Reviews

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

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marc's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

krismcd59's review against another edition

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4.0

This is one of those rare books that I regretted not listening to rather than reading. I would have loved to hear all those accents dancing around each other -- Kiwi, Maori, Russian, Scottish, all the voices of this delightful, multiethnic, extended family who keep the two protagonists from going off the rails in their Gen-Z quest for purpose and happiness. A cozy, funny family/relationship novel with the added delight of being a mini-travelogue of New Zealand as well.

shaleen64's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book is queer to its core and evokes such a varied range of emotions.

The relationships whether platonic, romantic or familial are complicated and endearing, even though we essentially follow them through the most mundane of activities.

I don’t usually enjoy a book that lacks a plot but the characters are so brilliant, and there’s so much humour whilst also touching on really important subjects it really doesn’t matter. A triumph for representation and a joy to read.

Content Warnings

upthelibraryladder's review against another edition

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emotional funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Unfortunately, I did not like this book. While it was well structured and well written with lots a great cultural references I didn't connect with it. I found all the characters bled into each other - everyone was melodramatic and "glass half empty" - the characters didn't have hugely distinguishing tones, voices, or points of view. I did enjoy the altering view points but, kept having to remind myself which character I was reading. This book definitely falls into a "just vibes" category of books similar to Salley Rooney novels. However, I feel Rooney's novels are a bit more focused which makes me miss a flowing plot less. For me, "Greta and Valdin" focused on too many characters. Keeping everyone's inner monologs straight was a bit of a chore. I also found the pacing inconsistent with the first 3/4 moving along very slowly then ramping up very quickly for the last 1/4. Overall, just not my kind of book. If you are interested is reading a coming of age novel with themes of friendship and love I would recommend "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" instead.