Reviews tagging 'Death'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

45 reviews

anarmandameg's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Outing

deelightfulreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Outing, and Colonisation

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

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

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Violence, and Abandonment

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Rape

Moderate: Addiction, Death, and Homophobia

Minor: Abortion

klingcooper's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, and Colonisation

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

I began OLGA DIES DREAMING back in February and lost the opportunity to finish it when I had to return it to the library. On a flight home, I took the chance to complete it and I'm so glad I saw it through. It's an ambitious novel, and I'm not sure it hits every mark, but it has a lot of heart and that I applaud. That this is González' debut just has me excited to see what else she has up her sleeve (!).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, and War

readbycarina's review against another edition

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse, Abortion, and Pregnancy