Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

203 reviews

laurenisallbooked's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

I really enjoyed this novel about identity, love, home, and politics -- and how messy the path is to finding and nurturing each of those. 

Gonzalez's writing is funny and sharp. The way she conveyed the indominable presence of Olga's mother and dominance of her voice, when the woman herself isn't really in the book, was so powerful. The parallel between Olga's mother and a literal hurricane!! Touching down briefly and leaving a path of destruction that will take years, and support from many others, to repair. 

It was beautiful how each character had a relationship where we watched their healing, in stark contrast to the relationships where we watched them suffer harm. My only gripe is that I wish the narrative had been a little tighter; the end felt rushed relative to the rest of the novel. 

He offered the words to her, loaded as they were with meaning. And she accepted what he said with gentle care. Fear and affection bubbled warm in her chest. ... She wanted to tell him that she was honored that it was her. That she understood pain like that. That, for her, instead of filling her house, she had slowly stripped herself bare, until there was nothing. But she was too out of the practice of loving, in that moment, to say those things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape

yyes's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Rape

streberkatze's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was one of my favorite books this year so far. The author brilliantly weaves together the story of her protagonists, told from different perspectives, with Puerto Rican history and U. S. politics. This is also a great read for readers who enjoy a strong sense of place, especially in New York City. Brooklyn really comes alive in this book. And the audiobook version, recorded by three amazing Puerto Rican voice actors, makes the story even more immersive and contributes to the already amazing character development. The resolution

felt a little too neat for my taste

, but this was such a minor issue at the very end of a great read, it didn't really matter to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Outing, and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape and Colonisation

Minor: Religious bigotry and Pregnancy

casserolin_'s review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring 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: Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Infertility

lalita_d's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual assault

veskumelooni's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Medical content, and Abandonment

lindsaybethlyons's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one day. If I were still teaching high school, I would definitely use this as an ELA/Social Studies unit. Rich with information and a compelling story told beautifully through multiple perspectives. Wow. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Racial slurs and Suicide

jennipea382's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

valareads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Abandonment

majestyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-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

5.0

This is the second book I have read by Xochitl Gonzalez and somehow it lived up to and even surpassed my expectations! 
In Olga Dies Dreaming, Gonzalez presents a very diverse set of characters that are flawed, complicated, morally-ambiguous, and reflective while also remaining compelling and inspiriting! 
The way that the characters’ histories, motivations, and schemes unravel as the novel progresses is presented through varying perspectives that come with vastly different sets of schemas. 
In every chapter I didn’t know who I was supposed to root for, what perspectives to trust, and how just everyone was interconnected. 
This novel touches on sensitive topics like familial abandonment and manipulation, impacts of American colonialism on the Puerto Rican population- both on the island and the main land- the impacts of being HIV-positive, and the question of what exactly you’re willing to do to live up to the perceived expectations of those around us. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape