Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

25 reviews

steffieras's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, War, Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Rape, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Death of parent

iris3271's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Rape

Moderate: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Outing, and Death of parent

teatunesandtales's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, War, Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Xenophobia, Outing, and Infidelity

Minor: Abortion, Drug use, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, and Addiction

ferboss2023's review

emotional 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Classism, Suicide, Rape, Outing, and Homophobia

julieriley99's review

emotional informative reflective

• 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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Addiction, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Lately, I feel like I’ve been reading a lot of books about secrets. This one does that in a particularly gut-wrenching way. The way that Gonzalez let’s the reader sit with information, then draw their own conclusions about the characters motivations invited a more interactive experience for me. Gosh I really do love flawed characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Addiction, Genocide, Rape, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Abortion, Bullying, Deportation, and Infertility

madzsmiled's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Olga Dies Dreaming is an excellent study of generational trauma, duty versus self-fulfillment, and the Puerto Rican Diaspora. 

Olga and Prieto are the pinnacle of the American dream - grandchildren of immigrants who find success along all the right pathways, much to the chagrin of their revolutionary mother. I think more than anything this book demonstrates the complexities of cultural identity and the importance of creating a supportive family (whether that's by blood or not). While at points it meandered through the plot, the story was not about Blanca the revolutionary, but rather Olga and Prieto coming into their own as individuals. They each find happiness in honesty and fighting the good fight in their own ways. I really loved it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Minor: Rape and Terminal illness

heather_palmer's review

1.0

I wanted to love Olga Dies Dreaming, but was sadly disappointed. 

This was a very ambitious book that proposed to tackle a lot of important themes and issues, but it fell short in its execution. There was too much going on with no real time spent fleshing out these different elements. Due to this, the book felt crowded. The readers were not given enough time and space within the novel to successfully cover everything the author wanted to explore in her narrative or to really connect with it. Leaving me let down by the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Abandonment

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion and Infertility

imds's review

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Addiction, Grief, Rape, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, and Racial slurs

Minor: Abortion

ciwanski's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

Despite the hard themes and topics in this book, it was very easy to read. Gonzalez is a very smart author who knows how to keep a very easy pace with her writing. The environment and the characters felt so real, as I was reading I felt like I was right there beside them. I also loved that this book focused on adults still finding their way in the world and not on 17 year olds figuring everything out somehow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, and Terminal illness