Greta and Valdin are two twenty-something siblings with a whole lot of emotions. They live together in an apartment in Auckland, New Zealand and are still figuring out their lives. Together, they tackle everything life throws at them, even though this can be rather disconnected at times. Regardless of their sibling dynamic, which ebbs and flows, one thing is for certain – they understand each other like no one else does.
The novel follows Greta and Valdin as they navigate their cultural identity, sexuality, family and love. The story alternates perspectives between these two, giving us an insight into their respective experience, which tackle similar themes while they feel worlds apart. The same consistent thread of kinship runs throughout the entire story.
Their family holds the same level of heart-warming dysfunctionality as they discover their sense of self and its impact on their surrounding relationships. They have all been affected by the cross-cultural union of their parents, who are Russian and Māori, which formulates the foundation of their family. The novel also delves into the lives of their niece, nephew, cousins, aunt and uncles, with Greta and Valdin as the central unit.
Each character in the story is intelligent and able to beautifully articulate their inner desires, despite the author sometimes describing them as guarded. These fables are all centred around the university, with Greta’s friends offering a grounded and objective insight into Greta and Valdin’s university professor of a father. This thread offers an intelligent perspective, with dry humour and witty educational jokes littered throughout to ease what could be an awkward arrangement.
While Reilly tries to paint the family as dysfunctional, which they are in their own way, I can’t help but romanticise their idyllic set up. They may not be perfect, but their ability to accept each other for who they are and understand each other’s differences is tender and heart-warming, without being saccharine. Reilly beautifully explains the spectrum of sexuality, intergenerational differences and the confusion that can sometimes come with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly is the Southern Hemisphere’s answer to Sally Rooney. It is Coco Mellors Blue Sisters and Cleopatra and Frankenstein combined. A character-driven piece of literary fiction with insightful conversations, plant puns, intimate relationships and deep conversations between each character in the book. It is a laugh out loud, delightful, soft and beautiful read.
Rating: 4/5
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