Malibu Rising

This was a fun novel - I'd describe it a "beach read". It's about four adult siblings, who throw an annual party that is the place to be seen every summer in Malibu. The novel takes place over the 24 hours of the party, with flashbacks to their parents' disastrous marriage and its affect on all four children.

I was happily sucked along reading this book - very plot driven, and predictable enough to be comfortable but not boring. I'd gladly read more of [[Taylor Jenkins Reid]]'s books when I want something fun and light.

I think this book is the dictionary definition of a beach read: light and stylish but immediately forgettable. Not to mention set on an actual beach. The four Riva siblings are like a mash-up of Sweet Valley High meets Party of Five, all of them good-looking and talented, generous and popular, with a completely messed up family background to ground their sun-kissed lives in reality. Did I really like any of the characters or the swallow the cheesy writing, full of references to soul mates and finding 'the one'? Nope. Did I keep reading, almost non-stop? Hell yes!

The story is split between two generations of the Riva family, pathetic wife and mother June and the history of her failed marriage to deadbeat dad Mick in the 50s and 60s, show more alongside the lives of their children, Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit in the 80s. The past merges into - and threatens to define - the present, where Nina and her siblings are preparing for the 'Riva Party', an annual event at her house in Malibu. I tried very hard to understand June's mentality, betrayed and abandoned again and again by her husband yet always ready to take him back (and adopt his love child into the bargain!), but must admit she drove me mad. And then Nina, living in her vain and arrogant husband's glass house, seemed to be taking on all of her mother's worst qualities before eventually salvaging her dignity and the whole novel - 'I'm a doormat', she finally realises. The plot, if there is one, involves the final and cataclysmic Riva party and a lot of very satisfying home truths, but the heart of the story is centred around the four siblings, and damn me, I actually came to care about them all! Beautiful surfer and model Nina is physically flawless but also a control freak, which I found strangely relatable. Brother Jay is a professional surfer with a health scare that forces him re-evaluate his life, although not before playing dog in the manger with his brother's happiness. Hud is the cuckoo in the nest, Mick's lovechild taken in by June. And Kit is the youngest, struggling with her sexuality. They are all two dimensional characters, perfect with token flaws - Francine Pascal would be proud - and yet I loved the strong family bond that makes them local celebrities regardless of fame or success.

I think this book might become a future guilty pleasure! show less

4.5 ★

"Because, just as it is in Malibu's nature to burn, so was it in one particular person's nature to set fire and walk away."

This was in, all aspects, beautiful. I loved how emotions easily flew off the page as you read. How heartbroken the past chapters made you feel. It was as if you too were a Riva sibling, growing up and finding ways to cope with the cycle of generational trauma given to you. The characters were all perfectly flawed and the so-called villains of the story were people you managed to feel sorry for.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is pure, sun‑soaked storytelling magic. Reid takes one unforgettable night in 1983 and turns it into a wildfire of family drama, emotional depth, and the kind of character work that makes you want to call your siblings just to check in.

The Riva family is messy, magnetic, and impossible not to root for. Every chapter peels back another layer—old wounds, buried secrets, and the fierce loyalty that keeps them tied together even when everything around them is burning (sometimes literally). Reid’s writing is cinematic, addictive, and full of heart, making Malibu feel like a character all its own.

This is one of those books that grabs you early, keeps you hooked, show more and leaves you thinking about the characters long after you close it. A stunning, emotional, beautifully crafted story about family, fame, and the fires we survive. show less

It started out as a love story, but Mick Riva wasn’t made for loving only one woman, he was first of all made for a career in the music business and that’s what he did. His wife June though was made for loving but since her husband was absent, she only had to love her kids. The first born Nina, and the second, Jay, and the third who wasn’t her kid at all but she couldn’t just turn her back on Mick’s son Hud who was abandoned by his mother. And last but not least Kit, born long after her parents’ relationship had already fractured several times. While Mick was away, June took care of the kids until she couldn’t anymore, then quite naturally, Nina took over. Now, as a successful model, she is preparing for the legendary show more annual Riva party in her home in Malibu. Even though they have been having this party for many years, this year will be different and at the end of the night, nothing will be the same anymore for any of the Riva family.

I totally adored Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel “Daisy Jones & The Six“ which was totally lively and got be hooked from the first page. He latest book “Malibu Rising” had exactly the same effect. Her protagonist Nina, whose day of the big party is told alternatingly with the family’s story, is a strong character in a very special way. Her most striking feature surely is to take over responsibility and to do what needs to be done while totally forgetting that she, too, has the right to live. But instead of thinking about herself, she simply cares for the people around her, especially her younger siblings.

While everybody is preparing for the party, the biggest event every summer which is not to be missed by anybody important, Nina strikes a balance of her life so far. She made the maximum of the rather poor baseline. She has become one of the most demanded sports models, idolised by masses of people, her younger brothers are just starting their careers and also the baby of the family is going to fledge the family nest and to make herself noticed and a name. Their father has only ever existed at the edge of their life, it was their mother June who put herself last to make her children feel loved and have a good life despite all the adversities. Now, however, seems to be the moment for a big change.

Another set of unforgettable characters who know what is important in life and underline that there is nothing that will bring you down as long as you’ve got the ones who love you around. Even though nothing could be further from my life than surfing, I liked the passages where the author describes how the kids feel in the water and how surfing provides them with an unknown feeling of freedom.

The perfect summer read which is not at all the light feel-good novel but much rather a great story simply to indulge in. show less

Taylor Jenkins Reid may not be writing the most important books of our generation, but she sure is writing some good ones. Her last book (Daisy Jones and the Six) revealed an innate ability to explore the lives of beautiful people with not so beautiful backstories, and her new novel continues in that vein. Malibu Rising unfolds over the course of 24 hours as the Riva siblings--Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit--prepare for their infamous end of summer party in the early 1980s. With their alcoholic mother dead and estranged from their music-star father, they have all managed to find some fame and fortune of their own. Flashbacks between the hours of the day fill in those important backstories and give readers the meat to care about the Rivas. show more Malibu Rising celebrates southern California and everything associated with it--the Pacific coast, surfing, celebrity, and those seeking it--while exploring deeper themes of family and parental responsibility. Jenkins Reid has a real touch for storytelling and building characters through plot and dialogue--a refreshing change from the multitude of navel-gazing novels flooding the market these days. This book may not change your life, but sometimes a great story told by a good writer is enough--and Malibu Rising is certainly that. show less

“Just because it is in Malibu's nature to burn, so was it in one particular person's nature to set fire and walk away.”

I loved this one. This one just absolutely spoke to my soul. As parents, we mess up. Man oh man, if only there were a manual. But there isn't so we all mess up. This is the story about some kids who grew up - it's 4 of them: Nina, Hud, Jay and Kit. Their mom helped raise them - and you learn her story through out the first half.

And then you read about them now, grown. That is the other part of the story. They have been through a lot and have struggled trying to define who they are - both in their hierarchy and in their life in the world. And this is one fateful night where they will all change and realize just a few show more new things of themselves. It's a strange night and reading it with so many teases and hints ahead of time made the anticipation build. I loved how this played out, all the things they discovered and realized and came in to their own.

And I love this author's writing. I loved the profound sentences that spoke loud and true. But I also loved the quiet ones like saying alcoholism was a disease with many faces and some of the beautiful. It's so so true and so moving. I just love this author and her stories. I'll definitely keep auto-buying her books! show less