The story is told from Ari’s point of view, and we learn about his and Dante’s relationship though Ari’s eyes. I found this especially true in the case of Ari’s parents who were still trying to process their own pain and figure things out for themselves. They are by no means perfect, but their depiction is positive and believable. I have to say that I liked the way in which the author depicted the parents of the two boys. His father was by no means a bad dad - he was just trying to deal emotionally with the demons from a horrible period in his life - a period that he simply did not want to talk about with anyone. Their FamiliesĮach boy’s relationship with their parents is also quite different: Dante’s relationship with his parents is more open and emotional whereas Ari’s is more distant and withdrawn - although he does have a fairly good relationship with his mother and I enjoyed the banter between the two of them. The two boys couldn’t be more different: Dante seems to have it all together where Ari is confused and angry at being shut out by his family, but their relationship intensifies as they begin to discuss art, their Mexican heritage, their families and their relationship with their parents.
Thus begins a deep and intense friendship between the two boys. One day at the local pool, Ari meets another Mexican boy the same age himself, Dante, who offers to teach Ari how to swim. Ari feels disconnected from the members of his family: his father won’t let anyone in and nobody ever mentions his brother as act as though he’s dead. The story takes place in the 1980’s and introduces us to Aristotle (who goes by “Ari”) a somewhat sad, angry and confused 15-year-old boy whose older brother is in prison and whose father, a Vietnam veteran, is suffering from PTSD. 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. 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. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. I picked up this book without really knowing too much about it and ending up totally falling in love with the lyrical writing, the vivid characters - everything about this story.Īristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison.
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