Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an upcoming movie based of the coming-of-age young adult novel by AMe rican author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle Ari Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships.