From all the novels with a strong multicultural, diverse and not necessarily topic-oriented books I´ve read this year, Greta&Valdin by New Zealand Maori author Rebecca K. Reilly was by far the most fascinating read.
An alternate exchange of stories between two queer brothers, it is as intense as a Tower of Babel in the informational sense could be. You may need an overactive brain to go through the billions of references that are as diverse as mentions about Moldavian ice hockey and sea fungus. There is no need to check ChatGPT, there is a flow of information that surrounds and adorns every single word in this book.
Somehow, Reilly has the inspiration to balance the waterfall of ideas and words with a story that although not necessarily impressive, at least builds up pathways through the maze. That´s what helps you to not completely feel overwhelmed and mentally blocked by too much information.
While reading, I felt like being part of an experiment, as all those references were instantly exciting my brain, who wanted more of it. More information, more diversity, more constructions. The premises are not fully realistic and not everyone exhibits such a diverse background in all the possible respects, but it sounded normal to be exposed to all of it.
Greta&Valdin is entertaining, thoughtful, mindblowing and joyful, all at the same time. The author played the card of global diversity in an unheard way. In many respects, it sums up perfectly both my interests and my concerns, and would definitely think about this book for many days to come.
Rating: 3 stars
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