Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - 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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mmccombs's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

3.5

This was a book that took me about halfway through it to finally feel convinced that I was enjoying it. Once I got there, I finally figured out what its “deal” was and allowed myself to enjoy the characters and the kind of ridiculous situations they found themselves in. I’m a sucker for a good brother-sister relationship, and that was definitely the best part of the book (makes sense, given the title!).

I think this would be best read via a print book rather than audiobook because the cast of characters is quite large and interconnected, so I had a very hard time keeping track of who was who and how everyone was related. There was A LOT going on here, so I think having that list of characters available for me to reference the entire time would have been a great help. I also think the narrators could have done a better job of making the distinctions between character dialogue clearer, I was not always certain about who was talking or if anyone was even talking at all which made for a muddled experience. I thought this was generally funny and sweet, but I wasn’t as into it as I expected I’d be, and I’d say that was most likely due to the listening experience.

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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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savvylit's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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

Greta & Valdin Vladisavljevic are two Māori-Russian siblings who share an apartment in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Aotearoa (New Zealand). Greta is a graduate student and tutor in comparative literature. Valdin is a television host who only recently quit a career in physics. As the novel opens, both siblings are deep in the throes of pining. Greta pines for Holly, a fellow tutor who already has a girlfriend. Valdin pines for Xabi, his former lover who recently moved to Buenos Aires. As their friends and family help them get over themselves, Greta & Valdin are eventually each able to find the love that they deserve.

Don’t be mistaken, though — Greta & Valdin is not “just” a romance novel. (Quick aside: if you’re the type of person who genuinely thinks or says things like “just a romance novel” then I request that you examine your biases). In fact, to categorize this novel as romance would be a mischaracterization. Alongside the heartwarming love stories, Greta & Valdin is a millennial coming-of-age novel with heaps of dry humor and heart. Both siblings are hilarious in ways that are both distinct and believably idiosyncratic. The most laugh-out-loud moments of the novel occur when they come together with their extended family. Take this example, for instance: on the evening when Greta’s new girlfriend Ell meets her parents, her father and Valdin immediately get into an argument over whether or not their father’s childhood friend Rumbo existed. Rumbo had featured heavily in dramatic tales from their father’s childhood. In each increasingly outlandish story, Rumbo always got up to extreme mischief and/or petty crime. Thus, Valdin is smugly convinced that Rumbo is fictional. Their father is incensed by Valdin’s claim. Interrupting the typical get-to-know-you conversation between Ell and his wife, their father immediately video-calls Rumbo on Facebook Messenger to prove his existence. Okay — I will admit that recounting it here just now in my own words takes some of the humor out of it, but trust me! The Rumbo incident is just one of many instances of absurd antics that had me giggling out loud.

Perhaps the greatest feat of Greta & Valdin, though, lies in Reilly’s effortless ability to portray an incredibly diverse range of characters and subject matter. First of all, this book is just so delightfully queer. The siblings and their partners, their nephew, their uncles: all queer & all messy, layered human beings. Reilly maintains a lighthearted tone throughout while also touching upon serious topics such as adoption, neurodivergence, chronic illness, indigenous identity, and the Land Back movement. The two main characters — and the author herself — are Māori and many of the secondary characters are people of color as well. All in all, in the way that only the best books manage it, none of the diversity feels forced or performative. The characters in Greta & Valdin are simply living their complex, human lives as we all do.

Since finishing this novel a few days ago, I find myself missing the two eponymous, charismatic siblings so much. And their partners, Xabi and Ell. And Ernesto. And Casper and Tang. And Thony and Giuseppe. And Rashmika. Even Genevieve! Every character was fully realized to the point of feeling like a new friend. I’ll be thinking about each of them for quite some time to come.

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words_and_coffee's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

I fell in love with Reilly's characters, they're so messy, flawed, funny and relatable.

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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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