Spoiler-Free Blog
I don’t read many contemporary novels, but Olga Dies Dreaming was a nice change from my usual lineup.
What’s it about?
Olga, a 40-something wedding planner, and her older brother Prieto, a local politician, grapple with their ambitions, Puerto Rican identities, beliefs, and their relationship with their absent mother in 2017 NYC.
This is for you if you like character-driven stories.
I learned a lot reading this book, particularly about Puerto Rican heritage and the diaspora in New York City. It was truly a window into a world I haven’t experienced, and I recommend it for that reason.
Another thing I liked was that each character felt distinct and engaging in their own way. If they were flawed, they were flawed uniquely. The myriad relationships, personalities, and what each brought to the table absolutely made the novel. This, in addition to overarching themes that dig deeper into identity and politics, and how those things often intertwine.
However, while the story itself had all the proper building blocks, I felt the execution was lacking in places. Namely in the pacing. It was a little long for the story it was trying to tell, and then the ending was too fast. It felt like we were going on and on – and then it was over.
This is mostly because, as a character-driven story, we spent a lot more time with the two main characters than with the plot. Which is fine, but around the 50% mark I felt myself thinking, “Okay, I get it. Let’s move on to something new.” But to be fair, I often prefer more plot-driven stories.
The other part of the problem was the explanatory writing. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. As a story-telling device, I often find this boring and less engaging.
But overall, I had a positive experience reading this and will likely continue thinking about in the days to come.
Should you read Olga Dies Dreaming?
I recommend this one to fans of contemporary literature who enjoy character-driven novels, and anyone looking for more OwnVoices literature.
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One response to “Olga Dies Dreaming: A little slow, but compelling”
One of those easy to follow along.