Rebecca K. Reilly

This is a New Zealand book that I bout at a fun bookstore in Wellington (Good Books) at the recommendation of a very enthusiastic bookseller. It's about a brother and sister of mixed Maori/Russion heritage, struggling with love, identity, carrier and mental illness. It's and easy, funny read on one had, with deeper issues about cultural and queer identity.

At times it was a bit too cute. (Example, a quote from Valdin: "At the moment, for personal reasons, I don't like reading things about people being in love with each other.). But over-all, I liked it, the New Zealand references are fun, the sibling's and their family are warmhearted and entertaining.

Recommended.… (mehr)

Ahh I love this book so much. At about 60% I started panicking a little that these lovely bizarre enrapturing people were going to leave my life in about 100 pages and I wouldn't be able to call them to catch up on the latest news. I don't know. I love the voice, the tone, the language, the characters, the story. Man I thought I was done with coming-of-age-in-college stories, but I guess I was just done with some of them. This story, just about people trying to figure things out at all ages, really gives its characters room to be themselves, and this allows them to feel real, complex, fully developed. Plus it's funny, so funny, without cutting into the emotions of any part of the story. I looked at my highlights and they are all small moments that made me laugh because they rang true. I quite enjoyed this reminder of, and different viewpoint of, NZ.… (mehr)