Reviews with content warning for Murder - Dreaming of You

Melissa’s definitely such a talented writer. There are lines that made my jaw fall open. I think my own problem was that I’m not entirely used to informal and formal poetry mixed together like this, the form.

The plot of the novel also in the middle threw me off a bit. Because it wasn’t as ‘Selena central’ as I thought it could have been. Which I guess is the point. There are also parts with the You turning into a fish and all of that, that felt out of place for me. I almost wish it was one theme or the other (love and identity) as sometimes they didn’t mesh too well or felt out of place with one another (mostly some You bits). Some parts fell a bit short in comparison to the highs of the book.

I lost the momentum by here and it seemed I wasn’t as excited to finish it as I was to start it.
But it was an enjoyable and unique read, nonetheless.

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toffishay's review

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emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really connect with Melissa's voice. This is funny and a little morbid and dives more into the author and the reader than anything else; like all poetry it reveals the most about you.

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funkyauntjules's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this was just SO fucking good. it's so incredible how she was able to build the world, challenge it, and change it all while maintaining a dance between humor and all that is CREEPY. i absolutely burned through it. the epilogue and alternate endings specifically were such a treat. melissa has a GIFT i tell you a GIFT!!!!

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eslsilver's review

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dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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anniefwrites's review

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

In other books, I'd see asking questions like "Wait, who is this character?" or "Where are we?" or "What is actually happening right now?" as flaws in the clarity of the language. But in this case, as the title implies, Lozada-Oliva has set us up to dream, to float in that liminal space between reality and imagined narrative, between seeing and being seen. So I just went along with the confusion I sometimes felt, and that release of control over knowing everything for certain was really freeing. I also think that the core scenes were clear enough to create really strong images and moments. It made me think about the way that violence and love can sometimes seem like the same thing because they're both rooted in wanting. And Book-Melissa's journey from constantly wanting to be watched and wanting to be her own adored pop star to living in the unwatched, solitary, reality of existing rather than performing left me with a lot to mull over. I love the way Lozada-Oliva's voice jumps off the page in it snarky, self-aware humor and images of everyday life's minutiae. A weird book in the best way.

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whentheresteeth's review

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I loved this book, though I knew I would. Melissa Lozada Oliva's poetry has always held a special place in my heart and this book now does too. I'll be forever grateful to her for teaching me about Selena and about girlhood and about poetry. Highly recommend!

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readinghavoc's review

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adventurous dark funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A fun read in a format unfamiliar to me, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to someone trying to get more interested in poetry who doesn't vibe with the poetry they read in school.

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literategirl's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’ve never read, as she put it, a novel in verse before. I never thought I was much of a poetry person but I follow Melissa on twitter and when I saw she had written a book I knew I had to read it. I felt seen and understood by her and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed poetry quite this much before. There’s a certain depth of understanding that I know I didn’t quite have, not being the target demographic for the book, but that didn’t bother me while reading it. Instead, it was a window into another person’s experience. There were a few points where it felt disjointed, but over all I really loved it. In part because I love things written in a stream of consciousness style and in part because I love reading books that are by, about, and for women.

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