Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

32 reviews

nestofwordsandblankets's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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

I was pleasantly surprised by how this book navigates family dynamics, culture, colonialism, and internal conflict. Set in New York during the early 90s through the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Xochitl Gonzalez did not go for the cheap grabs that many...not just Puerto Ricans...faced during this period. This book dares to look deeper into the relationship with Puerto Rico and its tumultuous history with the USA. 

How do you strive for the "American dream", support change, and continue to support the traditions of the previous generation? 

Olga Dies Dreaming is a medium-paced, character-driven narrative. The plot points in the story were interesting, but there were some questionable gaps that didn't distract me. While the end felt a bit rushed, the characters showed growth throughout the narrative and the conclusion felt satisfying. The colloquialisms throughout the book were not distracting at all and brought a familiar sense of community to the narrative. 

Recommendation to review trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Suicide

snipinfool's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

ecarper's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Any book that makes me feel the way this book, especially the ending, did deserves five stars. 
This book deserves a spot of my shelf next to The Things We Lost to the Water. A family saga about love, betrayal, colonialism, and (maybe even the futility of) the American dream. Absolutely amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence

breese's review

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual violence and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

jularcido's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Homophobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, War, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Colonisation, and Addiction

mfallon3491's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

lizzisok's review

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide

lexlibris's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

A bit of a slow and seemingly-disconnected start, but by act two everything picks up and falls into place. As a filthy anarcho-commie myself, I thought it’d be another red scare-type villain book but it ended up not really being about that at all, despite the central antagonist being a leftist extremist freedom fighter. The story takes on big subjects and massive historical events, yet at its core and by the end, the novel is about two siblings, the aftershocks on their lives when they’re abandoned at a young age, and how they heal through the family and community they had all along. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Outing, and Drug abuse

lillie_reads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse

soundlysmitten's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

I loved this story to bits. Olga is the best heroine I could imagine following in this time. She is unapologetically herself and her relationship with her family—especially how she was with her abuelita/is with her brother Prieto—is heartwarming in the realest way. Also, the romance she has had me sighing at times without ever being over the top. And I was glad for the emphasis on each person becoming self motivated to heal their own past wounds. That it’s not another false “I’ve been walking around with loads of issues but now that I’ve found you (and you’re so wonderful) I’m all better” narrative. But most impressively, in my opinion, Olga inspires essential discussions around family and identity while also broaching a number of issues which have long gone unacknowledged by those with the kind of privilege which allows for the closing of their hearts and eyes. 

 

Take the impact of gentrification, as examined in this story. It can be overwhelming and upsetting to think about, but it’s a necessary conversation. Local people shouldn’t be the only ones who care about local lives. As the book describes happening in Puerto Rico, foreigners with money are constantly displacing locals all over the place by pricing them out of land they have no right to. And it seems whack for that to not even register as wrong to some people. You know, I understand the urge to withdraw into the issues of your own community only. Sometimes that alone can feel like too much. But I think it’s important to recognize a continual need to broaden your awareness of what others are up against, and I so appreciate this novel as a lens through which to do that. Growing up, I was taught to be outraged over the illegal overthrow and annexation of my home. But I have never stopped to think about how things differ for Puerto Rico and other places the U.S. has deemed territories, but not states. In referencing a myriad of things the U.S. has done to/failed to do for Puerto Rico, this book has sparked in me a drive to pay better attention and find greater ways to stand in solidarity.

 

For those who have already read the story, the only thing I felt was lacking is consequences for Dick. But it doesn't often play out that way, does it?

 

Thank you Xóchitl González & Flatiron Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Outing, Sexual assault, and Suicide