kai_okay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Personally, I liked the first part better. I really enjoyed the backstory of the Riva family although I cried not just once. It started out so calm and simply escalated from there on.
I really liked how different the characters were, yet I could bring up sympathy for almost all of them. It was interesting - and devastating - to see how generational trauma unfolds.
The second part, in which the party finally takes place, reminded me of 'The Great Gatsby', so I was delighted to read in the Q&A in the end of my print version, that TJR was indeed inspired by it.
To be honest, I expected a much worse ending and was very happy that it played out that way.
All in all it is a great book with beautiful writing, a georgeous setting and interesting characters that deals with many serious topics.
Spoiler
TW: The book deals with alcoholism in a very detailed and emotional way./Spoiler
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
lovealwaysadi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Abortion, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Medical content
bluedilly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Death, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Sexism, Violence, Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Misogyny, and Racism
bubblepig's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment, Racism, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse
ashlikes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Cursing, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Miscarriage, Racism, Vomit, Cancer, and Medical content
odette_tbdk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nina Riva es la protagonista principal, y está muy bien desarrollada, la conocemos desde que nace hasta su edad actual, podemos ver como una sola noche puede cambiar tanto a una persona, como ella se cansa de complacer a la gente sin decir lo que realmente piensa, siempre poniendo a los demás por encima de sus propias necesidades.
Un punto malo que vería en el libro es que te introducen a muchos personajes, y aunque algunos si tienen relevancia en la historia, otros simplemente no vuelven a aparecer, o hasta vemos su punto de vista en varias secciones del libro, que realmente no es interesante y llega a ser tedioso cuando queremos saber qué pasó con los protagonistas.
En general, un libro con personajes femeninos muy bien desarrollados, una ambientación muy buena, y personajes de otros libros que en este podemos llegar a conocer a profundidad, como Mick Riva.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident, Eating disorder, and Racism
raelinton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Abandonment, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Violence, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Car accident
Minor: Abortion and Racism
katekatiekait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit, Suicide, and Racism
anniefwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Spoiler
But the ending to me felt contrived, almost too saccharine. I found it hard to believe that SO many plot lines would all be resolved in one night. I wanted things to be more open-ended than they were.Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexism, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Car accident, Miscarriage, Blood, Police brutality, and Racism
kayabennett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
firstly, i absolutely love how the events of the book all is wrapped up in one day (with the exception of the flashbacks). i like medium/fast paced books so this definitely was the one for me. i actually started reading malibu rising because the secret history was being too slow for me and i needed to read something else before i fell into a book slump.
for the characters, i am so in love with each and everyone of them (except mick, fuck you. you know what you did.) i am especially in love with june and the way she was talked about by her children made me tear up about every single time. yes, she had flaws and she knew that but they were because of mick’s actions and i hate him for that. nina-baby, you deserve the world and more (also, fuck you brandon). the way she was so selfless to care for her siblings after her mother’s death and even before it makes nina so lovable. nina had been put through so much (as so did all the other siblings) and i hope she’s living her best life in portugal.
i also want to mention that tjr’s books all being in the same universe is literally my favorite thing ever. seeing mentions of people from daisy homes and the six and evelyn hugo lights up my face.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Gun violence, Infertility, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, Cursing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, and Violence