Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

24 reviews

torturedreadersdept's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abortion

daniellekat's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense 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

4.25

I’m having a very hard time rating this book. 
Overall the writing was excellent, especially at the beginning. I loved the first half of this book. The organization of the book was engaging with the multiple POVs and the letters interspersed. I was invested in the characters and loved all their interactions especially as the book grappled with the theme of identity. 
But as the book went on,

the turning point was after Mabel’s wedding

I started to feel like the author was taking the easy way out. A lot of the conclusions just felt simple and almost unnecessary based on the book up to that point.

I really disliked Preito’s coming out story. It felt like his positive HIV status served only as a purpose for him to come out. Same with the SA, it was an easy way to write Olga’s “breakdown” and that part of the narrative could have been driven in another way.

 
Finally, two things that are personal pet peeves that this book hit were books that have chapter titles but no table of contents and books with pointless epilogues. Ugh. 

I will add that the audiobook narration was 10/10. The multiple narrators and the way they spoke carried so much of the attitude of each of the characters. Would highly recommend that format for anyone looking to read this! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Outing

Minor: Addiction, Abortion, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, and Infertility

HIV/AIDS

mschmidt's review

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault and Racism

Minor: Abortion, Drug use, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, Infertility, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, War, Misogyny, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Outing

Minor: Abortion, Deportation, and Homophobia

kaitlinlovesbooks's review

emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Rape, Homophobia, Outing, and Infidelity

javafenn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

5.0

I want to start off by saying the narration is phenomenal! Especially Olga’s. There was so much growth for both Olga and her brother Prieto and the end left you satisfied. The whole book was a roller coaster of emotions and drama. It was great to see a perspective of New York from the eyes of Puerto Ricans. You get a feel for the culture and the familial ties they carry plus the racism and stigma they face as Americans to a foreign land that also happens to be American. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Infidelity, Misogyny, Colonisation, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Infertility, Homophobia, and Outing

gracescanlon's review

challenging 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? N/A

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Addiction

Minor: Drug use, Racism, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Classism, and Death

hkburke2's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

Complicated feelings here. The narrators were great and I enjoyed the writing and characters. The complex plot was intriguing, but it did feel like there were so many elements here that they might not have all gotten their due? I think the first 75% had me and the ending was then rushed. But overall I'm excited to read more from this author. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Sexual content

Moderate: Rape, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Suicide, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Racism, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion

kdailyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Homophobia, Rape, Xenophobia, Racism, Suicide, Alcohol, Violence, Terminal illness, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Infidelity, and Classism

Minor: Abortion, Infertility, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy

ladygetslit's review

emotional informative reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Rape, Homophobia, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abortion