Greta & Valdin is a story about family, love, queerness, and the experience of holding multiple identities and histories. The two titular characters are a pair of gay siblings, each entangled in different romantic and personal situations. I kept wishing this were a show or a movie, so I could see and experience their lives and laugh at their jokes. Part of this was also the specificity of setting–Aotearoa (NZ) is such a living, breathing, part of the story. I loved these characters and felt so immersed in their world.

Greta & Valdin is a book that can sneak up on you. The narration flips between the siblings throughout the book, and at the beginning I was really mostly just getting "vibes.". The characters were written well, but I wasn't really getting where Reilly was going. Valdin lives with his sister after his ex-boyfriend dumped him and moved to Argentina. Great is mulling over her master's thesis and crushing on someone. The two of them are interacting with their world, navigating their multiracial background (Maori/Russian) and queerness. The plot really ramps up when Valdin takes a job that send him to Buenos Aires and potentially back into the arms of his ex. Is it worth rehashing what caused their breakup and work through it? Greta meets a woman at a party that she really vibes with. Could there be a future here? Overlaying Greta and Valdin's love lives, is their interactions with their parents which were a hoot at times. All of the secondary characters in this book were fantastic and really colored in the overall quirky vibe. This book is funny and emotional and had me both giggling and tearing up. Truly a stunner of a book. Highly recommend grabbing this book!

Thank you to Avid Reader Press via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Greta & Valdin was truly a delight. So much so, I am worried for the rest of my reading prospects for this year, because this one will be hard to beat for me. And it’s only January.

This book truly felt like a warm hug. Every character, even the minor characters, felt complex and authentic. I saw so much of myself in both Greta and Valdin’s stories because this heartfelt and clever novel was such a truthful depiction of being a queer mid-to-late 20-something with little clue what you’re doing in the world and what your place is in it. The characterization is the heart of this story, the plot being mostly low maintenance and every day with looks at their lives individually and together with their friends and family.

Not to forget the social-political commentary woven throughout the story, displaying how prominent it is in these character’s lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Reilly delivers many of these moments with humor but not in a way that makes light of the very prominent issues in society and in these character’s lives.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good character study and delving into stories about true human connection.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Touching and full of emotion, this book surprised me.

With characters that felt so real, I enjoyed the reading experience quite a bit. This is funny and poignant, diving into sibling relationships, grieving lost relationships, second chances and so much self growth.

I adored Valdin and Greta with a fierceness that took me by surprise. I loved their family, with all of their eccentricities and their vast culture. I thought this did a great job of representing queerness in different ways. I loved the humor and the way it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics.

I highly recommend this wonderful book and will definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Stunning and joyously queer, filled with bad relationships and learning to love oneselfZ thanks for the drc

A tough book for me. At times very very funny, and the family characters alone-Maori-Russian-Romanian-Italian add to the humor. The two main characters - Greta and Valdin -are siblings and both gay.
The author in my opinion, uses the book-and humor-to delve into serious issues-homophobia, racism, upper class wealth, the effects of colonization, and even obsessive compulsive disorder. The setting is Auckland , NZ, and there were many local expressions which at times made it a difficult read for me. Not a book I would highly recommend but will pass it on to my NZ friends for their opinion.

Greta and Valdin are certainly part of a quirky social and family life, sometimes funny sometimes heartwarming.
Unfortunately I could not get into the book, which I found a bit all over the place.
I do think this will be a popular book and I love the cover!

I really loved this touching book about a brother and sister. This tale was so queer and dynamic, the characters were all so interesting and the extended cast added so much charm. The central love story was cute and exciting, and I especially loved the second half.
I did find that the two characters had very similar voices, making it occasionally confusing to remember whose perspective a chapter was from. Overall though, I loved these characters and thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.

This novel is really delightful, it's funny, sharp, and original. I love how nuanced this approach to queerness is, and how diverse yet similar the siblings' relationships with their own identities are. I really appreciated the depiction of OCD and rumination in this book, and especially how it can bleed out over families in different ways; it felt realistic to me in a way I don't often see (ie stereotypes about OCD = washing your hands a lot, etc). My personal favorite part of the book is actually at the midway point when the characters start really traveling (ie Brazil!) and we get real momentum and motion into the storyline like it's all piling up in totally unexpected ways. This is a great read for fans of Katya Apekina's MOTHER DOLL and Ruth Madievsky's ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY.

Absolutely Perfect!

Greta & Valdin is a story about an extended family of Maori and Russian descent living haphazardly in New Zealand. All members of the family are brilliant, sharp and finding their way. Some are on the spectrum and all are living messily professionally and personally.

Reilly gives great voices to the three adult children as they attempt to reconcile their lives romantically and personally. Both Greta and Valdin are queer and I loved that there were plenty of off hand remarks and it wasn't the center of the story - that it was just the norm.

Mixed into the hilarious discussions is sharp commentary on race, wealth and politics. There are touching moments that contain threads of hilarity. This book has it all! And it is a true delight to read. I can only hope that there are more adventures with the family. Or that Reilly has a whole other family to write about next!
#avidpress #avidreaderpress #greta&valdin #teamgreta #rebeccakreilly

Hilarous and heartwarming story of a very quirky, very loving, very queer extended family. Ridiculous in the very best way.

Wow, I loved this book so much! The writing is absolutely ridiculously stunning! The prose is so engaging and enchanting as it sweeps you up into the minds and actions of our leading characters as they struggle through their days. With nonstop fun quips about the comedy of life and the pains of loneliness and misery, Great and Valdin take you through their lives as they interact with friends, family, family friends, and their romantic prospects. Neither Greta nor Valdin seem to be successful in this category (fitting in), and with their awkward personalities, they navigate relationships and work, struggling to find a place to fit in. 

This book just wowed me in every aspect! I wouldn't say I'm one for family-based stories, but this writing and these characters allow for fascinating and comedic storytelling as we learn about Greta and Valdin's family history. 

I'm not sure if it's because I'm an American, but there were a few things that went over my head. And as it should, these characters are presented as very smart and I actually loved that it made me feel a bit confused and left out, as I was able to relate to the characters who interacted with their family and felt a bit stunted in their presence. There were some Maori terms (and names), as well as German and Russian that I struggled to pronounce or understand the meaning of, but again, I sort of enjoyed that I felt a bit stupid compared to these characters. As we learn about our heroes in this story, they tend to feel a bit separate from those around them, and this made me relate to and understand them. Also, the writing and characters' struggles are so relatable and their snarky quips make the book eerily charming and endearing. This book was emotional (not necessarily sad) and yet so delightful and funny!! 5 stars, I absolutely devoured this and will definitely be looking forward to the author's next works!

I love Greta and I love Valdin. This book, set in New Zealand, follows two siblings who are just trying to make life work in their twenties. They live together in Aukland and see their parents frequently. Their father works at the university where Greta studies and where Valdin dropped out of his career in physics to work in tv and film. Greta and Valdin both have good relationships with their parents and their extended family including their uncle and grandfather, perhaps prompting the Schitt's Creek comps in early promos for the US release of the novel.

Valdin is still recovering from his breakup with his ex-boyfriend Xabi who has left the country and moved to Argentina in an attempt to not make Valdin so sad. Xabi is significantly older than Valdin--he's actually the brother of Valdin's uncle's husband. This age difference doesn't stop either from loving one another though, and when Valdin is sent to Argentina for work, he can't help but reconnect with Xabi. For a long period of time, Valdin wasn't able to speak when he was anywhere but home, but his time with Xabi somehow changed that and he was able to find his voice--so much so that he now hosts a travel show on tv and is at times pushed to use his voice to explain Maori customs and culture to his viewers and coworkers as he is the only Maori person on staff. When he reconnects with Xabi, he is surprised to find out that Xabi is pursuing fatherhood on his own via adoption in Colombia. This revelation prompts Valdin to question what he wants from the rest of his life, including family making, and he goes to Colombia with Xabi to continue thinking about it. Getting back together with Xabi would mean co-parenting the child that Xabi is in the process of adopting--a child who also has trouble speaking to others.

Meanwhile back in Auckland, Greta is...wondering where Valdin is. He didn't return from Argentina as planned (Greta even made him a welcome home cake with the last of the money in her grad student salary bank account!), and he didn't bother to inform Greta where he was going or how long he would be gone. She is also struggling with a crush on a fellow TA who...is maybe just taking advantage of Greta for administrative help. Greta just wants to feel lovable and loved, and the people around her are not helping! In one of Greta's chapters, she reflects on all of the mediocre things people are saying to her: "I wonder if people are having beautiful things said to them all the time, and I've just gone wrong somewhere." Greta!! When she meets a new girl who has eyes only for Greta, you'll melt along with her as beautiful things are indeed said to her.

This book is just so queer. Obviously both siblings are pursuing queer relationships, but even Greta's and Valdin's seemingly straight parents open up about their well, openness, in their marriage. Their mother's deep love for their father isn't compromised by her affection for another man, and everything is just truly okay.

The tone of the dual narration shared by Greta and Valdin is deeply millennial and thus reminiscent of Sally Rooney or Elif Batuman, but it is also just....nice. The book is deeply generous--its characters are flawed but they're trying and you're cheering them on even as you're unsure if they're making the best decisions. Even when one of them doesn't take the care another deserves, there is still kindness underlying all of their interactions. It's truly a delight to read!

Fresh, deft, and exceptionally memorable!

Greta & Valdin is a tender, hopeful, intimate multi-generational story that delves into all the emotional bonds and intricate ties that exist between family members, especially two siblings, Greta and Valdin and immerses you in a tale about accepting the things you cannot change, following your heart, learning to heal, and embracing whatever comes next.

The prose is evocative and controlled. The characters are young, self-aware, and relatable. And the tightly crafted, witty plot, told from alternating perspectives, unfolds seamlessly, unravelling all the motivations, behaviours, personalities, desires, needs, insecurities, heartbreak, and complex relationships within it.

Overall, Greta & Valdin is a nuanced, atmospheric, uplifting debut by Reilly that does a remarkable job of highlighting all the universal struggles of navigating the world as an adult, acquiring self-confidence, forging friendships, experiencing love, and feeling entitled to be loved.

very sharp & intriguing book, but not really what I was wanting. I honestly think I just wasn't in the mood for it!!! I can still really appreciate what this book did, and loved the myriad queer representations and relationships/dynamics explored.

Who would have thought a novel set in New Zealand following characters with a Russian/Māori/Catalonian background would tickle my fancy. Well it did, but not as much as I thought. I really wanted to love this more but I just couldn’t. Something was stopping me. I hate saying this, but I think this was even too quirky for me.

The story follows Greta and Valdin, brother and sister who live together and navigating the joys of life. I got a little lost with all the characters and their connection to Greta and Valdin. But I will say there were parts that I was laughing out loud, and other parts where I felt for the characters deeply. Reilly took me on a journey that I wouldn’t have normally gone on so I’m glad I dove in.

Thank you to netgalley for the copy!

This is the first book I've ever read where within the first couple chapters I was like, wait, why don't I write like this? Should I write like this? Why doesn't everybody write like this? This is because Rebecca K. Reilly's writing style is very, very good in a way that feels utterly effortless: naturally funny, reflective of contemporary subject matter without feeling forced, relatable even when the POV character is not someone I would ordinarily relate to at all. When I read novels written in first person perspective I generally feel that I'm being told a story by somebody, or reading something they've written down, but Reilly's writing overcame that to transport me into these characters' heads: for Valdin's chapters I was a selectively verbal guy with an interesting job I never really thought about and an unexpected interest in parenting, for Greta's I was a somewhat aimless university student who loves and loves and loves and occasionally finds people who deserve it.

I have never read anything like this book. Reilly is an incredible talent.

But: I have reservations. The banter can get a little same-y, which is more forgivable when you have a cast of characters who are largely family and thus will be inclined to share joke structures, but can cause conversations to blend together a bit in a way that's especially tough in a book so dialogue-driven. (And I super get this as a writer and joke enthusiast myself, so here's my tip. When you're writing out your character sheets, give each person their own style of humor: sarcastic, deadpan, teasing, quick and bantery, the storyteller, the straight man, the observer, etc. There are a lot of different ways to be funny!) I can also see how New Zealanders got real horny about the Auckland of it all because it's fun to recognize coffee shops and stairs, but I could have used about 5% more specific description to help out the foreigners because I struggled to orient myself or really feel a sense of place other than a university with offices or a city with parts.

I could dig in further here, but honestly I'm more excited to read what Reilly comes up with next than I am to read almost anything except for Tamsyn Muir's next book, which raises the question what is going ON over in New Zealand, and should I go hang out there?

My thanks to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved so many parts of this book! The family and intergenerational dynamics, the cast of odd, loveable characters (though there were many, so it was sometimes difficult to keep up with them all), the perspective shifts, the realistic portrayal of OCD and selective mutism, the discussions of multiracial identity, and the depictions of modern romantic love. The humor had me laughing out loud, and the sort of ramblings from each character often felt like seeing my own weird inner voice reflected on the page. I obviously loved Greta and Valdin, themselves, but again, there were so many other characters to love. While it did feel like a lot sometimes, it also felt authentic, like I was immersed in all these relationships the two siblings had. Each character was eccentric, unique, and lovely, and I enjoyed getting to know them all. The ending was incredibly heartfelt, and I may have gotten a bit misty-eyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

greta & valdin is one of the most understated novels i've read in a while, not because the characters aren't rambunctious (they surprisingly are), but because the revelations feel like ones people often have by themselves. here, the revelations are shared amongst family (biological and found) through conversations that are often embarrassing and real. it takes patience to want to know people and reilly succeeds at conveying this yearning (especially when it comes knowing one's parents in adulthood). i will say there are some pacing issues with the large cast of characters, but this one feels like it would make a good limited series, or even a play, with well i think the conversations could become impactful monologues on film.

I was really looking forward to this one but it absolutely exceeded my expectations. I'm obsessed.

This book follows an absolutely hilarious family as they try to get their lives together, both professional and personal, and we see more and more of their pasts revealed as the book goes on. The thing that stood out to me about this book was the complete joy of being queer, Maori, and Russian (and Jewish!). There is so much queerness and it is so normal in this family, literally everyone is queer and it's such a beautiful thing to see. I felt so warm inside reading the family dynamics, because while they are messy and imperfect, there is love there.

This is such a sharply written book as well. The countless jabs at racism, classism, ableism, and more that are cleverly woven into an otherwise mundane paragraph are truly brilliant. I learned a lot about modern New Zealand society which I very much appreciated ("How long have you been in New Zealand? Have you heard about racism?").

I will be shoving this book into the hands of everyone I know, and following any and everything Rebecca K Reilly writes from now on.

I leave you with one quote of the endless number I highlighted while reading: "I don't really feel like anything these days, just a beautiful husk filled with opinions about globalism and a strong desire to go out for dinner."

Read this book.