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emily_koopmann's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Violence, Abandonment, and Death
beckykphillips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
5.0
This was such an incredible exploration of family, grief, politics and the interplay between all. I also did not know much at all about the history of Puerto Rico and was fascinated by the history and disappointed at the horrific colonialism puertorriqueños experience. Olga and her family were absolutely fascinating and they felt so very real, Gonzalez’s prose is just amazing at transporting you right to where her characters are. Olga’s emotional journey throughout the book was beautiful and how she learns to open up and trust again after the years of emotional manipulation by her mother. Prieto being able to come into himself was also so satisfying and left me feeling hopeful about the future in their world.
I absolutely recommend reading this book and can’t wait to read more of her writing.
I absolutely recommend reading this book and can’t wait to read more of her writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, and Drug abuse
humblej's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I couldn’t have gotten through this if not for the audiobook. Some of the writing was beautiful and it was nice to see how different generations interacted. Aunt Lola was my favorite.
But it was difficult to connect with the characters. The disdain Olga had for everyone did not make her likable, and Pietro’s crisis was boring. Matteo is not 3D, and neither is Blanca. Therape was completely unnecessary. It added nothing to the story. She could have easily had the same breakdown after failing her mission and being disregarded again by her mother . The ending also brings into focus the selfishness of both leads.
But it was difficult to connect with the characters. The disdain Olga had for everyone did not make her likable, and Pietro’s crisis was boring. Matteo is not 3D, and neither is Blanca. The
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Abortion
renharms's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia and Rape
Minor: Abortion and Violence
nailal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The family dynamic in this book is wildly unhealthy and incredibly relatable. Reading about character's like Mabel, Tia Lola, and Olga's grandmother felt like I was reading about my family members and I could clearly assign each character to my family members. There is a lot going on in this book including an emotionally abusive absentee mother, an impending revolution, and despite all odds a healthy budding romance. This book is the perfect example that not everyone is meant to be a parent and deciding to have children because your partner wants them is NOT a good enough reason to bring children into this world. Not only did Olga's mom abandon her children, but she continuously went out of her way to manipulate and emotionally abuse her children. Olga and Prieto are not by any means perfect, but it is obvious that their actions are heavily influenced by the hold their absentee mother has on them. I'm happy that Prieto is breaking the cycle and is a loving and present father to his daughter. I'm happy Olga worked on her tendency to isolate when dealing with life and started to lean on her loved ones for the help she needs. I loved the ending - maybe letting her terrorist mother get away with bombing multiple places is not the responsible move - but it was a dramatic showing of just how much work she's done to distance herself from her mother. Here's to mourning people who only bring us pain and toxicity to our lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
I personally consider this a minor brief mention or description. We do not see the rape on the page. It is alluded to and then we move on to her dealing with the aftermath. I'm giving it a moderate warning because I believe that her thought process during the after math, while semi-brief, could be triggering to some people who might have rationalized their own trauma in similar ways.pferdina's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Rape
berrypatch's review
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
This book was absolutely incredible. Underscored by events in Puerto Rico and the deep sociological tension between a neglectful and manipulate mother and her pining children, Olga Dies Dreaming gives an impactful and informative insight into the impact of community, corruption of power, and pull between expectations and personal fulfillment. I cried many times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Addiction
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Outing, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Abortion, Rape, and Infertility
friendlypoet's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Racism, and Suicide
jcinf's review
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I keep going back between 4.25 and 4.5.
Dislikes:
The r*pe scene. It was very brief. A couple sentences. But it felt so unnecessary to me. (Page 331. Or at the end of the chapter titled “Control.”
The mom. I won’t give spoilers but God I hate her. There was nothing redeemable about her, and more than half the time I didn’t even want to read her parts she was in lol.
Richard. Perfect allegory for the rich entitled white man. I hate him, too. Though I will say that he was well-written. So I don’t count much against him. But, still, I think we could’ve done without the chapters being written from his perspective. To me it took away from the book as a whole.
Others mentioned the ending being rushed, but I didn’t think so. I was pretty happy with how it ended. Though I enjoyed the book, I didn’t need it to go on forever lol.
The two main characters — Olga and Prieto — definitely require a heavy dose of empathy to be OK with their characters. They’re a mixed bag of good and bad, I’ll say. Which is honestly how authors should be writing their characters anyways. Too “good,” and they won’t have much of a personality. Too “bad,” and most people won’t want to read it. So I thought the author did a good job of this.
I thought the plot was great. The dynamic of family and politics and culture was great. Matteo was great. Overall, a very good read.
Dislikes:
The r*pe scene. It was very brief. A couple sentences. But it felt so unnecessary to me. (Page 331. Or at the end of the chapter titled “Control.”
The mom. I won’t give spoilers but God I hate her. There was nothing redeemable about her, and more than half the time I didn’t even want to read her parts she was in lol.
Richard. Perfect allegory for the rich entitled white man. I hate him, too. Though I will say that he was well-written. So I don’t count much against him. But, still, I think we could’ve done without the chapters being written from his perspective. To me it took away from the book as a whole.
Others mentioned the ending being rushed, but I didn’t think so. I was pretty happy with how it ended. Though I enjoyed the book, I didn’t need it to go on forever lol.
The two main characters — Olga and Prieto — definitely require a heavy dose of empathy to be OK with their characters. They’re a mixed bag of good and bad, I’ll say. Which is honestly how authors should be writing their characters anyways. Too “good,” and they won’t have much of a personality. Too “bad,” and most people won’t want to read it. So I thought the author did a good job of this.
I thought the plot was great. The dynamic of family and politics and culture was great. Matteo was great. Overall, a very good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
carissa230's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Olga and her brother Prieto are both successful in their own rights. Olga is a famous wedding planner to the rich. Prieto is a politician. While their lives took very different paths they still cross paths from time to time.
Their mother abandoned them as small children to help lead a revolution for Puerto Rico. Throughout their lives their mother has popped in and out. Trying to control them from the outside. She wants what she believes is best for Puerto Rico and will stop at nothing to see it become reality.
This year is an election year and Prieto's life secrets are being threatened to come to light. He is trying to figure out how to keep his secrets while being somewhat true to his constituents and himself.
Olga has her own predicament. She is sleeping with the father of one of her brides. She doesn't want him, she just likes the power. She has finally met someone she thinks she can build a life with, if she can just not screw it up.
These stories are being told with the back drop of a Hurricane bearing down on Puerto Rico. Prieto is trying to do what he can to help Puerto Rico without risking anything of his own. He will do what he can to make everyone around him happy before assissting Puerto Rico.
Their mother abandoned them as small children to help lead a revolution for Puerto Rico. Throughout their lives their mother has popped in and out. Trying to control them from the outside. She wants what she believes is best for Puerto Rico and will stop at nothing to see it become reality.
This year is an election year and Prieto's life secrets are being threatened to come to light. He is trying to figure out how to keep his secrets while being somewhat true to his constituents and himself.
Olga has her own predicament. She is sleeping with the father of one of her brides. She doesn't want him, she just likes the power. She has finally met someone she thinks she can build a life with, if she can just not screw it up.
These stories are being told with the back drop of a Hurricane bearing down on Puerto Rico. Prieto is trying to do what he can to help Puerto Rico without risking anything of his own. He will do what he can to make everyone around him happy before assissting Puerto Rico.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Rape