A fine coming of age story of a Mexican-American boy in El Paso, Texas in 1987. Aristotle (Ari) Mendoza is fifteen, usually angry or sad, sometimes both, and unwilling or unable to articulate why. He has few friends, and prefers the solitude of the desert for thinking about his life. That is, until he meets Dante Quintana at a local swimming pool and Dante offers to teach him how to swim. 
 One of the things I liked best about the book was how Ari was written. He seems to mature as the novel progresses, which I welcomed because I thought he was pretty irritating at the start of the book. Though with that said, I would have liked more introspection on his part even if it was in the form of more journal entries. There are some revelations which, as a reader, I thought, why has this never come up before? 
 The characterization of both Ari's and Dante's parents I felt was pretty apt. They care and are as involved (without hovering usually) in their childrens' lives as they can be. There is a candor between them (particularly within Dante's family) that doesn't devolve into friendship - it is always clear who is in charge. 
 I've found that the best YA books have had me wishing they were full on literary fiction novels, which is the case here. Then again, I also recognize the value of genre, and that I am clearly (as I've said for all other YA books I've reviewed) I am not the target demographic for it. Still, it's well written with interesting characters and presentation. I understand a sequel will be forthcoming. I may just have to check it out.