Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Malibu Rising

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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

172 reviews

gh1's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

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

3.0

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meeklovestoread's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

4.5

She did it again! I've gradually been going through TJR's backlist (this is my second to last one). And I was kinda scared going into this book because it's been almost a year since I've read her recent work. With that being said this book didn't disappoint. I was soo happy to see a little cameo from her previous novel, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"

Though I wish the book would've mentioned Mick'd brief marriage with Evelyn considering they mentioned some of his other wives.

I love how everything unfolded as you go through the story and how the flashbacks from the past reflect the events of the present. Speaking, I'm not gonna lie I LOVED reading Mick and June's story (all things considered) and it broke my heart to read the events that transpired. Me, personally, I would've never forgiven him for any of that. Mick Riva is literally the scum of the Earth. Nina was the star of this book and it was nice to see her character develop from putting others first to putting herself first. Overall, a great and entertaining story!

I am nervous to read Carrie Soto Is Back though considering Carrie wasn't the most appealing character in Malibu Rising. She was so disrespectful and willing pursued a married man.

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finn_vibing's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-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

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elviolet's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Title: Malibu Rising
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 27, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Addictive • Evocative • Entertaining

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth. Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come rising to the surface.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I deliberately chose to take Malibu Rising on my recent trip to Los Angeles and I couldn't have picked a better time to pick it up. Being in the California sun, with the gentle ocean breeze, and being close to some of the places talked about throughout the book really offered something extra to my reading experience.

The dysfunctional family dynamics of the Riva siblings felt believable, their relationships seemed genuine, and their flawed character development was fantastic. Nina was my favourite character - her arc is the one I gravitated towards most. Her selfless nature felt entirely relatable and my heart just went out to her.

Even though the entirety of this book takes places over the span on 24 hours, the bulk of it takes place in Malibu during the 1980s. While the party timeline could feel a bit distracting, I understand it was necessary and feel as though TJR has crafted them together perfectly. The main issue I had was with the amount of characters I needed to keep track of at the party. I didn't really care, and wanted more depth about the Rivas. The setting itself added an element of glitz and glamour, and the TJR describes the area with ease.

Overall, Malibu Rising is another enjoyable story, mixing historical fiction with family drama, that I would highly recommend. The audio narration by Julia Whalen is fabulous. And what I love so much about TJR's stories is how each one is so unique. While this one wasn't my absolute favourite, I still cannot wait to keep exploring her backlist and seeing what she writes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone looking for beachy summertime vibes
• TJR devotees
• historical fiction readers looking for something different

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Our family histories are simply stories. They are myths we create about the people who came before us, in order to make sense of ourselves."

"She had to choose what, of the things she inherited from the people who came before her, she wanted to bring forward. And what, of the past, she wanted to leave behind."

"She knew that she could not sustain her life fueled only by the memories of those she once loved. Loss would not propel her forward. She had to go out and live. She had to find new people."

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val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

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

2.0

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stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

this was my first time reading a taylor jenkins reid book, and only because i saw that it has good sibling dynamics. even though i loved it i'm not likely to read another tjr book simply because the genre isn't for me.

this book is amazingly written. at one point i even shed some tears. there's not much going on for most of the book but it still was easy to read and somehow felt fast paced. maybe it was the dual timeline.

i do wish there was more chance for me to get attached to the characters though. besides nina we don't really see a lot into their minds.

also, i still don't get why exactly jay was so mad at hud, i mean he was over ashley so what's the big deal?

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exbecks's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No

3.75

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mishasbooks's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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zerenreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Malibu Rising is a multi-generational story of a family living in Malibu. It follows the children of legendary Hollywood singer, Mick Riva, on the day of their much-anticipated yearly party. Their parents’ love story, told through a series of flashbacks, is also central to the plot.

This book is my perfect summer read. The setting of 1960’s to 80’s Malibu was fitting for a beach read, filled with surfers and roadside dive bars and restaurants. It wasn’t all fun and games, though. I loved the not-so-subtle commentary on the gentrification of this and other areas. One very clever way in which this was illustrated is through the home and circumstances of the main character, Nina. In eight years she went from living in a small but loved home on the beach and taking care of her siblings to living in a massive cliff-side mansion with her pro tennis player husband. I also enjoyed how TJR explores family dynamics between partners, parents and children, and most of all siblings. Each sibling is unique and well-rounded, and it’s interesting to see how they are and have always been a unit despite, or perhaps because of, this. Aside from the main characters, every single side character is interesting and unique. I loved how everyone named was somehow relevant to the story later on, and I’d honestly read a spin-off about any of them. Who doesn’t love a good bit of old Hollywood decadence?

This is the second book I have read by TJR, and there are two things in particular that I enjoy in her writing. The first is how she writes such realistic characters, especially women. Her characters are unique and well-rounded, and have such relatable, human flaws. It is so refreshing to see female characters, especially in the time period in which their books take place, who do not fit neatly into the categories that society tries to put us in. Her female characters tell the story of millions of women whose stories are very rarely told. Women who, like Evelyn Hugo, will do anything to protect themselves and the people they love without looking back, and who get looked down on and called b*tches for it. Women who, like June, are single mothers trying (and sometimes failing) to do right by their children, and who get looked down on and called stupid for it. Women who, like Nina Riva, get things done not because they want to but because if they don’t nobody will, and who often go without thanks for it. Women who, like Carrie Soto, are loud, and angry, and want the world to know it, and get looked down on and called crazy for it. Women who, like us all, are hurt and messy and scared and brave, who cannot be put neatly into a box, and get called names for it. It’s easier to mock and mistreat these women than it is to admit that we are scared and in awe of them.

The ending of the story is in both the blurb and the prologue, and yet still managed to surprise me. I was expecting it to go in a different direction, but it was still satisfactory and I ended up actually liking it.

Overall, this book was brilliant and I absolutely recommend it. A new favourite.

I rated it 5 stars, which I reserve for books that leave a real impression on me, and that is certainly true of this book. From the plot and the writing style to the characters and their development, I loved it all. My only regret regarding this book is not reading it earlier.

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