Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz ☆☆☆☆

I learned something pretty cool when reading this book. When you know an author, have heard them read, and hear them talk on a regular basis...yeah you hear them reading the book to you when you're reading it. It was really weird, but amazing at the same time. Saenz is a professor of mine, currently and in the past, and hearing him read and talk so many times, I could hear his voice in my head reading the book to me. Another cool superficial thing about this book, the cover is extremely beautiful! Ok, now to the real stuff.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is about two 15 year old boys that each have a hard time identifying with other people and find friendship in each other. And although this book is about two teenage boys, I could still completely identify with it myself. Ari is angry all the time and many say he also always looks sad. He hasn't quite found his place in life and isn't sure he ever will find it. Dante is charming and easy going, but although people easily take to him, he doesn't easily take to other people. One of my favorite parts of YA Lit is that it covers the topics of trying to understand yourself and how you relate to the world. I'm working on my Master's and I still don't feel like I've found my place, so this book was a great look into the characters and also into myself. Many reviews have said that this is a great book for boys, but I would argue that it's a great book for anyone.

Now, obviously I wasn't completely in love as I only gave it four stars, but it was within reason. I felt like a lot of portions of the beginning were too predictable and actually took me out of the story because of it. After finishing it, I realize that those sections were completely necessary, but I do still feel that they could have been toned down a little. They weren't subtle enough. But I do still love this book and believe that it's another great example of his writing. It's also been my first experience with a lyrical novel and I'm looking forward to reading more of them in the future.

The Lost Files: Nine's Legacy by Pittacus Lore

The Lost Files: Nine's Legacy (Lorien Legacies #2.5) by Pittacus Lore ☆☆☆☆☆

I was lucky enough to borrow this from someone because I just couldn't wait to read it. And it didn't disappoint.

When first meeting Nine in The Power of Six, he's almost wicked. He's described as being about the same age as Four, but there's something scary about him and you crave to know why. Starting Nine's Legacy you would never anticipate that they were the same person. Nine is a regular teenage boy that's impulsive and even a little shy. And all that changes so effortlessly that you can't help but hurt and feel a little wicked with him. I loved getting to know Nine and I can't wait to see how much further, and how he can change Four in the process.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore ☆☆☆☆☆

This book went in so many directions I would have never expected, especially as the sequel to I Am Number Four. The most interesting was that this book was told in alternating narratives between John and number Seven, Marina. While alternating narratives isn't necessarily strange (as many books use it now), what was strange was how they used it. As you started a chapter, there was never any indication who was narrating. There was no name at the top of the chapter as a clue. You have to figure it out as you read based on contextual clues. And swapping between a male perspective and a female perspective is even more jarring. At first it happens two chapters at a time, and once you get used to the pattern it changes. A couple chapters even have both narratives speaking in tandem. It was incredibly interesting.

I loved how far John and Sam's friendship grew, and how their friendship with Six further developed. I loved getting to know Marina and how she relates to her Cepan and the people around them. I even love that I got to hate two characters that I should have loved. One I loved and then hated, the other I hated and grew to admire in the end. This book was incredibly complex in how everything was pulled together, and the battles with the Mogs were extremely detailed. There was even small things that became so interesting. Parts of Six's backstory were pulled into the narrative, but I still found it beneficial that I read the Lost Files: Six's Legacy before picking up the sequel. I can't wait to read the next novella installment, Lost Files: Nine's Legacy, (hurry up library and get this ebook), and the next full book, The Rise of Nine, in August!