Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

149 reviews

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

alaina's review against another edition

challenging funny 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: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, and Grief

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

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

jannettlk's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide

Minor: Rape

sierraclimbs's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

This was a fantastically written story. I highly recommend the audio book. It’s a full cast & is just really well done. 
This book just reinforces my identity of enjoying mundane books. When I say that, it doesn’t mean this story doesn’t have a lot of intrigue and/or value. In contrary, I think this is an incredibly important life perspective for people to read from. What I mean by mundane is that there is nothing “fantastical” or “surprising”. It’s just people living life full of struggle, love, heartbreak, happiness & all of life’s other complexities. 
This story tells the story of a Puerto Rican American family growing up with split identity & the struggle that comes with that. 
It’s very raw & real, but also funny & lighthearted at times. 
So glad it was picked for my book club because I hadn’t heard of it before then. 
10/10 recommend 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Outing

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Alcohol

tmcdonald03's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring 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

So so good. It hit me right in the soul, made me smile, laugh and reflect.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Murder

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