What an underhyped gem this is. It’s funny, with quirky characters and an emotional core. Set in New Zealand, the book alternates the POVs of the titular siblings, who are biracial, gay, and living together as roommates. It’s a slice of life novel with a large focus on the main characters’ romantic and family relationships.
This might be the funniest book I’ve read. Usually when I read something funny in a book I smile or just internally recognize that it’s amusing. It’s fairly uncommon for me to laugh out loud, but this book had me doing that more than once. A lot of it comes from sarcasm and deadpan humor. One of the lines that got me was Greta reflecting on missing a career meeting for Maori students when she was growing up: “Everyone else came back to class with a keychain that said NZ POLICE. My life would be different if I didn’t lose my keys all the time.”
Humor alone wouldn’t have been enough to make me love this book. I liked the characters, especially Greta. She’s funny, sarcastic, anxious, and insecure, and I could relate to her so much at times. Although, she also happens to be the character who more than once provides some second-hand embarrassment for the reader.
Greta and Valdin are close to their family, both emotionally and geographically. That’s where the heart of this novel lies. The family is so supportive, warm, and loving. They are also quirky and sometimes a bit dysfunctional. There are occasional bits of information that are raised but not elaborated on, and it feels intentional. It serves to make this feel like a real family with a lived-in history. Readers are left with the sense that we are getting a sneak peek into these characters’ lives and that they will continue on in all their strange, affectionate ways long after our visit with them has ended. 4.5 stars rounded up.
