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taratearex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism
kelly_e'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
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: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Outing, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Abortion, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abortion
achay91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape and Alcohol
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Outing, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, and Deportation
javafenn's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Outing
nicoleisalwaysreading'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: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault
bluberrybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, and Abortion
chelseab2190's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Terminal illness, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
kdailyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Infertility, Racial slurs, Abortion, and Pregnancy