Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Audiobook By Benjamin Alire Sáenz cover art

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

By: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
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Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria!
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. Audible Essentials Coming of Age Difficult Situations Family Family & Relationships Friendship LGBTQ+ LGBTQIA+ Creators LGBTQIA+ Essentials Lambda Literary Award Literature & Fiction Romance Essentials Stonewall Book Award Heartfelt Suspenseful

Featured Article: The Best YA Audiobooks for Listeners of All Ages


Young adult audiobooks offer some of the most affecting, original stories that, despite the genre’s name, make an excellent choice for all listeners. Unforgettably poignant coming-of-age stories, hopeful tales of youth resistance, and brave teens reckoning with questions that stump even the wisest adults are at the heart of this exceptional genre. Our list features diverse characters and ensembles that will make it impossible to press pause.

Featured Article The Best YA Audiobooks for Listeners of All Ages

Editor's Pick: Best of the Decade

Lin-Manuel Miranda. Need I say more?
"Following the lives of two best friends during the 1980s, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe is so much more than a coming of age story. While it tackles growing up with harmful ideas about masculinity, sexuality, and identity, it’s also a heartwarming tale of finding your person. Ari and Dante are faced with some of life’s most difficult problems while they’re adjusting to the already confusing landscape of being teenage boys. Theirs is a story about the complexities of love, friendship, and family—in addition to a story about learning to love yourself and grow past the cruelties and injustices that the world sometimes throws your way. And to top it all off, when paired with Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s poetic prose, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s performance makes this one impossible to stop."—Michael C., Audible Editor

Authentic Characters • Complex Relationships • Emotional Depth • Supportive Families • Poetic Writing • Perfect Pacing

Highly rated for:

All stars
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a heartwarming, heart-wrenching, sweet, sad, laugh-out-loud funny, coming-of-age story so deftly told by Mr. Saenz. A better narrator, Mr. Miranda, could not have been chosen. This book will stay with me for the rest of my life. I will never look at teens the same.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Both the main characters and their parents were special beyond words.

Which scene was your favorite?

The entire book was fabulous, even though I think I went through a box of Kleenex.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't have time to listen to any audio book in one sitting. I mostly listened to this one in my car and on my long bike rides, as I do all my audio books. Very satisfactory.

Any additional comments?

I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough. To teens and young adults, to parents, to fans of the mm genre... to just about anyone. Oh how I loved it!

A brilliant gem in a sea of mediocrity

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The ending felt very forced and really watered down a good message. I don't like the narrative that a person wouldn't risk themselves to save someone else's life unless they were sexually attracted to them. Other than that, it's a great story of friendship and the transition to adulthood we all go through.

great book but lame ending

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Beautiful and poetic writing combine with important messages of self discovery at a most trying time; adolescence. Benjamin Alire Saenz is a writer who speaks clearly to a broad audience and provides both insight and poetry in one beautiful package. As an artist and teacher, I am inspired to read more of his works. I will most certainly recommend this book to others of various ages.

poignant and poetic and truly authentic

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Miranda was an excellent choice for this beautiful book. Moving, masterful, and dripping in the beauty of raw humanity. Wonderful.

a perfect performance for a phenomenal book

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this book was amazing it covers so many topics that need to be covered. This book was honestly pure beauty.

beautiful

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Lin was the perfect choice for narrator! This book makes my heart all fuzzy! Wonderful!

Beautifully Written

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The first person coming of age story with Miranda's voice as narrator is my favorite book this year. I fell in love with Ari and Dante too!

Absolutely beautiful

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this book is outstanding also because this book has curse words although i´m 11 this book is a perfect match for me!! just splendid i´d rate this 4 out of 5 stars, still great!! I bet people over the world would come to read this book about a boy that truly finds himself.....

the best book ever and most adored!!

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I LOVED THIS SO MUCH
I honestly found myself really relating to Ari and his relationship with his parents
I loved how things didn’t move so fast and how we just followed Ari though out it all
Dante is so unashamed about who he is
There are also a lot of amazing quotes in this book
Ari and Dante have absolutely stolen my heart

Ahhhh

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Lovely story. I could guess each turn of the page on this book so there was nothing suspenseful about it. But it was fun to listen to because of Lin-Manuel. I would listen to anything he narrated! Overall, good book and glad I listened to it.

A bit predictable but Lin-Manuel is amazing!

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