Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Greta and Valdin

This was absolutely entertaining, but it was also (temporarily) confusing. I had to listen to the opening 3 times. It was a list of ALL the Greta's and Valdin's who were to appear in the book. Queer positive, family, love... I sort of wish I had been able to read rather than listen. It is possible this would have been 4 stars.

“I wonder what plant I would be, if I were a plant. Maybe something with big leaves that droop sulkily if not provided with the exact right amount of water and light.”

“I miss you, too. Now go and live your free life and feel indebted to me for every moment of it.”

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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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 many aloud giggles, I loved this so much, the characters and their relationships were so wholesome and pure and kind and lovely. I found the ending a little confusing, as it was a bit unclear as to who was cheating on who but otherwise still a great read

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jayisreading's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.5

Greta & Valdin is a novel that felt like a warm embrace from various members of the Vladislavljevic family, a Russian–Maori family, particularly from the two queer siblings who narrate the story, Greta and Valdin. They’re a messy and imperfect bunch, especially Greta and Valdin (really living up to be disaster queers in their own ways, ahaha), but they all carry so much love. I really appreciated how Reilly navigated race and class dynamics in this novel through her characters, making playful jabs at these issues in New Zealand society.

There isn’t much of a plot, which may frustrate some, as most of this book focuses on the characters and their relationships with one another, and, really, the joys and frustrations of being human. There was something so genuine about these characters, so much that I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. (I will also say the humor is reminiscent of television shows such as Fleabag and Chewing Gum, so if you’re not a fan of this sort of humor, perhaps avoid this novel.)

I did feel the ending was a little hastily put together, but overall, I greatly enjoyed the ride that was this book. Reilly wrote some of the most sincere and endearing characters I’ve read in some time. On an unrelated note, it was also quite fun to learn more about New Zealand society and culture, including slang.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

5.0

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kathleenivy's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

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