it. I was SO EXCITED to receive this ARC. I *wanted* to love this book as much as I loved "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" - I really and truly did. ... But I didn't.

For me, this book was about 250 pages too long. There was too much contemplation by Aristotle that was redundant and didn't serve to move the story forward. Maybe this is unfair for me to say as a chronic worrier who often gets stuck in "thought loops," but it was just lots and lots of thinking about the same things.

Additionally, Aristotle's thoughts sometimes felt... I don't know... too forced and philosophical or overly preachy or... there's a word for what I mean that is escaping me right this moment. But they just didn't feel authentic; they felt like the author trying to sound deep and revolutionary but really he sounded fake. I know that teens can have deep thoughts and enlightened ideas, but Aristotle just sounded over-the-top a lot of the time to me.

BUT... and this is a big BUT... I LOVED how much Ari grew during this book! It was a pleasure to watch him change from such a shy, reserved, almost angry person into a much more open, loving, encouraging soul. And his growth felt authentic; it felt like changes that Aristotle would make. I also really appreciate how Saenz shed a light on the AIDS crisis of the 1980's and what it would have been like to be a gay man in that era. I think that is a topic that many teens today know little about.

So, did I like this book? Yes, mostly. There were significant plot events scattered throughout that helped hold my interest, and as I said, Ari's growth was wonderful to "watch." Did I love this book as much as the first? No, sadly I didn't. Will I buy a copy for my classroom? Probably, just because I know that students who read "A & D Discover the Secrets of the Universe" will want to know what happens to these lovely boys. But I do question how many students will have the grit and stamina to get through this sequel.

This book is like a warm hug for my teenage self. As soon as the book arrived I read the first couple of chapters and knew my plans for the rest of the afternoon had gone out the window. I read it in one sitting, and immediately wanted to go back and read it again. 100% worth the wait.

What I love about this book (and the first one!): it portrays two gay teenagers who are so loved and accepted by their families and friends. Some people may think this is unrealistic for the book's time and place, but I think it's so important to have literature with lgbtqia+ characters who have struggles other than their relationships with their friends and families. There are some wonderful new characters, and the reader gets to know some of the characters from the previous book a bit better. My only complaint is that now I want an "Ari and Dante go to College" book, too, because I don't want the story to end.

I wanted to love this book but it took me a while to get into in. The writing style felt too forced and too repetitive. Yes, they are cartographers (if you say so), and yes they are diving into the waters of the world. I get it already. However, I recognize that I am not the intended audience for this book. I think the right angst-filled teenager will feel that it is deep and properly introspective. I will be recommending it to that crowd. If they liked the first I think there is a good chance this one will land well too.

All that being said, I really did like the story. I thought it covered a lot of important topics well from birth, to death, to becoming an adult, to what it must have been like discovering you are gay in the midst of the AIDS pandemic. Despite the time between installments I thing this is a good companion to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

This book was beautiful. Better than the first one. I cried. I cheered. I fell in love. I laughed. I smiled. I love Ari's voice and I love how he sees the world, and I'm so glad we get to see the world through his eyes once again. This book tackles complicated issues both big and small and handles it with such grace. I can't wait for everyone to read this book.

E-ARC provided through Netgalley :)

At first, I was a bit worried that I would be completely underwhelmed by this book. And for the first 100 pages or so, I was. It felt a lot like just a rehashing of everything from the first book. But then it started to get really, really good. Just like in the last book, both sets of parents were my favorite characters. They’re so wonderful and such lovely people that it makes it easy to love them. I was a lot more emotional while reading this book compared to the first, and found myself tearing up a few times. Ari’s relationships with Dante, his friends, his family, and everyone else are so well done. The ending was pretty abrupt, so I didn’t love that. But everything from 25-95% of the way through the book was wonderful, and I really really enjoyed it. Bring tissues.

This book hit me right in the feels. After absolutely adoring the first book--it's one of my top 5 books of all time--I was nervous and excited for this one. It did not disappoint.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz maintains his poetic language throughout, and we get a glimpse into what the characters' lives are like after coming out. It was a bit of a jolt to the system to have them using the word gay so openly after the last book, but it was a welcomed change.

I was not prepared for the amount of death and grief in this book. My only complaint was that one of the deaths was so sudden, but isn't that the way life often is?

I adored Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, but the Universe found them wanting in book 2. Don't get me wrong the book was good, but it was long and it was saccharine sweet with dialogue and interactions between the characters that I just could not find believable. Would I recommend it, absolutely (especially if you liked the first one). Would I read it again, no.

Like many, I absolutely ADORED the first Aristotle and Dante book and I have waited years for this book to arrive. I can say, it really didn't disappoint. Everything I loved about the first book was there- Ari's introspection, his reflection on isolation, Ari and Dante's connection with their parents, the realization of what it is to be a man in his world that feels different, and of course the love despite it all. Saenz has a way of tackling a lot of different themes in this book (such as racism, gender inequality, the meaning of war, hatred in general) and yet it never actually feels heavy-handed. Surprisingly, my favorite parts of the book were actually Ari and his friends in the classroom. It felt natural to read about their coming-of-age in school and realizing that they don't have to listen to everything adults say. They are challenging things and finding what they believe in.

My only qualm with this sequel is that sometimes it felt like Saenz tried a little too hard to make Ari have some sort of profound epiphany on every single page. In that way, it felt like the pacing was a little off for the emotional weight of the book. I can easily forgive that because at the end of the day we knew this book was going to be 100% heart and he sure did deliver on that front. Perfect ending where Ari is standing at ____ looking at ___ is perfect.. <3

Sáenz writes such beautiful stories. I can’t read his books without weeping. This book was amazing - worth the wait and worth reading.

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters surpassed any expectations I had. The book is beautiful and it makes me extremely happy that one of my favorite books ever now has a sequel to be proud of.

Sáenz's writing is so beautiful at times I'd like to memorize some of the phrasing he uses. Aristotle and Dante continue their story, trying to figure out what it means to be gay, and young men, in a time when gay men are dying all over the US and no one is really paying attention to that. They meet some more really interesting characters and their parents become people to them, and to the reader.
A beautiful book.