Author(s): Rebecca K. Reilly

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'Hilarious, touching and hotly sublime' JULIA ARMFIELD

'Warm, witty and utterly idiosyncratic' ALICE SLATER

Siblings Greta and Valdin have, perhaps, too much in common. They're flatmates, beholden to the same near-unpronounceable surname, and both make questionable choices when it comes to love. Valdin is in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who appears to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark. Helping the siblings navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the tendency of their love interests to flee, is the Vladisavljevic family - Maori-Russian-Catalonian, and as passionate as they are eccentric.

Rebecca K. Reilly's exploration of love, family, karaoke, and the generational reverberations of colonialism will make you laugh, cry, and fall for the whole Vladisavljevic bunch.

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

Greta and Valdin Vladisavljevic are Māori-Russian-Catalonian siblings, both unhappily in love with people who may or may not be entirely unsuitable for them. With the love and interference of their idiosyncratic family, they must assert themselves and their value.

This very, very funny book is an utter treat. Reilly’s witty, observational humour not only makes Greta and Valdin one of the most entertaining novels you’ll read this year, it also facilitates exploration of queer identity and joy. Come for the laughs, stay for the commentary on multiracial identity in Aoteara/New Zealand and the complexity of familial tangles that simultaneously bind and support. Hannah