Reviews - Malibu Rising | The StoryGraph

53.3k reviews for:

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.09 AVERAGE

exteenawreads's review against another edition

2.75

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

(2.75⭐) Some books have characters that are awful people but they are also charming, interesting, and/or funny, so I love them nevertheless. And then, some books have characters that are awful people who are also boring, frustrating, and bland. This was unfortunately the latter.

I think TJR is an excellent writer, and I will listen to Julia Whelan's angelic voice narrate literally anything, but this story was just incredibly uninteresting to me. Just a bunch of privileged white people complaining about their mansions and legacies and being too hot and having also very normal problems everyone else has, woe is you.

erins47's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

veronicabuordo's review against another edition

4.0

There is just something about TJR’s writing that keeps me enthralled, she knows how to write a story.

I loved this book from the dynamic of the siblings, the time jumps, learning more about Mick, and just the writing in general. Did I like this more than seven husbands? No. But it forsure made me want to read every book she’s ever published.

stinkyboi's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

alyssafwhite's review against another edition

3.75

emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

esmeelizzy's review against another edition

3.25

My first book of Taylor Jenkins Reid, which was long overdue!

I again I’m writing this review somewhat later. When I think back on this book, it doesn’t really stand out to me, but not in a bad way or in a good way.

This book was more literary fiction and I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning. I do like the fact that I read a genre I don’t commonly read, and it was an interesting book. I just feel like when I started it I was kinda in a reading slump. I didn’t know what to read and wasn’t excited for anything. So I picked this one up because I didn’t know what else to read, and I don’t think that helped with enjoying this book because I wasn’t hundred percent in the mood for it. But when I did start and while reading, it also didn’t get me out of the reading slump. So either way it was a bit slow for me, but certainly not a bad book.

The part I really like is that the whole book centers around family. Whether it is by blood, or found family, or even friends, it is all about that love for each other. In the beginning I thought that Nina was an uptight rich spoiled kid, but I soon figured out that it was a wrong assumption. Nina cares about her brothers and sister(s), and she would do anything for them. It was nice to see her character growth.

The two story lines sometimes did frustrate me, because I was rather reading the present time than the past time of Mick and June’s story. Sometimes it was also hard to keep up with all the dates and names of characters.

I did find it really sad that June died and Nina had to take care of all of them.

Mick never helped out or showed any sign of support for them, which was sad.

In conclusion, there were some secrets that came out but I kinda wished there would have been more (more secrets and more surprising), and that it was a bit more fast-paced. But I’m going to read her new book Atmosphere; I just picked it out as my next read!