I've received recommendations for this book since its release. Since before it was littered with award stickers. Since before I even know what it was about. And, fine, I'm a sucker for a pretty cover and a swanky title. Sue me. 
 But this book... it's good. Heck, it's more than good. It fill a niche that's not filled. LGBT literature in quasi-mainstream fiction? Something that doesn't take place in the northeastern United States? Yes, this is needed. 
 Let me discuss the characterization first: Aristotle and Dante are not what you expect. Aristotle is the loner who doesn't have any friends, but he's also angry and likes to fight. Dante is the boisterous one, the loudmouth boy who befriends him, who's sensitive and likes poetry and art. These are not your typical character tropes. This is a genuine effort to make real, relatable boys who are defined by who they are rather than who they're attracted to. Thank you. 
 The action is gradual. It's almost non-existent, unless you're looking for it. It seems like a simple story about friendship between two silly high school boys. But it develops. It develops so subtly that you can miss if it you don't pay attention. That by the time you get to the gritty stuff, it hits you that they've grown. Kind of like life, I guess. 
 But I'm only giving this three stars because of the ending. Which isn't fair, but 
 (view spoiler)[ the end is really rushed to me. Ari's parents are cool, and it's cool to see parents actually have a role in a character's life, but they literally sit him down and tell him he's gay. "Follow your heart" types of things. I'm not really buying it. I wanted Ari to figure it out, to realize his anger toward Dante isn't anger at all. And he just... accepts it? I don't know. The world-building is good, but I really expected more when I got to the end. (hide spoiler)]