A review by anniefwrites
Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
In other books, I'd see asking questions like "Wait, who is this character?" or "Where are we?" or "What is actually happening right now?" as flaws in the clarity of the language. But in this case, as the title implies, Lozada-Oliva has set us up to dream, to float in that liminal space between reality and imagined narrative, between seeing and being seen. So I just went along with the confusion I sometimes felt, and that release of control over knowing everything for certain was really freeing. I also think that the core scenes were clear enough to create really strong images and moments. It made me think about the way that violence and love can sometimes seem like the same thing because they're both rooted in wanting. And Book-Melissa's journey from constantly wanting to be watched and wanting to be her own adored pop star to living in the unwatched, solitary, reality of existing rather than performing left me with a lot to mull over. I love the way Lozada-Oliva's voice jumps off the page in it snarky, self-aware humor and images of everyday life's minutiae. A weird book in the best way.
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