Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Malibu Rising

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

329 reviews

mellowmei's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

3.75

I loved this book, I think that if you’re into dramatic reality tv you’d really like this. I however think, I personally loved the first half of the novel though, as during the second part of the novel. It felt kind of hard to remember all the characters, as multiple different ‘new characters’ were introduced. I think I would’ve personally, cut that sort of fluff out and would’ve focused on the relationship between the siblings more. Overall, I enjoyed the Riva siblings, and their dynamic together. I found it so sweet, how they quickly they accepted Casey. I also appreciated, how even how realistic it was for them to not be “buddy-buddy” like with their father even after he had apologized for his transgressions.

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heidibaumgart's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The main characters were wonderful. How they interconnected and their hopes and fears got on each other … I thought that was great. The bit parts weren’t great. At the beginning of Part 2, it felt like when you have to do time period research and you over describe fashion and music to prove that you did the research, or lived in that time. It was like a bingo card spaces of 80s / Malibu related people and culture. (Thanks goodness Rob Lowe was mentioned or it really would have been bad - research for 80s Malibu.)

The tie up was satisfying. The fire was just bookends and not really necessary except for the bingo card.

Also imho:
Evelyn > Malibu > Daisy
Reading TJR in publish order. Only Carrie Soto is left and I’m not looking forward to it, having met her in Malibu Rising. But then I will have completed the TJR author binge…

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findleydunn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Kind of slow until 3/4 through, then fast and exciting. I like the morals at the end, but it's a little hard to get there.

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katrinakellyreads's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this - read it because I previously liked Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. This wasn’t as good as those two, probably on a par with Carrie Soto. I liked the characters involved - liked the sibling relationships, and the flawed parents. Similar themes to her other books of hidden family relationships in the face of a celebrity life, a ‘behind the scenes’ type of look at the lives of the famous. It felt like it was realistic enough to be just about real, but was also fun and fast paced. I felt that the eldest daughter was portrayed well, I could empathise with her lack of personal character after she’d spent years holding everyone else together - and loved that her siblings freed her from that. I did keep thinking something BIG was going to happen (ie a couple of times the way people are described as leaving in cars drunk etc you expect something awful to happen) but it never does and at first I was a bit thrown by that but actually it felt like quite a clever twist to what you might expect. Overall I enjoyed it.

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