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ferboss2023's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Outing, and Classism
nataliebootlah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Olga and Prieto are siblings. Both have quietly struggled with their mother’s abandoment decades ago to support Puerto Rican independence. Although they receive letters from her, they’re typically to ridicule them for partaking in the “American Dream” or to push them towards achieving her anarchist legacy. This novel portrays Olga and Prietos’ struggles to define themselves outside of their parents’ activism, abuse, societal expectations, and their own pasts.
While dense with political information, this novel will pull you in a few different ways. At times, I felt simultaneously sympathetic and totally aggravated with the characters. It’s a smorgasbord of sub-plots, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Puerto Rican politics (or PR in general) isn’t a common theme I see in books, which means I need to diversify my bookshelves. I’m reminded of how little I know about Puerto Rico. Yet seeing a congressman of Puerto Rican descent be the only one expected to talk about PR issues was uncomfortably realistic making it a good read.
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
morwenna's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Abandonment, and Colonisation
momobee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Abortion, and Deportation
pallasreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse and Homophobia
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
imds's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
alainajreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I will say that Olga Dies Dreaming was very well-written, and Gonzalez’s writing style caught my attention from the first chapter. I was really drawn into Olga and Prieto’s story and the complexity of their characters and the relationship between the siblings, their absent mother, and the rest of their family. I enjoyed Olga’s relationship with Matteo and learning to let herself trust after her abandonment issues and develop as a character (and call out the 45th President live on TV- we love to see it!) was satisfying. It was refreshing to read about a 40 year old protagonist finding love.
The last part of the book did feel rushed, with so many plot points wrapped into the last third of the book, and after seeing other reviews I agree with the sentiment that while Xochitl Gonzalez was ambitious in trying to cover so much background and Puerto Rican history in under 400 pages, the risk might not have paid off and left an incomplete narrative. However, I did listen to the audiobook and the narrators did a good job telling the story from different perspectives (with one scene toward the end was very hard to listen to). Olga Dies Dreaming attempted to cover a lot of ground, to varying degrees of success, in an overall impactful read.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Outing, and Colonisation
ecn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abandonment, and Colonisation