A review by katrinakellyreads
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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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