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starlily'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Colonisation, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Abortion, and Drug use
aly97'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
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
readbycarina's review
- 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
Graphic: Colonisation, Rape, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, and Physical abuse
mbedrosian's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, Outing, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Abortion and Addiction
ashwaar's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Colonisation, Death of parent, Self harm, Classism, Cursing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence, Homophobia, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Abortion, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Genocide, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, and Eating disorder
imds's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
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
franklola'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
4.5
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Drug use, War, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Grief
thebookwormkatie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Terminal illness and Racism
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, 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