Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

205 reviews

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

sha's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Abortion, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

steenhalloween's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Outing, and Abandonment

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

Love getting to know the characters. They’re all flawed and complex, Olga especially isn’t always likeable but that’s what made her interesting!

The book is character driven and told through third person POVs, switching mainly between Prieto and Olga. We do also get some other character POVs plus letters between the two MCs and their mother. The character development was very well done, they felt so believable and multi dimensional watching them grow! I also enjoyed the writing style, making it feel like I was at the weddings and in the Hamptons or New York City.

Mainly a story about family, grief, American dream, corruption, colonialism, and how people pleasing/constantly seeking validation from outside sources can affect you. I really related to how both Olga and Prieto feel the need to do what makes everyone else happy or proud of them, and in the process losing yourself and your own sense of fulfillment! 

There was one moment of telling over showing moment that really rubbed me the wrong way 🫣 We are 300 pages into the book and without spoiling/full context-It read like the first paragraph of a first page the way it presented a “revelation” like I’m not an idiot, I know Olga is his sister you don’t have to say “Olga his sister” this far into the novel. 

It didn’t affect my rating though because overall this was such a beautiful exploration of family dynamics and expectations! I didn’t want to put the book down and it’s an extraordinary debut novel, so I can’t wait to read Gonzalez’s next book. 

TW/CW: abandonment, death of parent, cancer, racism and racial micro aggressions, homophobia, AIDS, drug abuse, addiction, emotional abuse, sexual assault, infertility 

Rep: Puerto Rican MCs, biracial (white&Black) and Jewish side character, Afro-Latino side character, Gay characters, Latina author, positive disability rep (specifically HIV)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Death of parent

grotealli's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Abandonment

madeline_p4's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, and Rape

elenareadz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring 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

4.0

While this book delves into a complicated family, I was struck by the idea of how much I disagreed with the decisions the characters were making, but I still couldn’t put the book down. Both Olga and her brother Prieto try to find their identities on the backdrop of two activist parents who left them to figure out the world on their own. While simultaneously rooting for them to get better, you’re shaking your head at their decisions, but as more of the book goes on, you realize why they look at the world in the way they do. I genuinely learned so much about Puerto Rico’s history, culture, and overall activist groups and activities. 

And Dick was aptly named. As much as I hated him, getting his personal thoughts in the changing PoV was extremely enlightening. Here’s a rich white man who doesn’t necessarily hold hate, at his core is deep indifference and care to anyone who isn’t him. As hard as it was reading his chapters, it showed that at their core, rich white individuals truly do not see what is wrong with their actions, their thoughts, or their beliefs because they absolutely never have to think outside of themselves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Death of parent

versa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Abandonment