I think it’s safe to say that Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid was my most anticipated read of the summer (and I bet many of my bookstagram pals could say the same!). And though I thoroughly enjoyed it, I can’t help but feel a little bit disappointed. I went into this book expecting it to be as addicting as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, which are two of my all-time favorite books. Though the story definitely sucked me in, it lacked the magic that the other two have brought into my life.
Malibu Rising follows the four Riva siblings, Nina, Jay, Hudson, and Kit. They are the four avid surfers of famous singer and deadbeat Mick Riva, and troubled but strong June Riva. The storyline swaps back and forth to present-moment perspectives of the four children as well as flashbacks to their parents’ pasts. Nina, the eldest of the four, had to step up at a young age to care for her three siblings when June fell into the depths of alcoholism after Mick’s repeated reappearances and departures from their life together. Even when the siblings are full-grown, Nina feels she can’t let them down, even through a failing marriage of her own and a desperate unhappiness with her situation.
The story takes place over the course of 24-hours on the day of the famous annual “Riva Party” at Nina’s oceanfront mansion. Jay and Hudson have a bout of drama of their own happening in the 24-hour time period in which this story takes place, all the while Kit tries to come to terms with an identity she doesn’t fully understand yet. There are several unexpected guests and I think it’s safe to say that things definitely spiral out-of-hand pretty quickly.
Is someone’s surfing career over? Will the siblings make it through tonight still close? What is to come of Nina’s marriage? Is Mick’s past all that they thought it was?
Despite being let down a little bit by the hype of this book (my own anticipation included), it was a solid read and I would still recommend it. I was transported yet again by Reid’s gorgeous writing to a place I have never been but would love to visit- Malibu, CA. I could practically feel the sea breeze and smell the salt in the air while I read. The plot held my attention and I definitely could not predict how things were going to go down at the party. As usual, the character development of each sibling was thorough and thought-provoking, another job well done by Reid. She also did a great job of building anticipation throughout the story, and my favorite parts were definitely those revolving the sweetness of the Riva kids’ relationships and how much they care for each other.
Lastly, a highlight of the book for me was of course the “easter egg” connection of Mick Riva to Reid’s other two hit protagonists Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. Mick made an appearance in the other two books as one of Daisy’s parties and as one of Evelyn’s husbands! I live for this kind of stuff honestly and it's cool that they are all from the same literary universe.
Rating: 4/5 perfect waves
Which TJR book is your personal favorite?
xx, Lauren
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