A review by ashleyvaleria
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

tjr is incapable of writing a bad book. she just has a way of writing that draws you in completely to the world and writes characters so complex it’s hard to fully hate any of them even if they are a “villain”. the riva family has my whole heart and reading each one of their individual stories had my heart beaming and breaking throughout the book. the way she wrote the generational trauma and sibling dynamics was amazing to read and the siblings are all just so lovable despite some faults. i loved the different povs and timelines it really kept me engaged. reading back and forth between june and mick and the kids was fun to read and was able to demonstrate the mirroring of each others lives as well as the differences. so so many quotes stood out to me about how you have to choose what u carry from your parents and what u let go of, is it really worth it trying to break the cycle or is it inevitable that the cycle continues? ugh just such a great demonstration of family dynamics and how past generations affect you and your life while also using the backdrop of 1960s-80s Malibu, CA and the culture and lives of its stars to make the story that much more engaging and interesting. another hit by tjr and i cannot wait to read carrie soto !!!
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