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thewordsdevourer'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? Yes
4.0
the characters are imbued w/ depth, and w/ olga and prieto, we learn more and more abt them the further into the novel, and the core of the story is them coming to important realization abt themselves, which is hard but ultimately satisfying. surprisingly, i also like olga and matteo's relationship, and enjoy how it veers from my initial expectation.
the setting plays a crucial part in this novel, and both a brooklyn and puerto rico that are rarely portrayed in the mainstream help breathe a lot of life unti the story. the sense of community that persists in both gentrifying brooklyn and struggling puerto rico are uplifting too. another i rly applaud gonzalez for is the portrayal of how the rich and powerful encroach into politics, how a small few can wield so much influence as a result of corruption, so easily holding hostage a whole nation in its hands. the book's depiction of revolution and fight for the better good are thought-provoking as well, and i do hope the 2025 PR shown in this book will become a reality sooner than later.
while the story caps off on a satisfying note, there's still a few loose - or antithetical - ends. the resolution of preito's struggle w/ the selby brothers seems too easy for me; their downfall is only mentioned in broad strokes and i wonder why they didnt make use of bonilla to leak the preito's pics or info on blanca. at times it seems like important stuff happens off-pg, and this is an example. nevertheless, this is a rich, full-bodied book thats thought-provoking, relevant and emotionally impactful.
Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Colonisation
Moderate: Outing, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death and Death of parent
crystalleighwrites'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
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Addiction, Classism, Abandonment, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Rape, Racism, Suicide, and Outing
Minor: Abortion and Outing
mikarala's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Or, okay, there's a shade of one, but really, it doesn't take shape until after the 3/4 mark, and up until that point it's basically a character study with seemingly never-ending set-up. The actual climax of the story (admittedly it's actually more of an anti-climax) is well-foreshadowed and fits in with all of the elements that came before it, but if I'm being honest, I think the pacing of this novel is whack and sometime around the middle of the story I was really wondering where the hell things were going and kind of had to push through it.
However, I do have a really high opinion of this novel overall because I think it handles some really fascinating messages and themes in an incredibly sensitive and complex way. Basically, this novel tells the story of Olga and Prieto, siblings in their early 40's who are still struggling with the ramifications of their mother abandoning them when they were teenagers in order to support la revolucion. Rejecting their mother's radicalism, both of them work within the confines of the White liberal agenda, something that neither are fully satisfied with, as it obviously isn't that concerned with serving their Brown community or their Puerto Rican heritage. Both of them also still want to please the mother, who writes them letters encouraging more radical attitudes and guilting them for their failures to live up to her anarchist legacy.
I really enjoyed how layered this message was. Olga and Prieto both feel slightly empty and aimless as they try to work within systems that are built to limit them as minorities. However, it also sharply criticizes their mother's narcissistic martyr syndrome, who believes that she's saving the world even as she's manipulating her own children into serving her own personal agenda. I really liked that the author seemed to land somewhere in between, with the message that true change comes from community action and pressure against the establishment, not one radical's violent personal agenda.
Overall, fantastic characterization, and an incredibly vibrant portrait of New York's Puerto Rican community, which really jumps off the page. I didn't like the decision to make Dick a POV character,
Graphic: Racism, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Outing, Rape, Homophobia, and Death of parent
kiramke's review
- 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
The ending, as well, is a bit too pat, not that these characters don't deserve some resolution, but it feels like a very different grade of writing.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Outing
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Drug use
julianimal'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
4.5
Graphic: Colonisation and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Outing, and Rape
kelly_e's review
- 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
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 4, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Layered • Messy • Dynamic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Brooklyn, 2017
Olga is a successful wedding planner for Manhattan's elite, despite employing some questionable business practices. Her brother, Prieto, is a Congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood, and with many secrets of his own.
Despite alluring public lives, the effects of their mother's sudden departure to advance a militant political cause twenty-seven years earlier continues to impact their lives in so many ways. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico's history, they will come to understand their Puerto Rican heritage and challenge everything they know and feel when their mother comes barreling back into their lives.
Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife and the very notion of the American dream--all while asking what it really means to weather a storm.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Olga Dies Dreaming fell into my hands while I was attempting to complete an A-Z author challenge this year. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this complex and layered debut novel, which combines romance, political strife, and family drama.
From the beautifully written first chapter, I instantly knew the propulsive writing style was going to grip me and take me on a messy ride into family dynamics with these flawed and fully developed characters. Not only was I transported into the novel, but I came away having learned about Puerto Rican history. There is no denying that the writing is the heart of this book weaving together a complex multigeneration history of both family and country. It demonstrates how childhood trauma continues to wreck havoc on personal development when our emotions aren't processed.
And while I enjoyed my time with this book, the ending was a little too tidy, especially considering how messy the plot was. It was an ending that felt unrealistic and a little rushed, which definitely took away from the whole experience.
Olga Dies Dreaming unpacks a lot, but overall I was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful debut novel. If you're looking for a lighthearted millennial story, this isn't the book for you. As a reader you must be ready to get messy with Olga and her brother. I cannot wait to see what Xóchitl González has on the horizon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the family saga
• readers look for a LGBTQIA+ Story
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"You must remember, mijo, even people who were once your sails can become your anchors."
"It’s dangerous at your young age to be surrounded by people who don’t value who you are. Who don’t understand you. A child can become lost."
"Women are born with barometers in our belly that make us more sensitive to the climate around us and because we're so often on the lowers rung of any ladder, we're naturally inclined to look out for the least among us."
Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, Rape, Grief, Racism, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Abortion, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Infertility, and Colonisation
daniellekat's review against another edition
- 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
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,
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!
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
mschmidt's review
5.0
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
- 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
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
- 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
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Rape, Homophobia, Outing, and Infidelity