The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Publisher: Clarion Books

Genre/Themes/Demo: YA, Contemporary

Release Date: March 7th 2017

Page Count: 452

Format: Hardcover/Audiobook

ISBN: 9780544586505

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Author Website | Book Depository | Amazon | Chapters/Indigo

Goodreads | Kobo | Audible

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Initial Post Reading Thoughts

Ugh. This book. So beautiful.
(Literally these were the only words that were coming to mind after finishing the novel!)

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Synopsis

Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief. Suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and discovering that he no longer knows who he really is—but if Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

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What I Liked

The characters. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love character driven stories which is probably why I love contemporary stories so much. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a very character driven story. While this is one of my favourite aspects of young adult contemporary novels, the characters in a character driven story need to be fantastic or the story can feel really boring. Not only was Sal a fantastic character with a great backstory, but the other minor characters were just as amazing. I loved Samantha, Vicente, Mima and Fito so much. These characters fit together perfectly to create an excellent story.

The relationships. There were so many different relationships between all of the characters and I absolutely loved all of them. I loved Sal’s relationship with his father, Vicente. I loved Sal’s sibling-esque relationship with Samantha. I loved the way Vicente treated Samantha as a daughter. I loved both Sal and Samantha’s friendship with Fito. I loved Sal’s relationship with Mima. This list could literally go on an on. Each of these characters had a special relationship with one another and it was wonderful to see, despite all of their tough life situations.

Tough situations. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life did not hold back when it came to exploring heavy life situations. This story deals with the death of loved ones, adoption and finding birth parents, drug addiction and so much more. At times, it felt a little overwhelming, but in the long run it really made this book and these stories feel more realistic.

Vincente. If this isn’t one of the best parental figures I have ever read about. No scratch that, he’s one of the best characters I’ve ever read period. Vicente is so loving and so caring and literally made his sole purpose in life to take care of his son and his son’s friends. So much so that he even sacrifices his own happiness to make sure that those around him are happy first. I won’t ruin anything for those who haven’t read the book yet, but I’m just so glad things turned out the way that they did for Vicente. He deserves the world.

The heartbreak. As mentioned above, this book deals with a lot of heavy subject matter. With heavy material comes some heavy heartbreak. There were moments in this novel that truly made me feel heartbroken. While these moments made me feel upset, in the long run they helped these characters to grow and mature. 

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What I Didn’t Like

The length. Honestly I loved this book so much that I’m not taking any points of for this. For a contemporary novel, The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life is quite long and at times it felt as though the story was dragging a little. However, I loved everything else about this novel. Honestly, so good.

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Overall, I don’t think that Benjamin Alire Sáenz can do any wrong. I mean, I’ve only read The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life and Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe, but both of these books have been 5 star reads for me. I can’t wait to read everything else this man writes, especially the HIGHLY anticipated sequel to Aristotle and Dante!

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About The Author

Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He is the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the American Book Award for his books for adults. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpre Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas, El Paso.

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Thank you for reading!