(2) YA As this sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (rev. 3/12) opens, the title characters take a memorable, romantic camping trip together in the desert before beginning their respective senior years at different high schools. After returning from the trip, narrator Ari comes out to people in his life, including his nemesis, whose brother has died of AIDS (like the first book, this is set in the 1980s), and in that moment a new friendship is born. The story explores many of Ari's relationships--with his parents, particularly his father, until tragedy strikes; with his brother in prison, with whom a visit proves disappointing. But it's his relationship with Dante that dominates his thoughts, often expressed in letters written down in his journal. Sáenz once again applies wisdom and humor to familiar themes such as forgiveness and redemption, the value of teachers and mentors, and the definitions of valor and manhood. The award-winning first book broke ground as a novel about LGBTQ+ people of color (Aristotle and Dante are both Mexican American). It's a mark of progress that nine years later, its sequel is not such a rare bird. Nevertheless, devoted fans of the previous installment will relish the experience of this one.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) YA Mexican American seventeen-year-old Salvador gets into two fistfights at the start of senior year. Things get more complicated after Sal's grandmother's cancer returns, best friend Samantha loses her mother, and his gay, adoptive dad begins dating again. Sáenz's distinctive prose is lyrical and philosophical; as self-effacing Sal narrates, readers feel the profound importance of family and friends and the transcendent power of love.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) YA Two boys, Ari and Dante, strike up a friendship that will change their lives in ways both subtle and profound. When Ari saves Dante's life but breaks his own legs in the process, it cements the bond between the two Mexican American families. Ari's first-person narrative--poetic, philosophical, honest--skillfully develops the relationship between the two boys from friendship to romance.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2012

(2) YA Eighteen-year-old Zach finds himself in a rehabilitation center with a host of problems. He gradually comes to terms with the past through sessions with his patient, caring therapist and discussions with his middle-aged roommate, who imparts wisdom and perspective from his own battles with addiction. Few readers will remain unaffected by Zach's poignant, heartfelt journey.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia. On the first day of summer, Octavio Rivera begins to dream. He shares these visions with his granddaughter Regina, who also experiences dreams as if they are "good friends who...console you when you're lonely." Sáenz's long, languorous sentences in English and Spanish beautifully evoke a dream state. Valencia's richly hued and textured surrealist tableaux are both accessible and inspired.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) YA Working-class teen Ramiro Lopez goes to an all-Hispanic high school. Jake Upthegrove is a wealthy WASP with anger-management issues who attends the magnet school next door. Both struggle with feelings of abandonment, and the boys relate their stories in parallel first-person narratives. The book takes a while to get going, but intriguing supporting characters and a vivid El Paso setting help sustain interest.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008