From the hardcover:Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls and that Ari has built around himself.
But when Ari and Dante meet, they bond. They share books, thoughts, dreams, laughter. They teach each other new vocabularies and begin to redefine each other's worlds. And they discover that the universe is a large and difficult place.
This is the story about two boys, Ari and Dante, who must learn to believe in each other and the power of their friendship if they ever are to become men.
In breathtaking prose, American Book Award winner Benjamin Alire Sáenz captures those moments that make a boy a man as he explores loyalty and trust, friendship and love.
Two boys who are not "normal" meet by chance one summer day. One is sad and withdrawn, the other is sociable but weird in the eyes of his peers They become best friends and help bring out the best in each other in this fantastic book. Ari never felt like he fit in (the above quote is an Ari thought) he just din't know how to act around people. Dante was strange in his own way but never pressures Ari to be something particular. He didn't expect him to be a certain way so Ari is able to be less guarded, more himself. And a beautiful friendship begins.
For me, this is just one of those books that hit so hard. I think the first time I read this (almost two years ago) I did so in one sitting. After I finished, I read it again starting the next day. I devoured it slower the second time, really letting everything sink in, discovering new bits of information. I told my best friend about it and said I had to buy a hardcover copy for myself. (I borrowed it from the library to assess it before purchasing.) Next thing I know she bought me a copy (such was my gushing about it.) When she gave it to me, I told her she had to borrow it first, because I knew she'd love it too. I also sent a copy, all my favorite parts marked with post-it notes, to a friend for Christmas.
It's a little difficult for me to put my finger on exactly what about this book spoke to me. It is beautifully written, but I think more than anything it was Ari. Dante had his moments too, and their parents, oh how I loved their parents. I'm hard pressed to find anything bad about this book, I may have rose colored lenses on though, but that's what happens when you fall as hard as I did. If you are not one of the people I have basically forced to read this book, you should read it, chances are, you won't regret it.
No comments:
Post a Comment