Life is unpredictable, just like how Aristotle and Dante met in the swimming pool one summer day. They never knew how much they were going to go through together. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a book full of emotions; mainly tells a story about two boys who went through a lot together, and in the end, fell in love. One can always feel a connection reading the book: admitting your feelings is hard, and sometimes, embracing them is harder.
Aristotle and Dante, both fifteen, are the two main characters of the book. Aristotle likes to keep thoughts to himself while Dante has a sweet disposition and talks a lot. They become friends in no time after they meet, but soon life takes an unexpected turn. One afternoon, when they were walking, Dante sees an injured bird in the middle of the street; when he is picking it up, a car comes around the corner. Aristotle instinctively pushes Dante out of the way and ends up with one arm and both legs in casts. Life is hard for Aristotle, but with Dante, it became easier- Dante always makes him happy. When Aristotle's injuries finally heal, school starts again, and Dante leaves to attend school in Chicago because his dad gets a job there. They are apart for a year, in between they write to each other; time passes quickly, and Dante comes back the following summer. However, that summer Aristotle's Aunt Ophelia suffers from a severe stroke, and Aristotle's family has to go and visit. When Aristotle is visiting his aunt, Dante gets into a fight and gets bruises all over his face. Aristotle comes back very angry and wants revenge. He soon finds out that Dante got into the fight because he was kissing a boy named Daniel. From then on, Aristotle is tense and absentminded. Finally, Aristotle's parents confront him that he should not run away from his feelings: he should embrace the fact that he loves Dante, and Dante loves him.

When I read this book, I learned a lot of things. First of all, I realized that even though it's hard, one should always have the courage to embrace their feelings. For example, on page 492, Aristotle is trying to run away from the fact that he likes Dante, as his Dad notes, "Ari, the problem isn't just that Dante's in love with you. The real problem for you, anyway- is that you're in love with him". Before that day, Aristotle hadn’t dared to admit it, he keeps trying to hide his identity, however, it will only build up as time goes on. Additionally, I learned that silence isn't an option. Throughout the book, Dad keeps having bad dreams and hiding part of himself. From Ari's perspective, Dad doesn't seem to care about him and is always the silent man who wears the scar of the war. That feeling continues until Dad tries getting out of his silence and talks to Ari about memories and his feelings, and Ari realizes how much Dad went through, and how much Dad cares about him. For example, on page 491, when Dad finishes talking about one of the fights that left him a scar during the war, he admits, "Maybe I do. Maybe it's time to stop the dreams." Dad tries to open up and get out of his silence since that is the only way to get things off your chest and share with your loved ones about your past. Finally, I learned that family loves and supports you more than you can ever imagine, and not to keep anything from them. For example, Dante is always afraid of telling his parents he is gay since he thinks it is going to greatly disappoint them. However, when Dante's parents finally know, his dad says, "I don't care about grandchildren. I care about Dante." Parents’ love is much stronger than one can imagine. They care about you and like you just the way you are. 

After When I read this book, I learned a lot of things. First of all, I realized that even though it's hard, one should always have the courage to embrace their feelings. For example, on page 492, Aristotle is trying to run away from the fact that he likes Dante, as his Dad notes, "Ari, the problem isn't just that Dante's in love with you. The real problem for you, anyway- is that you're in love with him". Before that day, Aristotle hadn’t dared to admit it, he keeps trying to hide his identity, however, it will only build up as time goes on. Additionally, I learned that silence isn't an option. Throughout the book, Dad keeps having bad dreams and hiding part of himself. From Ari's perspective, Dad doesn't seem to care about him and is always the silent man who wears the scar of the war. That feeling continues until Dad tries getting out of his silence and talks to Ari about memories and his feelings, and Ari realizes how much Dad went through, and how much Dad cares about him. For example, on page 491, when Dad finishes talking about one of the fights that left him a scar during the war, he admits, "Maybe I do. Maybe it's time to stop the dreams." Dad tries to open up and get out of his silence since that is the only way to get things off your chest and share with your loved ones about your past. Finally, I learned that family loves and supports you more than you can ever imagine, and not to keep anything from them. For example, Dante is always afraid of telling his parents he is gay since he thinks it is going to greatly disappoint them. However, when Dante's parents finally know, his dad says, "I don't care about grandchildren. I care about Dante." Parents’ love is much stronger than one can imagine. They care about you and like you just the way you are.

In conclusion, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is such a meaningful book that taught me lessons as I faced the challenges in life with the characters. Discovering the Universe is a challenge, but one can always start the mission with their loved ones.