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purplepierogi's review
2.0
oof. I really expected to love this, but the tone was weirdly very YA and super exposition heavy... the humor and language felt so forced and cringe-y, and the plot felt straight out of a scooby-doo episode with one-note upper east side villains and a face off in the radicals' mountain strong-hold... literally nothing in this book worked for me.
thepagelady's review
4.0
Book Review…...Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
Present 2017
Prieto is a popular congressman!
Olga is a wedding planner!
To the public Prieto and Olga have perfect lives. Olga can create the perfect fairytale wedding for others but she can't seem to find her own happily ever after. That is until she meets Matteo. But a long kept family secret is about to return.
Past 27 years ago
Blanca, their mother abandoned them to advance a militant political cause. Leaving Prieto and Olga to be raised by their grandmother. Now with the hurricane winds blowing in Blanca has returned.
It's a very intriguing story. From the description of the book I thought it was going to be a fun romance and some family drama. Well there is all of that and then there are few heavy topics that are brought up: their father was a drug addict and the mother abandoned them at a young age and kept very little contact with them through the years. Even though all of that makes it sound like it is a really heavy read, the author's writing style keeps it light and fun.
The characters are fun and easy to relate to. They are just like us dealing with everyday ups and downs and of course family drama. But following along as Olga and Prieto try to be who they truly are was interesting. I loved the relationship between the siblings. They are very close but each has their own secrets and troubles. Overall a good read!
Thank you @BookSparks and @xochitltheg for sharing this book with me!
Present 2017
Prieto is a popular congressman!
Olga is a wedding planner!
To the public Prieto and Olga have perfect lives. Olga can create the perfect fairytale wedding for others but she can't seem to find her own happily ever after. That is until she meets Matteo. But a long kept family secret is about to return.
Past 27 years ago
Blanca, their mother abandoned them to advance a militant political cause. Leaving Prieto and Olga to be raised by their grandmother. Now with the hurricane winds blowing in Blanca has returned.
It's a very intriguing story. From the description of the book I thought it was going to be a fun romance and some family drama. Well there is all of that and then there are few heavy topics that are brought up: their father was a drug addict and the mother abandoned them at a young age and kept very little contact with them through the years. Even though all of that makes it sound like it is a really heavy read, the author's writing style keeps it light and fun.
The characters are fun and easy to relate to. They are just like us dealing with everyday ups and downs and of course family drama. But following along as Olga and Prieto try to be who they truly are was interesting. I loved the relationship between the siblings. They are very close but each has their own secrets and troubles. Overall a good read!
Thank you @BookSparks and @xochitltheg for sharing this book with me!
penelope3's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.5
hellokaley's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I had much different expectations for this novel. There were quite a few different storylines and I found it a little hard to follow. The political storyline was the least interesting to me and probably the most prevalent throughout the story. I don’t have a ton of context or understanding around the history and current state of politics in Puerto Rico, but I also can’t say I learned a lot with this read because it wasn’t easy to separate fact from fiction.
Shoutout to the excellent narrators though- I thought the audiobook was really well done!
Shoutout to the excellent narrators though- I thought the audiobook was really well done!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia
dinahrachel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Awesomely crafted. So so many well spun plot threads ebbing and flowing in very believable and satisfying ways. Smart entertainment at lots of levels from romance to political. I really enjoyed reading this.
missjonesreads's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
vikreadstons's review
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
dreamgirlhunt's review against another edition
4.0
After I finished Anita de Monte Laughs Last, I visited my new library for the first time and when I spotted Xochitl Gonzalez debut Olga Dies Dreaming, I knew I had to check it out. I finished it today and I loved it so much. It’s a later-in-life love story, two siblings reckoning with their activist mother who left them when they were young, the impact of devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico with the lack of support from American government, and so much more. Please read this one! The narrators for the audiobook were also amazing!
ellmilmumrus's review
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5