Scan barcode
imds's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
franklola'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
4.5
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
thebookwormkatie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism and Terminal illness
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Abortion
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
lolamosk'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, and Abortion
kwurtzel3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Medical content
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
wellreadmegs'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
Olga is a wedding planner for the elite in New York City, while Prieto is a congressman representing Sunset Park. Both of them are trying to make their mom proud but in different ways. I ignorantly have never really thought about Puerto Rico's wants/needs for independence and I really appreciated the perspective, especially with colonialism continuing to be at the forefront of world politics today. Although you could argue Olga's mom's way of living was extreme - you can appreciate her perspective.
Other difficult issues that were addressed in this book are drug abuse, sexuality, & HIV/AIDS. Both Olga and Prieto were in their late 30s still trying to find their true selves away from the weight of their parents.
This book was all about family, purpose, and discovering what truly matters in this world.
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
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
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