While any sequel is bound to be compared to the first book, I think it is fair to say this one lives up to its promise. There is just as much quiet, introspective beauty and as much tugging on your heartstrings in this as in the first. I can freely recommend both of these books to any patron - teen or adult - who has any interest in a relationship based book.

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World is the beautiful, heartwarming sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. This story manages to be contradicting concepts simultaneously: both simple and complex; both light and heavy. The explorations of romantic love, familial love, and love in friendship are so true and touching.

Though the book doesn’t feel like it was completely necessary, I love what the author did for Ari’s development! It was lovely to read, just love following along to these two!

I loved the first book, but this was a divergence from it. Not necessarily bad, but definitely different. It was easy, in the first book, to love Dante and Ari and root for them to get together.

This book dealt with a lot of healthy debating the future and coming to grips with the reality of having a relationship, which is difficult for everyone. Especially gay men in the '80s. It's a brutally raw, very realistic exploration of what it was like in a broader context, beyond just Ari and Dante in their isolated little family units, to be gay in the '80s. It wasn't pretty. Some of the things Saenz brings up are heavy, but they're real.

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World is definitely darker and heavier. There were plot points that I didn't love, but dang it if it didn't bring me to tears at least once. Despite not being what I expected as a sequel, it's a solid book that I really enjoyed and would recommend to readers who enjoyed the first one.

My whole entire heart. It was so great to be able to spend more time with these characters as they continue to grow and learn.

I was very impressed with this novel. Sáenz has written something really powerful that I think many people can get something out of. Great book!

When I heard there would be another story about Ari and Dante I ran to netgalley to request a copy and I devoured it all in one sitting. Alire Saenz has a way of writing that is so gripping and emotional and I can never get enough.

I worthy sequel that resolved some lingering questions from the first novel. Be prepared for some strong emotions! I likes many of the new characters, and thought Ari's development from teen to young adult was realistic and touching.

This follow-up is just as beautiful, poetic and genuine as the first book. It's incredible to read how Saenz is able to encapsulate such challenging topics of racism, homophobia, sexuality and societal pressures into a book with such profound philosophy, light, and hope. I especially liked how he has captured the mind of a high schooler with the highs and lows emotions of anxiety, confusion, and happiness, often switching gears back and forth. Saenz manages to write in a way that is appealing and relatable to audiences of all ages.

I would highly recommend this to my high school students and anyone else looking to fall back in love alonside Ari and Dante.

Where do I begin? I have no idea. Sometimes there's so much build up around sequels that they end up being a let down. That is NOT the case with Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. Benjamin Alire Saenz smashes it. It was so wonderful to be back with these characters, to see them grow and watch how their relationship continues to develop. I can't say enough about how amazing this duology is.

I adored the chance to revisit Aristotle and Dante and their story. I felt that this book wasn’t as good and the story wasn’t as strong as the first, but it was still so good. I loved how it picked up right where the first book left off and I love following the continued character development for these boys and their families.

<i>"Strangers meet strangers every day -- and generally those strangers remain strangers. I thought of the sound of his voice the very first time I heard it. I didn't know that voice was going to change my life. I thought he was only going to teach me how to swim in the waters of this swimming pool. Instead, he taught me how to dive into the waters of life."</i>

TL;DR: I really, really struggled with this one. So much so, that I straight up skimmed the last 10% of the book because I was weary, and I felt like it should have ended ages ago. What got me was (1) the story seemed too "on the nose" -- almost didactic in places with the heavy-handed messages that Readers Should Know; and (2) the sequel seemed unnecessary. Some stories feel unfinished, so sequels make sense. This one didn't to me. I'm sure personally, and for some readers, they couldn't wait to read more about Ari and Dante, but I was good.
<i><b>I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </b></i>

Vibes: I don't even know. This kinda reminds me of the YA problem novels of the 1980s and 1990s that I read growing up -- and were what made me seek out other, non-YA books.

Genre: Queer True YA Coming-Out / Coming-of-age
Second in a series, but *could* function as a standalone.
Definitely True YA. Ari & Co are very much on journeys of self-discovery and coming of age; some of their realizations and journeys are a bit "yes, learned that" for NA

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
There is A LOT of talk about love. Both romantic and other types of love. A. Lot.

Character MVP: Cassandra. A new character to this book; kind of your textbook frigid-bitch type, until she and Ari have a heart to heart, realize they're each human beings, and become besties.
I may not like the arc, but the character is intriguing and definitely brings energy to her scenes.

Verdict: I really hate not liking a book. It feels frustrating to have spent time trying to get lost in a world and story and connect with characters, but then I feel bad reviewing it.

It just wasn't for me.

I am sure -- 100% sure -- that this book will resonate with other readers and they will love it. That's the cool thing about stories: they speak to different people in different ways.

Why I Didn't Give This One-Star:
--There's a scene / plot event that happens about 72% of the way through the book (and lasts until about 78%) -- that moment is what saved the book for me. I won't spoil it, just in case, but that was one of the moments where I actually (1) got lost in the story; (2) connected with the characters; and (3) reflected on bigger things and my own life.
--The writing style was less choppy in this installment. So that's a bonus, I think.

What Didn't Work For Me:

✖️ -- Much like the first book, ALL of the characters sounded the same. And Saenz isn't super big on "tags" so there were times when I would be lost as to who was speaking. And, again, reading aloud didn't help.

✖️ -- Everyone sounded like they were existential philosophers. They ALL had profound things to say, and said them (relatively) eloquently that it was just a little exhausting to read.

✖️ -- It also felt, to me, that every line was trying to be some deep, profound quotable line -- the type that you would see on Instagram with an aesthetic artsy background.

✖️ -- Again, much like the first book, a lot of telling and not showing. Maybe this is just Saenz's writing style, but its very declarative. And jumpy.

✖️ -- I'm very confused about Legs's age. She seemed to age to the point of being "old" overnight. I don't really remember how old she was in Book 1, but Ari talks about her being a puppy, and now she's got no energy and sleeps all the time and has trouble getting up...it's been max 2 years?

✖️ -- I mentioned this above, but this book seemed very didactic in parts. There were lots of Big Conversations about Aids and how the Catholic Church views homosexuality and how they're wrong -- with these big sweeping statements that just felt overly didactic to me. Perhaps because I've already internalized all those messages -- e.g., no, homosexuality is NOT a sin; love is love is love -- they just felt a bit preachy to me, and a bit forced.

I do believe that this is an important book, and yes, I'd probably even want my kids to read it -- mainly because I did appreciate Ari's realizations about parents-being-humans and teachers-being-people and think that's important for a younger audience to think about.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is one of my favorite books of all time and is one of two books to make me cry in public (but not because it was sad, it was just that emotional). I had high expectations for this sequel which came out nearly a decade after the first one and I was not disappointed. Picking up just minutes after the first book ends, this book shows that kissing your crush and starting a relationship is sometimes the easiest part. It's being in a relationship as a teen that can be hard.

I was afraid going into this book since I loved the first one and was afraid there was going to be unnecessary drama. While not everything was fluff and games, the story was the quiet calm I loved about the first book, without it being a book that didn't give his characters obstacles and things they needed to surpass to be better and enjoy their love story the best they could. It took me a long time to read it but, as soon as I started, I was captured again by the amazing way the author writes, soft and raw, genuine feelings poured onto the pages. The pace was good, the plot consisted in the characters growing up and finding out who they were, and by the end, I realized I shouldn't have been afraid and just enjoy this little gem the author gifted us. Maybe it wasn't exactly the book I was expecting, and it was maybe too painful to read at times, but it still was a book I won't forget easily, not the books and not the characters, main and side, everyone.

Below follows a guest review written by a friend who read the book and wanted to share his thoughts:

“After reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the secrets of the Universe, I was apprehensive that a second book would nowhere near be as good as it. But after reading Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, I was amazed at how Saenz made the characters feel realer than ever, writing a storyline that saw Aristotle and Dante mature in the face of so many obstacles. I was scared after the first book that the fairytale ending of the first would be ruined, but I think what really makes this book even better than the first is it's honesty, sometimes brutal honesty, that the world isn't a perfect place.

I think all of us can point to those moments or years in our life where we began see how we fit in to the huge world out there. In the same way, it's no longer just Aristotle and Dante and their friends and El Paso, just like in the title of the book, the two now have to confront how they fit in as individuals and together into the world beyond them, which is such a beautiful journey. I think that this book, a kind of second coming of age for Aristotle and Dante, is a must-read-- I'm sure Aristotle and Dante will be capturing so many hearts once again."

I felt torn about whether I wanted to pick up this review copy from the beginning. And after starting it and finding issues with some of the language, I did some more in depth research about the criticism around Saenz. And I promptly DNF'd the book.

This a sequel I have been waiting for for almost a decade! It was so lovely to revisit characters we had already fallen in love with. Catching up with Ari and Dante felt like going home.

After reading Ari and Dante last fall, I craved the upcoming sequel with a ferocity. Admittedly, I did not have to wait as long as everyone else, and I am ashamed that it took me so long to read the first installment.

Ari and Dante are in love, and this second novel follows them as they learn how to stay in love, be with each other, and overcome a world set against their very existence.

I will absolutely be adding this novel to my LatinX Lit circles and classroom library. Saez has such a gift for entrancing prose and characters that stand off the page and walk around with you.

The sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe this follows the ups and downs of Aristotle and Dante's budding relationship, Ari learning to accept his sexuality as a gay young man in 1989 Texas, and the general trials of life.
The main reason I read this book is because I had heard so much about the first one. It definitely gave vibes and I was hoping for more growth from Ari. Was a sequel necessary? Not really. Did I still cry over the pivotal climax? duh. It was cute to read about the after of a YA romance, but I also was exceedingly annoyed by Dante who seemed super childish and Ari who struggles to get out of his own way. Also, there's a final scene where Ari forcesencourages a classmate to come out that made me cringe in addition to the transphobia (though a reflection of the time) surrounding Ari's brother and not having been addressed. Overall, it was a heart-wrenching coming-of-age and accepting yourself YA novel with Mexican LGBTQ+ representation.

A poetic, meditative, and loving coda to Aristotle and Dante. I'm glad that we get more of their world as Ari grows more comfortable wtih who he is and explores his family trauma and his place in the world as his authentic self. His journey is particularly poignant set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis.