The Inexplicable Logic of My Life {by Benjamin Alire Saenz}

Title: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Genre: YA Contemporary
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: NetGalley

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he? 

Oh man. Where to even start? Ari and Dante will always have an extra-special place in my heart, and I knew going in that this wouldn't live up to that, so I tried very hard not to hold it up to that level. But this book was still amazing in its own right and I adored it.

Pros:

• there was no romance! I loved that. This is a love story--between family, and between friends. Sal and his friends stayed friends, and I LOVED that. I thought the relationships showcased here were beautiful, and I think we definitely need more stories like that. I was honestly expecting one at any moment, and so was pleasantly surprised.
• actually present parent figures?! Well, kinda. Sal's father is a huge part of the story, and I loved how present and involved he is not only in Sal's life, but in the lives of his friends Sam and Fito. (The same cannot be said for any other parents in the story, dead or alive.)
• the story was very character driven and I loved that. Saenz is a master at crafting real and raw characters, and this story was no different.
• I loved the family that they create for themselves (Sal and Sam and Fito and Vicente and even Marco and Maggie the dog) but also just seeing the normal, healthy friendship between Sal, Sam, and Fito was super refreshing to see.
• Sal is a white boy adopted into a Mexican family, and I thought it was showcased beautifully. Sal is Mexican because his family is Mexican, end of story. 

Cons:

• there was...no plot? I was half expecting something to happen, but it really is just a book about Sal's angst. He's starting to have questions about his birth father, why he's suddenly punching people, and then the grief of his Mima getting sick. But hey, I think being an angsty teenager is perfect understandable.
• Saenz's writing style isn't my favorite. I don't think I noticed it as much with Ari and Dante because I listened to the audiobook, but his way of writing short and choppy sometimes made me feel like I couldn't completely get into the flow of reading.

All in all, this was just a beautiful story about life. It dealt with big issues like love and life and death and grief, in the beautiful, haunting way that Saenz is known for. Can you tell I loved this book (like jeez how many times can you say that word)? 

Benjamin Alire Saenz:

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