Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World Book Analysis

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, published on October 12, 2021, became the most-awaited sequel by Benjamin Alire Saenz. The book tackles the lives of two boys who have answered the secrets of the universe―they are gay; homosexuality runs through their bodies. And as they dive into the waters of their own cartographed world, it revolves around how their newly discovered secret affects their lives and those who belong in it. On top of this, it focuses on the personal growth and understanding of the two protagonists among themselves.

"...and you will know too that you matter more to the universe than you will ever know." (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2021)

The first thing that piqued my interest was the book cover of the first book; it gave me an initial thought that it was a poetry book, to give justice, it was poetic―and that made me start reading the duology. What captivates me the most is how the book tells a slice of life, mainly because the author himself was in place of either Aristotle Mendoza or Dante Quintana. Additionally, the book does not only revolve around the two boys diving into their worlds but also familial love, people who are more than willing to bring oxygen tanks for them to dive deeper and discover everything about their gender.  

The first book was an eye-opener, so I expect the book to be a breath of fresh air as the first book had given me. The whole concept of same-sex relationships with people who identify themselves differently than their biological gender has always had a place in my mind. I wish to be enlightened more about the hardships and breakthroughs they may encounter within or outside themselves. Owing to the fact that they are merely into adulthood makes everything blur, leaving them perplexed will hopefully make its readers be part of the journey towards discovering the answers to thousands of questions on the minds of Ari and Dante. 

In this coming-of-age novel, the tenderness and harsh reality the two lovers would face in a world unfamiliar or rather do not want to be acquainted with the fact that love comes in all gender― including man to man. I find the book engaging, and it is something that you would not want to finish in one sitting; you would like to take your time in it and appreciate the realness. Most importantly, the dominance of male fragility seemed like no problem in the book when in reality, it appears to be taboo. The book made me feel like a parent watching my kids grow up and eventually handle things the way they want them to be. To discover their zone and find their own people. Most importantly, the author did not stop himself from expressing all puzzled kids would feel; there is openness, vulnerability, questioning, confusement and everything in between and how they work through it. Surely, this book knows its way to the hearts of the readers.