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Greta & Valdin
Siblings Greta and Valdin have, perhaps, too much in common. They're flatmates, beholden to the same near-unpronounceable surname, and both make questionable choices when it comes to love.
Valdin is still in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who only seems to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark.
Helping the siblings navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the tendency of their love interests to either leave the country or not love them back, is the whole Vladisavljevic family: Māori-Russian-Catalonian, and as passionate and loving as they are eccentric and over-emotional.
Rebecca K Reilly's exploration of love, family, karaoke, and the generational reverberations of colonialism will make you laugh, might make you cry, and will certainly make you fall in love with Greta, Valdin and all of the Vladisavljevics.
Valdin is still in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who only seems to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark.
Helping the siblings navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the tendency of their love interests to either leave the country or not love them back, is the whole Vladisavljevic family: Māori-Russian-Catalonian, and as passionate and loving as they are eccentric and over-emotional.
Rebecca K Reilly's exploration of love, family, karaoke, and the generational reverberations of colonialism will make you laugh, might make you cry, and will certainly make you fall in love with Greta, Valdin and all of the Vladisavljevics.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2021
About the author
Rebecca K. Reilly
1 book463 followersRebecca K Reilly was born with the name "Rebecca K Reilly" in the late 1900s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,035 reviews
April 8, 2024
i love a cool girl book.
this book only has two flaws: it has 930 characters and all of them fall under the same family tree and 78% of their names start with G and two of them are greta and it is genuinely impossible to keep them straight even if you dramatically flip back to the beginning multiple times;
and it has two perspectives and they're identical, as in the characters have nearly the same voice, but in a way that's a pro for me bc i don't like books with multiple povs. so logic follows that if you absolutely must have more than one point of view, you can at least do the respectful thing (for me, specifically) and make them in alternate chapters that sound exactly the same.
otherwise this is perfect: so funny, no plot, just vibes, memorable characters, filled with jokes and generational humor and pop culture references without being annoying.
of course i didn't love when the book's final pages descended into tons of points of view, because i don't like that at the best of times and also i couldn't remember anyone's relationship to one another, but i would have read the first 200 pages of this book for 930 pages.
i never expected to get Living With A Beloved Sibling And Knowing That It Will End Soon Because You're Both In Love And Wanting That And Not Wanting That And Being Heartbroken And Happy At Once representation, so. what a treat to receive it.
for this, i give it a proverbial kiss on the forehead and 4.5 stars.
bottom line: *kiss*
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
this book only has two flaws: it has 930 characters and all of them fall under the same family tree and 78% of their names start with G and two of them are greta and it is genuinely impossible to keep them straight even if you dramatically flip back to the beginning multiple times;
and it has two perspectives and they're identical, as in the characters have nearly the same voice, but in a way that's a pro for me bc i don't like books with multiple povs. so logic follows that if you absolutely must have more than one point of view, you can at least do the respectful thing (for me, specifically) and make them in alternate chapters that sound exactly the same.
otherwise this is perfect: so funny, no plot, just vibes, memorable characters, filled with jokes and generational humor and pop culture references without being annoying.
of course i didn't love when the book's final pages descended into tons of points of view, because i don't like that at the best of times and also i couldn't remember anyone's relationship to one another, but i would have read the first 200 pages of this book for 930 pages.
i never expected to get Living With A Beloved Sibling And Knowing That It Will End Soon Because You're Both In Love And Wanting That And Not Wanting That And Being Heartbroken And Happy At Once representation, so. what a treat to receive it.
for this, i give it a proverbial kiss on the forehead and 4.5 stars.
bottom line: *kiss*
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
July 7, 2021
The author of the book seems like a GC. It's a good book in my opinion, and I like it that everyone is gay. I give it a nine out of nine Matariki stars.
November 26, 2024
What a showstopping debut!! I absolutely loved this story about two queer siblings and their eccentric Māori-Russian-Catalonian family. It’s a hard task to write a novel that makes you laugh out loud throughout but also makes you cry and also makes you think. Rebecca K. Reilly makes it look effortless.
I loved the characters fiercely and felt so moved by the book's insights into family, parenting, queerness, and cultural identity. The scope of this book is very global, with characters with roots all over the world, but it's also so specific to Aotearoa and these wonderful little weirdos. They will live on in my mind like real people for a long time. I've no doubt this will remain one of my favourite books of 2024!
I loved the characters fiercely and felt so moved by the book's insights into family, parenting, queerness, and cultural identity. The scope of this book is very global, with characters with roots all over the world, but it's also so specific to Aotearoa and these wonderful little weirdos. They will live on in my mind like real people for a long time. I've no doubt this will remain one of my favourite books of 2024!
January 25, 2022
I could go on all day about this smart and funny debut novel. Reilly has written a rare beast, a contemporary New Zealand novel about early adulthood that is resonant, recognisable, and engaging. Tāmaki Makaurau is the living breathing heart of this story, brought to life in clever detail at every turn. As an Aucklander I loved how grounded in place this story was. Greta and Valdin is a complete world not just because of its setting, also because of the depth of characterisation. Even minor characters are complex and authentically voiced. The real achievement here, is how Reilly mixes some fairly searing social-political commentary, with humour and the drama of life. Her acerbic tone makes these critical observations cutting without pulling her reader out of the narrative. Greta and Valdin is a story about family, connection, and that pressure of early adulthood to know what you are doing. It is vibrant and clever. I loved every moment of it.
February 22, 2024
We get it, Rebecca, you’re half Russian. You don’t have to mention it 37365 times within the first 10 pages.
It’s not the flex you think it is.
DNF.
Update: went up until the 80th page and the author proceeds to think, that by adding the word ‘Russian’ to every other page, the book suddenly becomes very cool and hip.
I’d give this a 0 if I could.
It’s not the flex you think it is.
DNF.
Update: went up until the 80th page and the author proceeds to think, that by adding the word ‘Russian’ to every other page, the book suddenly becomes very cool and hip.
I’d give this a 0 if I could.
Read
July 17, 2024An entertaining if meandering tale of a Russian/Maori/Catalan family in New Zealand, mostly from the point of view of queer neurodivergent siblings Greta and Valdin. It's a very pleasant read with likeable characters flailing to find themselves and their happiness, and everyone behaving in an extremely over the top manner.
The decision to give quite so many characters either identical or extremely similar names was, let's call it whimsical.
I did find myself hoping there would be more of a point or direction to it. I didn't realise "no plot all vibes" was a thing in litfic as well as romance and fantasy, but apparently it's spreading like Japanese knotweed for genres. However, if you're satisfied with warmth and vibes and inclusiveness, you'll love this.
The decision to give quite so many characters either identical or extremely similar names was, let's call it whimsical.
I did find myself hoping there would be more of a point or direction to it. I didn't realise "no plot all vibes" was a thing in litfic as well as romance and fantasy, but apparently it's spreading like Japanese knotweed for genres. However, if you're satisfied with warmth and vibes and inclusiveness, you'll love this.
February 12, 2024
this was so funny and heartwarming and quirky (in a good way). rebecca reilly is obviously such a talented writer and i enjoyed reading this so much. i do wish that the story was more insular and centered a bit more around the siblings. near the end, i felt like there was too much going on and there were too many characters to keep track of, and it took away from what i preferred the main focus to be! a lot of the dialogue also felt unrealistic and like watching a play at times. i do love that this was set in new zealand—the books i read are usually set in the US or UK, so this was great.
thank you avid reader press for the arc!
thank you avid reader press for the arc!
October 10, 2023
"Sorry, I just have to fill this up," I say, standing up with my bottle, and everyone nods because it is an acceptable thing to want. It's transparent.
Quotes like the above show there is a lot to like about Rebecca K• Reilly's first novel as there are quotable quotes right through the book. There are also a lot of very Auckland/Aotearoa references (like tagging on/off the bus, or no student allowances for post grad students, for example) & those of us from small countries like to see ourselves -sometimes - when we read a novel. & I loved V's protective care of Greta when she was heartbroken.
But this novel about a gay brother & sister flatting together in Auckland often lacks structure & has very large cast of characters, who are hard to keep track of. & the end has a definite conclusion which feels a little jarring, after the aimlessness of most of the book. It improved a lot from around page 150 & then the novel hit another long lull around page 285, which is where I hit skim mode. I picked up on a couple of proof reading errors as well, fairly early in the book.
A good first novel & I look forward to Ms Reilly hitting her stride with the next one.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
March 11, 2022
Literally my new favourite book.
Rebecca K Reilly could stab me and I’d thank her.
That is all.
Rebecca K Reilly could stab me and I’d thank her.
That is all.
March 13, 2024
A cute and pleasant story about two queer siblings in New Zealand figuring out their love lives. I liked the thoughtful representation of OCD, the portrayal of a wholesome sibling dynamic, and some deeper commentary about how past generations affect the present. I didn’t love the story because I found the writing style hard to get into. First, I felt like Greta’s perspective was almost trying too hard to come across as Fleabag-esque and quirky, which pulled me out of the narrative. Also, within the dialogue, there were some really long speaking turns that were either used to convey information or for a character to engage in an in-depth monologue. I also found these elements of the dialogue distracting. Overall, I thought this book was okay but it wouldn’t be the first I’d recommend.
July 11, 2024
The Formal-ish Review
‘I know you only listen to sad men prancing around in singlets. Did you know wearing singlets used to be for people who liked having fun? Being gay used to be fun. And illegal and dangerous. Now it’s just about being romantic and sad.’
Ever read a book that made you wonder what stopped you from reading it sooner? Like, how could you two live your separate lives without inevitably veering towards each other, until you actually did just that?
When this book started making buzz 'round the elitist, chic corner of Goodreads, in random lists, on my parasocial relatives' profiles, etc., I blissfully ignored it. Something about the dark green round things inside the mesh (which I've now come to know are limes) on the other cover of this book didn't catch my eye. You know I'm like an 18th century Brahmin bridegroom, everything has to do with how the bride, here the cover, looks.
Then one day, I found myself actually reading the blurb for once, and bam! That invisible gate separating us opened, as if the Capulets hosted that fateful ball.
In short, this book is about two siblings in their mid-twenties navigating life in New Zealand with their very unusual subspecific identity, that is, half-Maori-half-Russian. And about fifty other characters in their family and social circle, might I add. Greta, the sister, keeps falling in love with women who take her for granted, and Valdin, the brother, tries not to spend all his time thinking about his uncle's brother-in-law of an ex while transitioning from a physicist to a TV celebrity comedian.
In my last review, I was grumbling about how I had to read a romcom that wasn't at all comedic and made me want to read a sorrowful litfic about sad people being depressive. As Kismet would have it, this book is in fact a litfic about sad, depressed people, but being absolutely hilarious about it. I think I invented a type of snort-laughing that no ya heroine has ever come up with while reading it.
The writing in this book was like…wait, I have a great metaphor for this, like listening to Mr Sandman, and then getting mad at yourself because there's no way you could split your voice into 4 different layers to reproduce the early bom bom bom harmony bit while yell-singing in the bathroom. It was amazing, in that exact unadorned, self-deprecating, dark humour-filled way I love, but it also made me kind of sad knowing I could never write like that myself.
Nothing of that much importance happens throughout the book, and it gets really lovey-dovey at the end that I, being the spoilsport that I am, would prefer less of, but you know what, G and V and their Russian and Spanish relatives deserved that. I just love them so much!
I believe with my whole heart that it's a Franny and Zooey retelling, even though the author never explicitly implies that, but it also made me reflect on my feelings about the Salinger book. Do I even hate it as much as I think I do? Anyway.
God knows why, but while reading this book, I had the impulse to listen to an unbearable amount of indie-slash-alt songs, so I made a playlist about it.
While I would've liked this book to have more distinct perspective voices, and for Valdin to not date someone his dad's age, and for Greta's girlfriend to not start talking in that aggressive Scottish brogue near the end of the book (I think I hurt my eyes and brain trying to decipher all those ye-s and me-s), it really pulled at all my heartstrings in the proper way, and for this, I'm grateful to the author. You, ma'am, grew a new fan here.
#PS This book also introduced me to this German song that was such a banger that I listened to it like billion times straight. So, there's that.
Pre-review Update
It's one o'clock in the morning, and I've been staring at a digital screen for far too long now, but I really need to say something before I can push out a full-fledged review from my brain, so here it is: I love this book so much that I think I can safely ignore the fact that the pivotal point of this book is basically how to get back to banging your father's friend.
Thoughts While Reading
1. There's no way people talk like that in real life, but you know what, even I don't talk here the way I do in real life, so who cares, it's at least pretty to the ears.
2. This book has these neat little chapter names that I totally ignored until about 25%. I'm sorry, book.
3. Damn, every book I've been picking up lately seems to have two people who're in love and belong to different generations in it. Representation is great, but let me enjoy a good book without an unsolicited slice of age-gap romance thrown in, please?
4. Franny and Zooey actually got mentioned, y'all!
Thoughts Before Reading
This bizarrely reminds me of Franny and Zooey, and even more bizarrely, I'm excited for what might be a gayer version of Franny and Zooey because I despised that old book.
‘I know you only listen to sad men prancing around in singlets. Did you know wearing singlets used to be for people who liked having fun? Being gay used to be fun. And illegal and dangerous. Now it’s just about being romantic and sad.’
Ever read a book that made you wonder what stopped you from reading it sooner? Like, how could you two live your separate lives without inevitably veering towards each other, until you actually did just that?
When this book started making buzz 'round the elitist, chic corner of Goodreads, in random lists, on my parasocial relatives' profiles, etc., I blissfully ignored it. Something about the dark green round things inside the mesh (which I've now come to know are limes) on the other cover of this book didn't catch my eye. You know I'm like an 18th century Brahmin bridegroom, everything has to do with how the bride, here the cover, looks.
Then one day, I found myself actually reading the blurb for once, and bam! That invisible gate separating us opened, as if the Capulets hosted that fateful ball.
In short, this book is about two siblings in their mid-twenties navigating life in New Zealand with their very unusual subspecific identity, that is, half-Maori-half-Russian. And about fifty other characters in their family and social circle, might I add. Greta, the sister, keeps falling in love with women who take her for granted, and Valdin, the brother, tries not to spend all his time thinking about his uncle's brother-in-law of an ex while transitioning from a physicist to a TV celebrity comedian.
In my last review, I was grumbling about how I had to read a romcom that wasn't at all comedic and made me want to read a sorrowful litfic about sad people being depressive. As Kismet would have it, this book is in fact a litfic about sad, depressed people, but being absolutely hilarious about it. I think I invented a type of snort-laughing that no ya heroine has ever come up with while reading it.
The writing in this book was like…wait, I have a great metaphor for this, like listening to Mr Sandman, and then getting mad at yourself because there's no way you could split your voice into 4 different layers to reproduce the early bom bom bom harmony bit while yell-singing in the bathroom. It was amazing, in that exact unadorned, self-deprecating, dark humour-filled way I love, but it also made me kind of sad knowing I could never write like that myself.
Nothing of that much importance happens throughout the book, and it gets really lovey-dovey at the end that I, being the spoilsport that I am, would prefer less of, but you know what, G and V and their Russian and Spanish relatives deserved that. I just love them so much!
I believe with my whole heart that it's a Franny and Zooey retelling, even though the author never explicitly implies that, but it also made me reflect on my feelings about the Salinger book. Do I even hate it as much as I think I do? Anyway.
God knows why, but while reading this book, I had the impulse to listen to an unbearable amount of indie-slash-alt songs, so I made a playlist about it.
While I would've liked this book to have more distinct perspective voices, and for Valdin to not date someone his dad's age, and for Greta's girlfriend to not start talking in that aggressive Scottish brogue near the end of the book (I think I hurt my eyes and brain trying to decipher all those ye-s and me-s), it really pulled at all my heartstrings in the proper way, and for this, I'm grateful to the author. You, ma'am, grew a new fan here.
#PS This book also introduced me to this German song that was such a banger that I listened to it like billion times straight. So, there's that.
Pre-review Update
It's one o'clock in the morning, and I've been staring at a digital screen for far too long now, but I really need to say something before I can push out a full-fledged review from my brain, so here it is: I love this book so much that I think I can safely ignore the fact that the pivotal point of this book is basically how to get back to banging your father's friend.
Thoughts While Reading
1. There's no way people talk like that in real life, but you know what, even I don't talk here the way I do in real life, so who cares, it's at least pretty to the ears.
2. This book has these neat little chapter names that I totally ignored until about 25%. I'm sorry, book.
3. Damn, every book I've been picking up lately seems to have two people who're in love and belong to different generations in it. Representation is great, but let me enjoy a good book without an unsolicited slice of age-gap romance thrown in, please?
4. Franny and Zooey actually got mentioned, y'all!
Thoughts Before Reading
This bizarrely reminds me of Franny and Zooey, and even more bizarrely, I'm excited for what might be a gayer version of Franny and Zooey because I despised that old book.
January 3, 2024
Lots to like but the unrelenting fleabag-esque type of humor wore me down (especially when it lessened the emotional impact of certain scenes/dynamics). At first, I liked the novel's chaotic energy and the quirky almost Wes Anderson-esque characters, but, as I read on I found that many scenes just try too hard and for too long to be funny, in a way that didn't quite succeed.
While the author does manage to strike a balance between Greta and Valdin's perspectives, their internal monologues at times were too similar ( from them having similar experiences and worries to their vocabulary and thought process) in a way that now and again made it tricky to distinguish whose head we were currently into. I never quite warmed up to Greta, probably because she struck me as the type of messy young woman type of character popularized by Fleabag. While I understand that some people use humor as a shield, a defence mechanism, whatever, she just does it so much that any potentially emotional or vulnerable scenes starring her end up highlighting how quirky she is.
I was interested in reading more about the various family dynamics, especially given how chaotic and absurd each family member is, but the narrative seems to speed through most of these types of family scenes in favor of more wacky asides and anecdotes featuring our oddball protagonists. the ending struck me as a bit twee, which was disappointing given the novel's initially wry tone.
Still, I would definitely read more from this author and I wouldn't dissuade others from giving this novel a go as it is a delightfully queer and zany read.
While the author does manage to strike a balance between Greta and Valdin's perspectives, their internal monologues at times were too similar ( from them having similar experiences and worries to their vocabulary and thought process) in a way that now and again made it tricky to distinguish whose head we were currently into. I never quite warmed up to Greta, probably because she struck me as the type of messy young woman type of character popularized by Fleabag. While I understand that some people use humor as a shield, a defence mechanism, whatever, she just does it so much that any potentially emotional or vulnerable scenes starring her end up highlighting how quirky she is.
I was interested in reading more about the various family dynamics, especially given how chaotic and absurd each family member is, but the narrative seems to speed through most of these types of family scenes in favor of more wacky asides and anecdotes featuring our oddball protagonists. the ending struck me as a bit twee, which was disappointing given the novel's initially wry tone.
Still, I would definitely read more from this author and I wouldn't dissuade others from giving this novel a go as it is a delightfully queer and zany read.
November 22, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, but it is genuinely terrible in several different ways I'm so sorry. I was initially excited by the glowing reviews, but I'm now baffled by them. I think they might be primarily because the writer is funny, but they are funny in a stand up comedian way, not a novelist way.
I did not want to finish this book but felt an obligation to because I want to hit my reading goal. I have very little time to read for pleasure, and having already put some time toward this book due to liking the first couple chapters, I just didn't want to lose the time I spent on it.
Pros
-Everyone is gay.
-I am no longer reading it! I feel liberated.
Cons
-There is no way anyone edited this. Apparently someone says they did, but I do not believe them. It feels like a very sloppy first draft.
-There are not one but TWO boring narrators who are indistinguishable from each other. If you're going to use two narrators in first person POV, you need to have the writing chops to give them distinct voices. I kept having to return to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was talking.
-There are so many characters that they have to have a list in the front of the book for you to reference periodically to remind yourself who everyone is, and none of them are even remotely interesting. Most of them are underdeveloped. Two of them have the same name. Many of them are quite stupid, and occasionally they will drop a line that you can tell the author thinks is profound but is actually absurd nonsense.
-The book is overall pointless and the plot is boring. Calling it a "plot" is generous; “mixed race siblings in New Zealand have long conversations with their family and friends and many of them have secrets" is not a plot. It is just badly written scene after badly written scene of boring characters doing mundane things. When “shocking” secrets are revealed, I don't care because they are boring and because I can't remember who the involved characters are. A plot may have emerged had this undergone proper editing and rewriting! But it feels like the fragmented bulleted lists I make for novel ideas I haven't fully fleshed out yet.
-There is a whole chapter with a character making a cake, and it isn't even well-written. It makes no attempts to be creative or compelling. It's just a recipe. Most recipes I have found in random blogs online are a lot more creative, actually! Example: “I put the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a plastic bowl. We don't have stainless steel, because V doesn't like the texture. I create a well in the middle and add the banana, which I've mashed up with a fork, and the milk, butter, and eggs. I like cracking the eggs; I tap them once firmly against the bench and then pull the shells apart over the bowl, letting the yolk and white fall out in one motion. After it's all mixed together, I pour the batter evenly into a round cake tin and put it in the oven at 180.” And later on: “I mix the softened cream cheese with icing sugar and butter, and I ice the cake.” You can't tell me an editor read that and was like “yes, let's publish this!”
I do need to thank this author for one thing: I was so angry that I spent my money on this book that it's helped me kick a bad habit of buying every book I want to read outright. From this day forward, I will be utilizing my local library.
Update, I wrote this review 8 months ago and I actually have not bought a single book since then. I got a library card and it’s been gorgeous. Thank you Rebecca!
I did not want to finish this book but felt an obligation to because I want to hit my reading goal. I have very little time to read for pleasure, and having already put some time toward this book due to liking the first couple chapters, I just didn't want to lose the time I spent on it.
Pros
-Everyone is gay.
-I am no longer reading it! I feel liberated.
Cons
-There is no way anyone edited this. Apparently someone says they did, but I do not believe them. It feels like a very sloppy first draft.
-There are not one but TWO boring narrators who are indistinguishable from each other. If you're going to use two narrators in first person POV, you need to have the writing chops to give them distinct voices. I kept having to return to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was talking.
-There are so many characters that they have to have a list in the front of the book for you to reference periodically to remind yourself who everyone is, and none of them are even remotely interesting. Most of them are underdeveloped. Two of them have the same name. Many of them are quite stupid, and occasionally they will drop a line that you can tell the author thinks is profound but is actually absurd nonsense.
-The book is overall pointless and the plot is boring. Calling it a "plot" is generous; “mixed race siblings in New Zealand have long conversations with their family and friends and many of them have secrets" is not a plot. It is just badly written scene after badly written scene of boring characters doing mundane things. When “shocking” secrets are revealed, I don't care because they are boring and because I can't remember who the involved characters are. A plot may have emerged had this undergone proper editing and rewriting! But it feels like the fragmented bulleted lists I make for novel ideas I haven't fully fleshed out yet.
-There is a whole chapter with a character making a cake, and it isn't even well-written. It makes no attempts to be creative or compelling. It's just a recipe. Most recipes I have found in random blogs online are a lot more creative, actually! Example: “I put the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a plastic bowl. We don't have stainless steel, because V doesn't like the texture. I create a well in the middle and add the banana, which I've mashed up with a fork, and the milk, butter, and eggs. I like cracking the eggs; I tap them once firmly against the bench and then pull the shells apart over the bowl, letting the yolk and white fall out in one motion. After it's all mixed together, I pour the batter evenly into a round cake tin and put it in the oven at 180.” And later on: “I mix the softened cream cheese with icing sugar and butter, and I ice the cake.” You can't tell me an editor read that and was like “yes, let's publish this!”
I do need to thank this author for one thing: I was so angry that I spent my money on this book that it's helped me kick a bad habit of buying every book I want to read outright. From this day forward, I will be utilizing my local library.
Update, I wrote this review 8 months ago and I actually have not bought a single book since then. I got a library card and it’s been gorgeous. Thank you Rebecca!
July 10, 2024
I am 1000% obsessed with this book. It is possibly the funniest thing I have ever read while it also moved me deeply, in a number of ways? I would like to marry it.
August 28, 2023
I laughed out loud while reading this story about two Russian Māori queer siblings, student Greta, who constantly deals with unrequited love, and physicist turned into ‘tv-show star’ Valdin (Val/V) whose boyfriend broke up with him when Val’s OCD took over their relationship.
Greta and Valdin is a huge hit in New Zealand, and I fully understand why. The story has a Bridget Jones-like appeal. It’s incredibly witty, relatable painful, and still so lovable. If I only had three words to describe this book, I’d use warm, messy, and sparkly. But it’s also thought-provoking and much deeper than you’d assume reading the first pages. It deals with themes like fleeing your country, racism, sickness in the past, and mental health issues.
What’s the most special about this book is that even though this story is about two grown-up siblings, in the end, it’s about multiple generations while figuring out life. Almost all the characters in this novel are, in one way or another, related to each other, and the family dynamics are fantastic. I loved Greta’s talk to her dad about her date, who didn’t feel a ‘Spark’, and her dad telling her about his own dating life, ending the conversation by saying they still had a bag of chips to eat. I adored V’s conversation with his uncle about living in Moldova and Valdin realizing his dad’s family didn’t just buy tickets to fly to New Zealand but fled their home and family for specific reasons that applied to Valdin too. I nodded my head in approval at all those pop references and that reference to the queen of the Netherlands!! I thought only Dutch people would recognize her! And that chaotic ending! It made my eyes crinkle from joy (and don’t tell anyone they might have been a little wet too …).
I received an ARC from Avid Reader Press (Simon and Schuster) in exchange for an honest review.
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Greta and Valdin is a huge hit in New Zealand, and I fully understand why. The story has a Bridget Jones-like appeal. It’s incredibly witty, relatable painful, and still so lovable. If I only had three words to describe this book, I’d use warm, messy, and sparkly. But it’s also thought-provoking and much deeper than you’d assume reading the first pages. It deals with themes like fleeing your country, racism, sickness in the past, and mental health issues.
What’s the most special about this book is that even though this story is about two grown-up siblings, in the end, it’s about multiple generations while figuring out life. Almost all the characters in this novel are, in one way or another, related to each other, and the family dynamics are fantastic. I loved Greta’s talk to her dad about her date, who didn’t feel a ‘Spark’, and her dad telling her about his own dating life, ending the conversation by saying they still had a bag of chips to eat. I adored V’s conversation with his uncle about living in Moldova and Valdin realizing his dad’s family didn’t just buy tickets to fly to New Zealand but fled their home and family for specific reasons that applied to Valdin too. I nodded my head in approval at all those pop references and that reference to the queen of the Netherlands!! I thought only Dutch people would recognize her! And that chaotic ending! It made my eyes crinkle from joy (and don’t tell anyone they might have been a little wet too …).
I received an ARC from Avid Reader Press (Simon and Schuster) in exchange for an honest review.
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November 4, 2021
No apologies that I am reviewing against the grain here but after the first few chapters that actually got me absorbed and excited, I quickly lost interest and finished the read only because I struggle to ‘give up’ on a novel especially a NZ inspired story.
BUT for me this narrative goes nowhere slowly, it just lacks a point to the story with a tangle of superficial insights and limited real development of character and plot. Too much minutia detail and cute observations that are shallow and not at all embellishing and growing the social landscape and character development that sat as a seed to be watered and germinated at the beginnings of the story. But I won’t give up on R K Reilly as I am a devoted follower of new and young contemporary writers. Keep going🙏🏼
BUT for me this narrative goes nowhere slowly, it just lacks a point to the story with a tangle of superficial insights and limited real development of character and plot. Too much minutia detail and cute observations that are shallow and not at all embellishing and growing the social landscape and character development that sat as a seed to be watered and germinated at the beginnings of the story. But I won’t give up on R K Reilly as I am a devoted follower of new and young contemporary writers. Keep going🙏🏼
February 24, 2024
Good lord, this was a sparkling warm-hearted delight of intergenerational, intersectional, and largely queer searching for identity, connection, family, and love set in the world of New Zealand arts and academia.
TLDR: Schitt’s Creek at NZ uni + 80x Even More Gay.
TLDR: Schitt’s Creek at NZ uni + 80x Even More Gay.
June 10, 2024
4 1/2 ⭐️ !
Greta & Valdin is a book where the less you know the better, going in. I had no idea what to expect, but found myself attached to everyone, invested in whatever came next. A tender, silly book that you’ll want to revisit again and again!
Greta & Valdin is a book where the less you know the better, going in. I had no idea what to expect, but found myself attached to everyone, invested in whatever came next. A tender, silly book that you’ll want to revisit again and again!
January 3, 2025
I must have seen this on a bookish vlog to make me add it, as the title and the cover aren't particularly inspiring. Thanks to whoever brought this to my attention.
Greta & Valdin are two siblings in their twenties, trying to find their way. Greta is 25 and doing a PhD in comparative literature and like most people in academia, she's struggling with her minimal income and dealing with academia politics. On top of that, she thinks she's in love with a fellow PhD student except that she's only using Greta. Greta lives with her older brother Valdin, 28, who's quit his academic career he worked hard at and now is doing a travel show. Valdin is broken-hearted about a recent breakup.
The two young people are gorgeous individuals. We hear their thoughts via alternating chapters. The writing is smooth and natural. Greta and Valdin have a mixed heritage, with the mother being Maori and the father Russian. The family dynamics were lovely and complex, both parents are intellectuals, quite open-minded and supportive. There's queerness galore in the extended family.
This debut novel was wholesome, endearing, and a pleasure to listen to. The multiple narrators were excellent. Incredibly enough, there were no descriptive sex scenes, no acts or behaviours to shock the reader.
So congratulations to Rebecca K Kelly for writing such a delightful novel.
Greta & Valdin are two siblings in their twenties, trying to find their way. Greta is 25 and doing a PhD in comparative literature and like most people in academia, she's struggling with her minimal income and dealing with academia politics. On top of that, she thinks she's in love with a fellow PhD student except that she's only using Greta. Greta lives with her older brother Valdin, 28, who's quit his academic career he worked hard at and now is doing a travel show. Valdin is broken-hearted about a recent breakup.
The two young people are gorgeous individuals. We hear their thoughts via alternating chapters. The writing is smooth and natural. Greta and Valdin have a mixed heritage, with the mother being Maori and the father Russian. The family dynamics were lovely and complex, both parents are intellectuals, quite open-minded and supportive. There's queerness galore in the extended family.
This debut novel was wholesome, endearing, and a pleasure to listen to. The multiple narrators were excellent. Incredibly enough, there were no descriptive sex scenes, no acts or behaviours to shock the reader.
So congratulations to Rebecca K Kelly for writing such a delightful novel.
July 2, 2022
I really don’t like this book. The writing is shallow, there is product placement on almost every page - do we really need to know that she loves Kapiti ice cream? And that she went to Island Gelato Company last night?
I did not care about any of the characters.
Very disappointed as there is so much hype about this book, I don’t get what the attraction is!!
I did not care about any of the characters.
Very disappointed as there is so much hype about this book, I don’t get what the attraction is!!
March 23, 2024
This is a very different and even eccentric novel about an extended family living in Auckland, New Zealand. The focus is upon two siblings, Valdin (age 29) and Greta (age 25), both of whom are gay. Their father is originally from Russia and their mother is Maori. The sibs also have an older married brother (Casper).
The book is broken up into short chapters, with each chapter narrated by either Valdin or Greta. We soon learn that they share an apartment with each other. Valdin is the host of a reality travel show. Greta is receiving poverty wages as a graduate student in the Humanities. They are both startlingly immature for their ages and insecure. Valdin has had struggles with mental health. And they both struggle with finding a partner. In Valdin's case, he had just broken up with a much older man, when the book opens, and is feeling sad.
This is a playful book not to be taken too seriously. The characters sometimes act ridiculously. Some of it is laugh-out loud funny. And, during other stretches, I found the story to be boring.
What I liked best was the genuine love and acceptance Valdin and Greta had for each other. Their gentle Dad was a favorite character too.
3.3 stars
Note: There was a strange theme of incest running through the extended family, which felt bizarre. Why would the author choose to add this to the story?
The book is broken up into short chapters, with each chapter narrated by either Valdin or Greta. We soon learn that they share an apartment with each other. Valdin is the host of a reality travel show. Greta is receiving poverty wages as a graduate student in the Humanities. They are both startlingly immature for their ages and insecure. Valdin has had struggles with mental health. And they both struggle with finding a partner. In Valdin's case, he had just broken up with a much older man, when the book opens, and is feeling sad.
This is a playful book not to be taken too seriously. The characters sometimes act ridiculously. Some of it is laugh-out loud funny. And, during other stretches, I found the story to be boring.
What I liked best was the genuine love and acceptance Valdin and Greta had for each other. Their gentle Dad was a favorite character too.
3.3 stars
Note: There was a strange theme of incest running through the extended family, which felt bizarre. Why would the author choose to add this to the story?
June 20, 2024
A book that is funny and timely without aging itself. The (many) characters are endearing and messy and very earnest by the end. Really really amazing debut!
January 16, 2025
loooove this book, perfect beach read, something to keep in your purse, it’s light and fun without being stylistically boring. greta and valdin are russian-maori queer siblings who live together in auckland. this book is funny, heartwarming and so smart. as a tricultural girlie myself I loved the multicultural perspective of how their big family comes to be. (now I’m jealous and want a family like that)
September 24, 2021
This immensely charming ensemble piece is a debut novel by a New Zealand author. It's very funny, full of droll observations and one liners that had me reading lines out loud to my husband.
Greta and Valdin are brother and sister. He's 29, she's 24 and they share an apartment in downtown Auckland. They are both gay and when the book opens, both are desperately in love with people they can't have. Their father is Russian, their mother is Māori, they think that names like Fereshteh are simple but Elliott is too hard to remember and they have a large extended family with lots of complicated connections in it (eg Valdin's ex is his father's brother's husband's brother). Much like Still Life, you fall in love with the lot of them and want to be part of their set.
There isn't a great deal of plot in this book and what there is only emerges towards the end. The central theme is Greta and Valdin's search for love, but it's more of a sitcom than a drama where the joy lies in the humour along the way and it sneaks up on you how much you've come to care about these people. The large cast of characters sometimes gets confusing (there are probably a couple too many - I'm not sure that Genevieve and Cosmo added a lot), but the descriptions of Auckland sing and it all feels gorgeously real. I'm so glad I read this.
I originally gave this 4 stars but I've upgraded it to 5 because two days after finishing it I am still missing it enormously.
Greta and Valdin are brother and sister. He's 29, she's 24 and they share an apartment in downtown Auckland. They are both gay and when the book opens, both are desperately in love with people they can't have. Their father is Russian, their mother is Māori, they think that names like Fereshteh are simple but Elliott is too hard to remember and they have a large extended family with lots of complicated connections in it (eg Valdin's ex is his father's brother's husband's brother). Much like Still Life, you fall in love with the lot of them and want to be part of their set.
There isn't a great deal of plot in this book and what there is only emerges towards the end. The central theme is Greta and Valdin's search for love, but it's more of a sitcom than a drama where the joy lies in the humour along the way and it sneaks up on you how much you've come to care about these people. The large cast of characters sometimes gets confusing (there are probably a couple too many - I'm not sure that Genevieve and Cosmo added a lot), but the descriptions of Auckland sing and it all feels gorgeously real. I'm so glad I read this.
I originally gave this 4 stars but I've upgraded it to 5 because two days after finishing it I am still missing it enormously.
June 21, 2024
Very different from my usual reads, but it was fun and I enjoyed it!
Read
March 29, 2024This was delightful and joyous and just such a fun time, the best kind of chaos. I love a character driven novel, which this was, but the plot and pacing were also absolutely delectable for the most part. G&V were frustrating and hilarious and real and relatable in their own ways - Valdin's anxieties and overthinking tendencies (the post office scene could've been a journal entry of my own), Greta's self-assurance that's marred by the nagging need for external input, as well as her feeling left in the dark by her family. On the note of family: I adored the dynamics between them all; complex and messy but entirely rooted in love. The social commentary was done so well, profound and punchy but not at all on the nose.
Ultimately I think this was the epitome of queer joy, I just wish the ending hadn't been so rushed. Things escalated a little too quickly for my liking which convoluted the story, especially the POV switches right at the end. That being said, I do think the letter was a good finishing point, I just wish there had been a more coherent build up to it. And maybe an epilogue.
Looking forward to whatever Reilly writes next!
Thank you hutchinson heinemann and netgalley for the arc
Ultimately I think this was the epitome of queer joy, I just wish the ending hadn't been so rushed. Things escalated a little too quickly for my liking which convoluted the story, especially the POV switches right at the end. That being said, I do think the letter was a good finishing point, I just wish there had been a more coherent build up to it. And maybe an epilogue.
Looking forward to whatever Reilly writes next!
Thank you hutchinson heinemann and netgalley for the arc
May 28, 2022
Fun read, cool details of Tāmaki Makaurau. Could have had more depth. I enjoy books that go into the liminal relationships of hook-up culture.. in saying that, in the opening Greta and Valdins love struggles felt pretty meh (needed more description or emotional pull) but maybe that is realistic to modern day dating. The book felt ideologically inconsistent: shallow mentions of Marx and socialism and bourgeoisie discussions of travel with obvious class privilege that is commonplace in students. At least the faux liberation is realistic. I found the book extremely Western-minded and the cultural influence felt like when you're watching a B-grade film where you can tell the family members aren't family members: it isn't believable. Since the book is first person and Greta mentions being into linguistics and being poly-lingual I'd expect the use of Romanian and Russian and I'd also have wanted clever word play to believe rather than be told that about the character. I hoped the Eastern European influence would come through with the depth of collective and transgenerational pain as well as the antisocial behaviour as inherited behaviour since Eastern and Western cultures are SOOO different. Regardless of my opinions I can tell the book is an important read and that many people resonate with the characters: soft city students with challenges of identity being assimilated into the status quo
January 23, 2024
This book had me chuckling all the time! It follows two queer siblings in New Zealand coping with the world around them & searching for love. Another book this month with great OCD rep too! I loved watching Greta & Valdin be silly and serious and mess up and grow. Sometimes the dialogue was slightly too witty to be realistic, & I do wish the book had ended a bit calmer.
September 9, 2022
There appeared to be no point to this. No plot. Reads like a first draft no one edited.
May 7, 2024
I went into this with an open mind, despite the fact the last name Vladisavljević (not Vladisavljevic) could never ever be Russian, which is something a quick Google search would've told the author. I ignored that and was actually enjoying this book at first. But the obsession the author has with Russia, and Europe in general, paired with her ignorance and lack of research, was astonishing. She named a Montenegrin character Plamen (Bulgarian) Gajević (Serbian), made him into someone who hates Serbia, and mocked his name by nicknaming him PLAN GAY. One of the main character's name is Greta, yet she constantly mocks other ''white'' names, such as Daisy. Every European country or name mentioned was just a stereotype and it was obvious to anyone who is actually European that the author has no idea what she's talking about. I can't speak about her portrayal of the Māori because it's not something I am familiar with. See how that works, Rebecca? Many of these ''offenses'' would have been avoided had she done the tiniest bit of research. There are so many actual Russian names, and she chose the one Serbian name, and then had the characters obsessed over their ''Russian last name no one ever understands.'' Slavs don't exist as a plot device for Western authors who want to be different and mock cultures without getting called out for it because the cultures they mock are what the West considers white.
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