The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life

With The Inexplicable Logic of my Life, author Benjamin Alire Saenz returns to a theme of his first novel Carry Me Like Water: the idea of what makes a family. I loved his exploration of that in the first novel, and I love that he again tackles the subject in this beautiful novel for young adults. While many think that blood determines family, I have long believed we make our own family, quilted together from those that we love and that love us, blood-related or not. The Inexplicable Logic of my Life tells of high school senior Salvador; his best friend Samantha; his father Vicente—the man who adopted him; his friend Fito; and his loving grandmother Mima, Vicente’s mother. There is not even a tiny bit of blood connecting Salvador to any of these people, and yet they are his family, bonded more tightly than any family ever. The novel is a tale of love and loss. There is plenty of death in this book, but there is no drama. Saenz writes of life, in all its simplicities and complexities, and life includes death. But one thing I particularly liked here is that the author makes clear something I’ve long believed: nobody ever dies; they live on in our hearts, guiding us and comforting us when we need them. And this is a powerful message to teen readers who, mostly, have not experienced much loss in their young lives. It is also a truth that those who have had loss need to hear. And Saenz makes his point quietly, beautifully, and with evocative poetry. This is the kind of great writing that teen readers need to experience. The narrative flows, the characters are true, and all the while, there is an underlying current of song. Saenz also speaks of the duality of the human spirit. He pointedly has Samantha call Salvador by the effeminate nickname Sally, while Salvador calls Samantha Sam. Through this suggestion, we see that these are full rich people, embodying stereotypical traits that we associate with both sexes. Sam is tough, yet tender. Salvador is sweet, yet combatant. And we, as readers, know that this is what makes people full and great. The Inexplicable Logic of my Life is a lovely achievement, a novel of power and beauty. It proudly takes its place on the shelf with its author’s other fine novels, for Benjamin Alire Saenz is one of our best.

If possible I would give this book more stars Mr Benjamin Alire Saenz does nothing but pour all his love into his words and as I mentioned on my tweet on regards to this book I wonder how I could possibly write a review on a book that reaches so deep into our hearts and makes us feel all these emotions we laugh, cry, get a bit angry with the world no bueno but mostly we love....Salvador or Sally as Sam calls him grows up in this Mexican American family fitting in but questioning how much he fits in we get to go in this ride of emotions where Salvie is getting to know himself he wasn't an adult, he wasn't a man but he wasn't a boy anymore... we also get to meet Sammy this spark of life that pushes Sally out of his shell he loves her to death and Fito who was dealt not the best hand but does so much without really loving himself as he should he is encouraged by this lovely family to give himself a break and as Mima says Dejarse querer. Mima I wish I had a Mima I love Mima and did I mentioned I love Mima? last but not least even knowing how much I love Salvie I have to say I wish I could hug Vicente he shares his love with everyone in need. I want to bottle Mr. B love and soul that he poured into this book to share with all those that need it. I found Mr. Benjamin's books thanks to 2 of my nieces I can see why they love his books he is nothing but poetic. Read this book and you would see why I have fallen in love so easily with Vicente, Salvador, Sam, Fito, Mima, Marcos and all of the lovely characters that make the Silva family who they are heart and soul. 💙💙💙💙💙

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was, I think, the first YA book I’d ever read with a gay protagonist. And I will always believe myself forever lucky to have picked that as my first. So the minute I learned that a new book by the same author was coming out, I pre-ordered it, no questions asked.I think the synopsis says it all. Salvador, called Sal by some and Sally by his best friend, has an incredible bond with his adoptive gay, Mexican-American father. But when tragedy visits him and his friends, Sal has to confront who he is and who he’s becoming.As expected, the writing is beautiful – detailed, lyrical, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. There are certainly moments that could be pegged as problematic, but (and this may be me viewing the book through rose-colored lens) I think the storytelling is nuanced enough to provide different interpretations and perspectives from which to view the events of the novel. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.What struck me was how singular the novel was in one particular way – the presence of family and the incredible father-son bond depicted. In a way, the book doesn’t feel like Sal’s story alone, so much as the story of Sal and his father through Sal’s eyes. I stayed up until 3:00 am reading about this pair and the people who fell into their orbit, and I didn’t regret a second of it.The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a must-read, especially if you loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It’s a story about love – family, friends, and everything in between.Recommendation: Buy it now!Review crossposted from Rich in Color: richincolor[.]com

I absolutely adored Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe, so really hoped I would enjoy this book as much, and I did. I love the way the author writes, with beautiful simplicity, heavy on the dialogue and the characterisation. I loved all the characters in this book! This story revolves around Sal, who has been brought up by his adoptive gay father, a man who was best friends with his mother. When his mother fell ill, she asked her friend to adopt Sal and raise him and he agreed. Sal has a tight-knit Mexican family; he feels loved and supported, unlike his best friend Samantha who has a tumultuous relationship with her single mother, and Fito, who avoids his home as much as possible to stay out of the way of his meth-addicted mother. Throughout this story, all three teens face death and loss and have to deal with grief and rage. Sal feels like he is losing grip of who he is when he attacks a boy who insults his father. After that first punch is thrown, Sal finds it hard to stop fighting. Where is this anger coming from? Perhaps it has something to do with the unopened letter from his dead mother and the fact he has no idea what kind of person his natural father was. An examination of the nature vs nurture debate through the eyes of three gorgeous teenage characters. I devoured every page and missed this book when it ended!

I really can't justify giving any book five stars; five stars carry the implication of perfection . How could a book be perfect? What would that possibly mean? Even if it is an entirely personal assessment - 'I liked it perfectly' - what would that mean beyond the possibility that I was entirely without any critical faculty? Yet there remain some few books whose power is such that they seem to trivialize any irritations with stylistic matters, shortcomings in the portrayal of the odd character, or some kind of discomfort with an aspect of the plot. For these few there is an inexplicable logic that forces the hand to click on that fifth star, and The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, for me at least, is one of these.It is striking that 'Perfect' is a word that crops up quite often in the text. And there is a central theme of concern with relationships that are less than perfect - parents and children who fail each other, and the struggle to find a way of not just tolerating, but discovering the puzzle of love for the person in the failed relationship.The challenge of realizing (literally: 'making real') the identity that is in potential for each of us is a lifetime task. But it is one that appears particularly clearly exemplified in gay literature, and in the adolescent or young adult difficulties with meeting parental and internalised parental expectations and hopes. Sexuality, with its many possible differences, presents a clear frontier to the individual, as well as to those others who surround us. 'Do I dare to reveal to others who I feel I am? Can I even acknowledge to myself who I feel myself to be? Will my difference be acceptable to others?' In these books the sexual identity is a clear and apt symbolic representation of the deeper inquiry about Selfhood. In this book, the dimension of sexuality is there, implicit in unanswered questions about Salvador's relationship with Samantha and with Fito, but it seems that the author wants to blur the edges of that particular debate by his choice of names for the characters. So Sam is a girl, and, the central charactrer, Sally, is a boy.No. More important is the problem of the parents who are dead to their children, either from depression, drug abuse, prejudice or actual mortality. Their absence is nonetheless a presence in the life of the child that has to be dealt with. Avoidance and denial play their part, but are rather temporary solutions until the child is strong enough to face the reality. The letter that Salvador takes the whole novel to be able to read, finds its counterpart in the journal Fito keeps, in which he holds the hidden Self that would be destroyed were it to fall into the hands of his abusive family. The mulberry leaves have a similar but much more subtle and nuanced role to play for Salvador. The mulberry leaves take the story out of the merely episodic, and encompass a level of meaning that is beyond logic; they hold the axis of the story that is beyond words.Words are so important. Their function of naming brings the uncertain into the manageable real world - brings a sense of control. Yet they also have the destructive function of limiting the symbolic to the merely rational. They need careful handling, and the characters in this story are masters of word play. I am reminded of a passage from an essay by Idris Parry (Stream and Rock, in: Speak Silence, [Pub. Carcanet, Manchester, 1988]) describing his French teacher: 'He made room for the absurd and he invited the marvellous, but his control of what he knew was as accurate as he could make it. Precision is the only sure base for fantasy.'Both the known and the unknown need to be held in tension, neither encroaching on the other. This is a kind of love relationship. And how often is love presented as a kind of madness that defies logic. This book can be read as an exploration of what it is to love and be loved, and how love is central to becoming one's Self.And now I'm reading about Zach's life (Last Night I Sang to the Monster). There it is again: words that live inside one, or don't; the tyranny of perfection; the ineffable logic of a trumpet tune.Shut up, and let me read!

Bejiamin Alire Sàenz is a fantastic writer. I really ejoyed this book. the story was great and touching and I could imagine the charaters and immerse myself in this book so easily.Defenaly raccomand this book- it will not disappoint you!

Loved the story line so so so much

goegeous coming of age story in the oustanding writing this author delivers ever so consistently

Another lovely book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. A smooth read with well thought out characters

The book came on time and in perfect condition.The writing itself is very simple and comfortable. This is my first book from the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me emotional - funny at times and my eyes were moist at times.The story is about a teenage boy who's trying find out what he wants to do in his life and try to understand how the world works and loss he has endured. It's set in new Mexico and has homosexual notes to it. It deals about the family , loss and mainly father-son relationship and friendship.The most surprising thing about this book I felt was, the protagonist and his girl bestfriend, remain friends eventually becoming brother and sister. The usual book troupe of the protagonist falling on love with his bestfriend is not there and that was interesting to read as the protagonist has both a girl and boy as his bestfriend.It's a very nice read and totally recommend it.

Hallo ihr Lieben :)Wie versprochen gibt es endlich mal wieder eine Rezension von mir und zwar zu diesem GROßARTIGEN Buch <3Mein erstes Buch in diesem Jahr und schon gleich ein 5 Sterne Buch mit Krone oben drauf ;)Das Buch "The Inexplicable Logic of my Life" /Die Unerklärliche Logik meines Lebens von Benjamin Alire Sáenz ist das zweite Buch des Autors, das ich gelesen habe und auch hier konnte er mich wieder absolut begeistern :)Worum geht es? (Natürlich ohne Spoiler)In dem Buch geht um den Protagonisten Sal (Salvadore) und seine beste Freundin Sam (Samantha). Diese sind beide 17 Jahre alt, leben in El Paso (Texas) und ihnen steht das letzte High School Jahr bevor. Das heißt: College Bewerbungen schreiben und einen Weg in eine ungewisse Zukunft einschlagen.Sam weiß ganz genau was sie will. Sie hat sich die besten Colleges ausgesucht, will einfach weg - und auch weg von ihrer eigenen Mutter, die sie hinter deren Rücken nur "Sylvia" und nicht Mom nennt. Denn ihre Beziehung zu ihrer eigenen Mutter ist keine, die man sich als Teenager wünscht. Sie streiten sich viel, ihre Mutter ist mehr abwesend als anwesend in ihrem Leben und was Sam immer wieder geholfen hat, seit sie 5 Jahre alt ist, ist die Freundschaft zu Sal. Ihrem besten Freund.Keine Liebelei, kein Flirten, kein "Oh ich glaube ich entwickel Gefühle". Sam und Sal sind einfach beste Freunde, die sich jeden Tag unterhalten, schreiben, texten, kleine Spiele haben wie WOTD = Word of the Day oder What if? Was wäre wenn...Sal selbst wuchs bei seinem Vater auf. Für ihn ist Vincente sein Vater, sein bester Freund, sein Ein und Alles - auch wenn er nicht sein biologischer Vater ist. Sal wurde mit 3 Jahren von ihm adoptiert, als seine Mutter starb und seitdem kümmtert sich Vincente um Sal als wäre er sein eigener Sohn - und noch etwas macht die Beziehung zwischen Sal und seinem Vater zu etwas Besonderem, Sal's Vater ist schwul und hat dies nie zu einem großen Thema gemacht, aber auch nie vor seinem Sohn verheimlicht.Dies ist ein wichtiger Aspekt in den Büchern von Sáenz, da der Autor selbst homosexuell ist und diese Thematik als Mexikanischer Amerikaner immer wieder in seinen Büchern auftauchen lässt - sei es durch einen Protagonisten oder wie hier, durch eine Nebenfigur. Das Thema ist präsent aber rückt auch gleichermaßen in den Hintergrund und übernimmt nicht die Kontrolle über das Buch.Wie Sam und Sal ihr letztes Jahr bestreiten, wie sie ihre Leben ordnen wollen, wie es ist in einer großen mexikanischen Familie aufzuwachsen, welche Hürden das Erwachsen werden mit sich bringt, all das kann man in diesem wundervollen, klugen, intelligent geschriebenen Roman entdecken.Der Roman hat witzige, lustige Momente aber auch Momente der Trauer und Rührseligkeit und dann, mit seinen vielen, kurzen Kapiteln ist dieses Buch viel mehr als ein Buch - man ist einfach immer wieder hin und her gerissen zwischen Momenten von großen Gefühlen, tiefster Vertrautheit und bedingungsloser Liebe und vielen Einzelschicksalen, die das Buch für mich zu einem ersten Jahres-Highlight gemacht haben <3Mehr Rezensionen auf: Britsbookworld -Meine Bücherwelt auf Instagram oder Facebook

He hablado bastante de este autor desde que leí "Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe", en esta ocasión me toca recomendarlo nuevamente para esta historia. Adquirí el libro aún con miedo pero con muchas expectativas y logró cumplir con prácticamente todo lo que esperaba del autor, la historia es entretenida, tiene sus momentos profundos, se lee con fluidez y te atrapa. El autor toca temas muy fuertes y lo hace de manera sencilla, sin miedo y hasta lo hace parecer sencillo.Tengo que felicitar a Saenz por su maravilloso trabajo y terminar diciendo que recomiendo completamente este libro y también al autor.

This is such a great book! I loved it to the pieces. I loved the way it describes the relationships, family and how life is not perfect and unpredictable. The relationship sal have with his father is so heart warming.It shows how parents care for their children , and want to protect them always. I cried alot during this book.!Also if you are someone who loves plot driven , then you might feel a bit dragged. This book is a character driven book . Not that, it doesn't have a plot, it does have a plot but the roles of character and the relationships between them is vital. It also deals with homo sexuality.Do give it a read!

Meh. These characters spend a lot of time telling each other how special they are and pondering how much love they have in their hearts, etc. This is not like any teenager I know or ever knew. They say each others' names in every sentence, and seem to come to loving, life-changing epiphanies in every chapter. Also, they are weirdly obsessed with their parents for kids that age. It reads as moralistic and somehow irksome.

This is one of my favorite readings from 2019! I love Benjamin Alire Saenz's books and this story in particular made me cry, laugh and sob like a 5 year old.I would recommend it to anyone. It is a coming to aahe book but it has a deeper feeling to it.

Fantastic book.One of the best ya books.This is a story about a teen boy and his gay father who adopted him.

Peligro para el precio que tiene está muy bien el único problema que veo en su estado son algunas manchas las páginas pero son muy poco apreciables y por el precio que se da no tengo objeciones. Si, es un libro muy bonito visualmente y además parece muy interesante

Eu só consigo pensar numa frase quando lembro desse livro. "As vezes você abraça um livro e ele te abraça de volta." Benjamin mais uma vez MA-RA-VI-LHO-SO.