Genre and Themes: Young Adult Fiction - gay, teen life, boys, hate crime, Mexican-American
Aristotle (Ari) spends his summers at the local El Paso swimming pool even though he doesn't know how to swim. He later befriends another teen boy at the pool named Dante who teaches him how to swim and they end up becoming close friends although they are quite different. Dante is more open and expressive about his feelings while Ari is much more reserved. In an accident Ari saves Dante's life although Dante's doesn't walk away unscathed and suffers from broken legs. Afterwards there is a brief tension between the two since Ari doesn't know how to sort his feelings about the accident. Dante's father ends up getting a got in Chicago and Dante moves as well. The boys continue keeping contact although Dante is becoming much more open about his feelings and sexuality which makes Ari very uncomfortable. A year passes and summer comes along and Dante returns. The boys resume their friendship but not as close as before since Dante is fully embracing his new sexuality and Ari doesn't know how to deal with it until Dante is brutally beaten because of it. Ari blindly seeks revenge on those who hurt Dante and he realizes that maybe his strong feelings for Dante are more than just those of friendship. This is a great story about friendship and acceptance.Awards Won by This Title:
2013 - Stonewall Book Award
2013 - Michael L. Printz Award
2013 - Pura Belpre Author Award
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