Benjamin Alire Saenz has such a unique and beautiful writing style that I think people will either love or hate, it can seem pretty choppy at times. But I personally LOVE his writing style it just makes the characters seem so real and genuine. He is also so good at writing characters that are different and maybe a little bit flawed. Basically they really do seem human. I didn’t love The Inexplicable Logic of My Life as much as Aristotle and Dante but it was still a really good contemporary filled with tons of diversity!

The thing is there isn’t really a storyline but yet so much happens as the characters grow. There is a lot of death but I think the character development couldn’t have happened without the deaths. I guess I’d say that this book is a perfect example of a character driven plot as opposed to being plot based. Another thing I love about Saenz is that his books are about love, growing up, and can be so freaking hopeful in the worst of times.

Anyway, the story centers around Sal, and his best friends Samantha (awesome name by the way haha) and Fito. Sal is starting his senior year and it is all peachy until he hits a guy who calls his adoptive father a faggot. This is a changing point for Sal and he starts hitting people that make him angry. This just isn’t who Sal is so this kind of starts a war inside Sal – where is this anger coming from? Sal goes through a lot of grief and changes trhroughout the story but with all of Saenz books there is hope in the end, and love really does conquers.

I liked all of the characters except for Sam. I don’t know I just did not click with her. She was annoying, and seemed kind of selfish. And she is huge part of the book so it isn’t like you just gotta deal with her every now and then. She also goes through a lot of change and character development but I still found her annoying even as the story progressed.

Anyways I really did enjoy The Inexplicable Logic of My Life. I think it is a really important book to read even with the little things I didn’t like such as Sam, or how sometimes it was kind of slow going.

I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

First off, I want to say I love this book. It was a slow start, but in the end, I had to give it five stars.
The writing is impeccable. I kept thinking, throughout the whole book, that the writing was very poetic, but still seemed very much like a 17 year old boy was speaking.

What I didn't like, it was slow. But I often think that about many books that are well written and it's more the fault of my ADD than the authors. I was very eager to see some action or something more shocking happen, but the book kept a steady pace.

No matter. It was still a five star book.

I loved this book! I am a fan of Saenz's other YA, "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe," and this one was just as well-executed, if not a little better (in my opinion). The writing manages to be both poetic and plain at the same time, a combination that serves the story well. I liked the focus on friendship over romance. The slower, character-driven arcs within the story never feel TOO slow because the writing is so good. Full of tender human moments, and the diversity (particularly Mexican-American culture) was spot on. Really well done.

There are several over-arching themes in this book that I really liked. Dealing with grief as a result of losing once's mother is one such theme. All the main characters have to grapple with grief. Another subject that Saenz explores in this novel is the concept of family. In a way, the three teenagers in the story are all orphans in the traditional sense of a family. Their biological parents are either dead or absent. However, Salvador's adoptive gay father ends up taking on the role of a parent for all three of them. Thus, Salvador's already non-traditional family grows even further as two of his friends become his de facto siblings. Thus, Saenz really hits the nail on the head: family is not about biology and blood ties. Family is people supporting each other, caring for each other, those who are there for you no matter what. I have always believed that all of us have opportunities to express mothering/fathering qualities regardless of whether we have any biological children. By the same token, children can find mentors, role models and father/mother figures outside of their immediate biological relatives. And this is perfectly fine. Family so much more than nature as Salvador comes to realize.

I did however give this book only 2 stars. And this is largely because the writing style just did not work for me. Parts of the book dragged or sounded unbelievably corny and trite. Overall, I thought the book at times was taking on a quality of a Hallmark channel movie, and did not rise to the level of "Aristotle and Dante". So I would say this book is fine for YA audiences and for the author's fans. But it is definitely a cut below of what this author did in "Aristotle and Dante".

Salvador's story was an exploration of all kinds of love, especially love in the face of tragedy. In similar style to Saenz's previous book, the tone is quiet and calm, and very deep. It was a privilege to read and I will be recommending it.

I really liked it, like a lot!, I still like Ari and Dante a little bit more, but anyway the writing style of this book is just as wonderful


4.25 / 5 Stars

I believe that the plot in brief is about Salvador trying to find himself and find out who he really is, when I started to read the story and I became more acquainted with this character, I immediately realized that he's a lost boy , ie, I like him and you learn to love him , it's sweet and generous, but at the same time things begin to happen to him, he has changes in her personality where he become aggressive at timest, his puzzles him and makes him think that maybe it's not as good as everyone says it is. Which makes you think that he sincerely can't find him place in the world and many things are going through him head. For what I could say is a self discovery trip to Salvador, where we will see him go through many stages of growth, we will see him suffer, laugh, and learn how life works.


Vicente is the Salvador's adoptive father , he's simply UNIQUE, I love this character from the beginning and I end up just loving him more, I'm amazed by his behavior, he's so warm, kind, understandable, he's just a Great Father, not just for Salavador, for Sal's friends too.
I like so much how he manages his sexuality, being open and honest with his son, I've highly valued that.


Samhas been Sal's best friend since ever, and the relationship between them is quite particular to me.
They are completely opposite characters and even so they're capable to build one of the most solid friendship I've read.
Sam is strong and independent, she's very problematic on the one hand but on the other you can see how fragile she is, she needs that love that Sal offers and Sal needs the raw reality that Sam can offer him, they are a great team.
There were moments that I have to confess that I could feel a sexual tention between them at times or at least that's what I've perceive.
In short I've loved this relationship, one of my favorite things in the book.


Then we have Fito, also a friend of Sal, he is one of the most adorable people in the world, is that he has touched my heart, he comes from an abusive family and with a lot of drugs and yet he has had the ability to take care of himself and to be always directed to the right path, this character destroys my heart, because my mind can't understand so much suffering and loneliness for which he has passed and I just want to hug him forever.

Family is the main theme of the book, that is very easy to see, the intra-family relationships and the different problems within it.

Each of these characters has a totally different life experience, which makes them unique and they can also have incomprehensible personalities, react in a way and talk in a way that seems inappropriate, but do you know what?
Yes, there were things that made me uncomfortable for moments, things that you will see when you read the book, but there is more than that, you have to keep in mind, that the ability to create characters so real that Benjamin has, is incredible, no one will react like another, and maybe that's a problem for you but it's the reality and I love the variety of personalities in this.
And I clarify this because I have seen that some people felt offended or thought that some expressions of the book were out of place, and that can happen , of course!, but that comes with the variety, and is that no one is equal to anyone, nor thinks the same as anyone, and above all no one is expressed in the same way and it's important to take that into account before judging an entire book just for a few unfortunate phrases, Just keep an open mind. But that's just my opinion :).

If you want to know why my note hasn't been complete, it's simply because I felt that the book is too long, the chapters are short which is great, but at the same time there are repetitive chapters and that's annoying me.

Good to finish because I left a little long, YES.Will I recommend the book?
The plot is very complete, has topics such as adoption, diseases, sexuality, friendship, family, self discovery and loss.
If you are interested in something of this , then you will probably enjoy it.

// Trigger warnings in this book: loss, depression, homophobia //

I didn't know there was something I was missing till I picked up this book and started to read it. This story is what was missing, these characters and their unwavering loyalty and love is what I was missing.

The warmth of Benjamin Alire Sáenz' familiar words and how it was right there waiting for me knowing how much I needed them is why he will always be a favorite author of mine.

And no, this wasn't his best work. No, this isn't Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets the Universe but it's magic nonetheless and I dare you not to fall in love with the kind of characters that only Sáenz knows how to write.

Oh boy I’m mad. When I first started reading the book it felt like I was finding a new favorite, I knew that I was going to be giving it a 5 star rating, but as you can see that didn’t happen. The Inexplicable Logic of my life took all the wrong turns when they could’ve been avoided, it was problematic, hurtful and ruined a story that could’ve been amazing otherwise. And I’m disappointed in the author. And sad.

The writing is good, beautiful even, it’s Benjamin Alire Saenz so what else can you expect? The prose is lyrical and that’s what saddens me. ALL THE WASTED POTENTIAL. The beauty of it was ruined by a whole bunch of offensive sentences that played on bad stereotypes. Especially when it comes to the gay representation. I lost count of how many times I cringed because the author used sentences like “For a gay guy, my dad was pretty straight”, “That’s so gay”, and “You ARE gay” referring to a gay character that chose a cute dress for his friend.

Oh and we can’t forget about how it would probably even hurt Mexican-Americans who are already trying to figure out their identities with phrases like “All three of us wouldn’t make one whole Mexican” and “You’re not a real Mexican”. Last but not least, the all so overused ableism like “Emotional Anorexic” and “Schizophrenic dork”. The only thing that comes to mind when I think of all this mess is WHY? These sentences can easily be deleted and it wouldn’t change anything to the core of the story.

I’ve read around that the book has no plot which in a sense is true, but it’s a character driven story, focusing on the growth of the main character and his close entourage, so I didn’t mind that, I actually liked it. It is about family, friendship, grief and love in all of its forms, I liked how it put emphasize on how love is expressed differently by different people. The characters all had separates plotlines -or journeys- of their own that explored them as individuals and made them ultimately grow, even the secondary characters.

Now onto the part of it that enraged me. This is about how the sexual assault scene was handled and I’ll be blanking it for multiple reasons. <Spoiler> Sam who is the main character’s bestfriend was dating this guy that wanted to rape her but she managed to escape and call Salvador (the MC) who came to the rescue. All is good. He often thinks about beating him up. All is good. When he finds her talking to the rapist -and the guy apologizing- he’s about to do it but she slaps him. What I have a problem with here isn’t the fact that she slapped him, because she did it for him not for the rapist. But why was she talking to him in the first place? Why was she listening to what he had to say? What he did was sexual assault and no apology can make it alright, and it’s wrong to make people believe anything else. But the WORST, is how it’s dealt with for the rest of the book. Or how it’s NOT dealt with. The author never calls it what it is -rape, sexual assault- he kept saying that he tried to hurt her. For 1, he DID hurt her. For 2, THAT WAS SEXUAL ASSAULT, saying the words won’t kill you. <End of Spoiler>

Salvador, the main character, is a very sweet guy, but a very lost one. He starts having these urges to punch people who hurt him or the people he cares about and he doesn’t know where they come from. His relationship with his bestfriend is the softest friendship ever with cute banter.

But Sam, oh Sam! She has some really good qualities, she’s very caring, and a smart-ass witty girl but as all the good things in this book, she was ruined. The author tried so hard to make her “not like other girls” (which I hate) that here again he played on some really wrong stereotypes. She was made to be this girl who calls other girls bitches, didn’t befriend them and didn’t respect other people’s privacy, being very pushy and invasive at times. Oh there’s also the all so famous “One thing about Sam is that she didn’t throw like a girl”. Someone tell me what throwing like a girl looks like, because I sure don’t know. Lord have mercy.

Vicente -the dad- would be, if this book wasn’t so problematic, my favorite parental figure in YA. He’s such a gentle wise man who’s so generous and knows how to be the kids’ friend while still being the dad and having them not cross boundaries. I also liked how the family was so close knitted. It just felt real and authentic.

I think that’s it for this review. I’ve talked about it all. To be honest, I’m very frustrated with this book, because it’s wasted when it could’ve been beautiful. It honestly doesn’t feel like Ari & Dante and The Inexplicable Logic of my Life were written by the same author. Just because of how unproblematic and representative (the words of people who are represented in that book) the first was and how messy and hurtful this one is.

Sadly, there is no way for me to read this one, since it doesn't have a Kindle option, which I did not know previously.

*review of an ARC received through netgalley*

Actual rating: 4,5 out of 5*

This is not a story about romance. This is not a story about romantic relationships. But it is a story about love, and love takes many shapes.

Salvador, an adopted boy with a gay father and a crazy best friend, is struggling to come to terms with his identity, with who he really is and who he might become. This books tells us about his journey through his senior year, his journey through one of the most complicated phases of someone's life, and how important family can be when you're trying to get over the hurdles life throws your way.

One thing I really loved was the way the author showed how family does not walk hand in hand with 'people who share your blood'. In this story we get hit by the strenght of the emotional bonds you create with those who end up becoming the most important people to ever cross your path. And those who stay, those who help, those who matter... they aren't always the ones who share your DNA. Nature vs Nurture is a topic this book dives into, and it's wonderful.

I have to point out that most of the characters are not people you find at every corner in the real world, they tend to be a bit unrealistic. It seems the author cherry picked philosophical teenagers and put them together to create this story, making it so darn quotable. It is, however, quite relatable to those who are also going through the same struggles as the main characters.

The only reason why I didn't give this book the 5 stars (theoretically, because when rounded up it is 5 stars) is the typos. Mistaking 'you're' for 'your' and vice versa, and the plurar for the singular and etc... But those can easily be found and corrected in the final version.

I'm looking forward to everyone putting their hands on this book. It made me tear up, it was beautiful and full, full of life.

I think it's important for me to mention that, unlike most people who have read The Inexplicable Logic of my Life, I have not read Saenz's previous book Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. A couple of the reviews I have read for this novel, suggest that they weren't as invested in this as they were with Aristotle and Dante but seeing as I haven't read that, I couldn't be disappointed. While not many things happened in Salvador's story, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. His voice was wonderful, and the prose was beautifully written. All the characters were real and relatable and came from diverse and difficult families. It was a lovely book. I definitely will be reading Aristotle and Dante in the near future.

In Benjamin Alire Sáenz's novel, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, Sal is about to embark on his senior year of high school, flanked his best friend Samantha and by a boy named Frito. For the most part, Sal lives a quiet life in El Paso with his adoptive father, who also happens to be gay. Sal's life, which up to this point, has been stable (unlike his friends) and slightly predictable, quickly begins to unravel.

This story is very internal and introspective. Readers looking for action and romance should look elsewhere. Even though there isn't any romance, there is lots of love. This book explores all different kinds of relationships (and their flaws), as Sal attempts to navigate the complications that arise. I think teen readers would benefit from watching Sal reflecting on his choices and looking toward his future.

This Book Is Wearing Dignity. So Much More Beautiful Than Pearls.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a brilliant story of youth at an end, adulthood on the horizon, the meaning of family, the many faces of love, and the difficulty of knowing how to hold on while at the same time letting go.

It’s a fitting theme for readers who loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Some of us are having a hard time letting go of that one, and for good reason. But if we hold on to it too hard, looking only to the past, we’ll miss the captivating beauty of this next one. And that would be a tragedy.

“Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself.”

That's about as much as the blurb has to say. Pretty short for a 464-page book. Is that really all there is to it? Of course not. But to reveal any details of complication or plot would be sure to spoil something. That said, it’s not a plot-driven book. It reads more like a cross between a journal and a memoir, written by a modern teen with an old soul.

If you like the sound of that, you'll flat-out love this book.

Yes, the novel has diverse characters—rich, magnificent characters. No, it does not have romance. It has joy. It has anger. It has kindness. It has fear. It has painfully long moments of holding your breath, and it has the inevitable surrender of taking the next one.

Because eventually you have to. Because life goes on.

But what this book has most of all is grace. It is the grace that stays with you--and what you will hold on to--long after you have turned the last page.

For me, this was highly problematic. I'm pretty disappointed, because I had super high expectations, and everyone seems to be loving this.

Therefore, I don't really want to do my typical detailed breakdown of all my issues. Here, have a list instead:
- The writing. The writing was. A lot like this. Stilted. Repetitive. Yes, the writing was repetitive. It repeated itself. In repetition. Like this.
- The handling of sexual assault
- The subversive misogyny
- Almost flippantly offensive
- Seriously, the writing was almost a non-starter

Wow! Wow! Wow! This book was so beautiful and amazing. Mr. Saenz has done it again. I loved every one of his characters. They are so real and raw and honest. Also, the imagery was superb and the writing lyrical. "You saw me. You've always seen me. And I think that's all that anyone wants...Seeing someone. Really seeing someone. That's love." This book, I believe, is about family and love. The overriding theme is that families can look like anything and in this case it ends up being three seventeen year olds and a single gay man. The three teenagers, Samantha, Salvador, and Fito have all had a rough start in life. Fito is homeless and Samantha is living in a bad situation so Salvador's dad takes them in. Salvador is dealing his Grandma's cancer diagnosis and bullying at school because his dad is gay. "Some people were just born into the wrong family or adopted by the wrong family, or they were born with something broken inside them. There wasn't anything broken inside my dad, even though some people thought there was because he was gay. But those people were wrong. They didn't know him." This coming of age story pulls at the heart strings and focuses on the fact that you don't need the same DNA or a legal document to be a part of a family. Love is what makes a family.

there's a lot of telling with little to no showing in this book that made it hard for me to complete.

Thank you to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group, and Clarion Books for the ARC, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz. This is another beautiful, heart-breaking book (just like Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe). Saenz has a powerful way with words and also his titles. The main character, Salvatore (known by family and friends as Sally or Sal) goes into much thought and depth about logic and also inexplicable logic throughout his deep soulful searches on life, love, family, being a senior and how to find his way in the world. Sal tells the reader his life was good, happy, and he was not bothered by much until senior year when he begins to question himself, starts getting into fights, withholds himself from his father, and his best friend, Sam. The one constant in Sal’s life is his grandmother, Mima, who has always loved and accepted him and now she is dying. Will Sal be able to survive this unbelievable loss? When will he open and read a letter from his mother? Will he be able to conquer his fears and grow up to be the kind of person his Mima, Dad, Sam, and new friend, Fito, know he can be? Readers will ache with the sadness and longing in Sal and his integral relationships and will grow with Sally as he questions, laughs, cries, and forges toward his future. A strong, authentic, YA read with diverse characters.

This book is everything. I love how Saenz can be so sparse in his writing but say so much. I love that he develops characters that are flawed and real. I love how he examines family life. I love that we get an inside look into different cultures and ways of life. I love the diversity. I love how he can create the best friendships I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I love how he shows how love can come in all shapes and sizes. I love how much I loved this book. To me, this is a perfect book. One that is accessible to every type of teen reader. One whose flawed characters have the potential to connect with so many different types of people. I don't look at this book as a "teen book" but rather a human book. One that every human should read because they are sure to get something out of it. A book that is so beautifully written that it feels like a work of art. Thank Benjamin Alire Saenz for doing what you do. Just when I thought I couldn't love a book more than I loved "Aristotle and Dante," I get this gorgeous piece! Can't wait to share this with every reader and non-reader I know!

i liked aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe, but i also didn't, if that makes sense. i was a little worried to read the inexplicable logic of my life because of my experience with ari and dante. benjamin alire saenz is a fantastic writer. he really knows what he's doing. in saying that, these types books aren't usually my thing.

one of the major issues i have with with the inexplicable logic of my life is the lack of plot. i found more things happened in this book than in ari and dante, and so i definitely prefer this book. the characters are a whole lot more relatable. i liked sal, although he started to annoy me towards the end. sam was also great, and her development over the book was amazing (i didn't really like her originally). fito was a great addition to the gang, and i love the friendship between the three.
my absolute favourite thing about this book is sal's dad, vicente. he's such a lovely person. he's just so nice and understanding to everyone. i really enjoyed how he adopted the others and treated them as his own kids when he really didn't have to. he just wants the best for everyone and to help. i haven't read many books where the parents have a prominent role, but vicente is like a father and a friend to his son. he should teach a parenting 101 class.

i really enjoyed this book. i love the diversity and the authors poetic writing style. i recommend others to pick this up and give it a go. it's such a fast, easy read and definitely worthwhile.

A warm, lovely story about all kinds of love and the importance of family and identity and belonging.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz has a beautiful gift for stories full of love and happiness, and the uniqueness of the voice of his characters is a marvellous thing to read.