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samburkhouse's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Vomit, Gun violence, Body shaming, Car accident, and Medical content
mariakureads's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I liked Reid's 'Daisy Jones & The Six' that I decided to give this one a try and saddened to admit I'm not a fan.
It's ok. I'm not going to like all the books I read but honestly as the book wore on, I didn't like a single character and couldn't connect with any honestly to care enough about what happened to them as the book switched back n forth between past and present tense, especially Mick. A deadbeat dad, if I ever read one.
Mick is entitled and the cliché rich rock star that leaves his wife and kids that when he decided he wants to come back, is too late to be any kind of father figure and he's not wanted or needed. These kids grew up without him just fine as Nina, the oldest of the bunch, stood up and became the parent that she didn't want to be in order to make ends meet.
I feel for Nina, I do, but there were so many times that her character was just so meh and allowed herself to be touched and fondled all because she didn't want to "cause a scene" that I gave up on her growing a spine and when she does, kudos because she does, it's towards the last 20 mins of the audiobook and I was done.
But the thing that bothered me the most of this entire book, and I do mean the entire book, is Reid's choice of using the phrase "he said" or "she said" throughout the entire book! OMG there are other ways to go about phrasing this and have read it and heard it in other books. I seriously got annoyed about how many times throughout the book the phrase appears that honestly I could have turned it into a drinking game. It got annoying quick and nothing against Julia Whelan, who narrates this because she was great, but seriously it was grating.
It's ok. I'm not going to like all the books I read but honestly as the book wore on, I didn't like a single character and couldn't connect with any honestly to care enough about what happened to them as the book switched back n forth between past and present tense, especially Mick. A deadbeat dad, if I ever read one.
Mick is entitled and the cliché rich rock star that leaves his wife and kids that when he decided he wants to come back, is too late to be any kind of father figure and he's not wanted or needed. These kids grew up without him just fine as Nina, the oldest of the bunch, stood up and became the parent that she didn't want to be in order to make ends meet.
I feel for Nina, I do, but there were so many times that her character was just so meh and allowed herself to be touched and fondled all because she didn't want to "cause a scene" that I gave up on her growing a spine and when she does, kudos because she does, it's towards the last 20 mins of the audiobook and I was done.
But the thing that bothered me the most of this entire book, and I do mean the entire book, is Reid's choice of using the phrase "he said" or "she said" throughout the entire book! OMG there are other ways to go about phrasing this and have read it and heard it in other books. I seriously got annoyed about how many times throughout the book the phrase appears that honestly I could have turned it into a drinking game. It got annoying quick and nothing against Julia Whelan, who narrates this because she was great, but seriously it was grating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
katherinek's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
beanie8031's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Honestly, the book was beautiful. It felt like “a day in my life;” you’re following a 24hr span of present day, and you’re getting a backstory of the generation before, leading up to present day time.
i loved the characters and each of their stories. June has my whole heart, as well as, Nina. No family is perfect, and Nina has done her absolute best to make hers happy. I didn’t feel like there was any climax to the story, maybe in part 2, but nothing that really smacked you in the face lol, and i heard that had bothered people. It didn’t bother me tooo much, it felt like a story was being told to me. It was a beautiful memory
i loved the characters and each of their stories. June has my whole heart, as well as, Nina. No family is perfect, and Nina has done her absolute best to make hers happy. I didn’t feel like there was any climax to the story, maybe in part 2, but nothing that really smacked you in the face lol, and i heard that had bothered people. It didn’t bother me tooo much, it felt like a story was being told to me. It was a beautiful memory
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content
finn_vibing's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Title: Malibu Rising
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 27, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Addictive • Evocative • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth. Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come rising to the surface.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I deliberately chose to take Malibu Rising on my recent trip to Los Angeles and I couldn't have picked a better time to pick it up. Being in the California sun, with the gentle ocean breeze, and being close to some of the places talked about throughout the book really offered something extra to my reading experience.
The dysfunctional family dynamics of the Riva siblings felt believable, their relationships seemed genuine, and their flawed character development was fantastic. Nina was my favourite character - her arc is the one I gravitated towards most. Her selfless nature felt entirely relatable and my heart just went out to her.
Even though the entirety of this book takes places over the span on 24 hours, the bulk of it takes place in Malibu during the 1980s. While the party timeline could feel a bit distracting, I understand it was necessary and feel as though TJR has crafted them together perfectly. The main issue I had was with the amount of characters I needed to keep track of at the party. I didn't really care, and wanted more depth about the Rivas. The setting itself added an element of glitz and glamour, and the TJR describes the area with ease.
Overall, Malibu Rising is another enjoyable story, mixing historical fiction with family drama, that I would highly recommend. The audio narration by Julia Whalen is fabulous. And what I love so much about TJR's stories is how each one is so unique. While this one wasn't my absolute favourite, I still cannot wait to keep exploring her backlist and seeing what she writes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone looking for beachy summertime vibes
• TJR devotees
• historical fiction readers looking for something different
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Our family histories are simply stories. They are myths we create about the people who came before us, in order to make sense of ourselves."
"She had to choose what, of the things she inherited from the people who came before her, she wanted to bring forward. And what, of the past, she wanted to leave behind."
"She knew that she could not sustain her life fueled only by the memories of those she once loved. Loss would not propel her forward. She had to go out and live. She had to find new people."
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 27, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Addictive • Evocative • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth. Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come rising to the surface.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I deliberately chose to take Malibu Rising on my recent trip to Los Angeles and I couldn't have picked a better time to pick it up. Being in the California sun, with the gentle ocean breeze, and being close to some of the places talked about throughout the book really offered something extra to my reading experience.
The dysfunctional family dynamics of the Riva siblings felt believable, their relationships seemed genuine, and their flawed character development was fantastic. Nina was my favourite character - her arc is the one I gravitated towards most. Her selfless nature felt entirely relatable and my heart just went out to her.
Even though the entirety of this book takes places over the span on 24 hours, the bulk of it takes place in Malibu during the 1980s. While the party timeline could feel a bit distracting, I understand it was necessary and feel as though TJR has crafted them together perfectly. The main issue I had was with the amount of characters I needed to keep track of at the party. I didn't really care, and wanted more depth about the Rivas. The setting itself added an element of glitz and glamour, and the TJR describes the area with ease.
Overall, Malibu Rising is another enjoyable story, mixing historical fiction with family drama, that I would highly recommend. The audio narration by Julia Whalen is fabulous. And what I love so much about TJR's stories is how each one is so unique. While this one wasn't my absolute favourite, I still cannot wait to keep exploring her backlist and seeing what she writes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone looking for beachy summertime vibes
• TJR devotees
• historical fiction readers looking for something different
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Our family histories are simply stories. They are myths we create about the people who came before us, in order to make sense of ourselves."
"She had to choose what, of the things she inherited from the people who came before her, she wanted to bring forward. And what, of the past, she wanted to leave behind."
"She knew that she could not sustain her life fueled only by the memories of those she once loved. Loss would not propel her forward. She had to go out and live. She had to find new people."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Abortion, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Cursing, Blood, Infidelity, and Suicide
livimack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I feel like one of the reasons so many people who would like this book find it so hard to like this book is because it is not actually one book, but two very different books that happen to contain the same characters and occur one after another.
If you love Taylor Jenkins Reid for what she does best - her chaotic depictions of ensemble casts that display every multi-faceted element of human interpersonal relationships and experiences - then please just bear with me and view the first half as extensive background material.
I was bored at first. It was written like a romance. But then at some point, I realised I was hooked. The second half was written like the most insanely well-paced drama. Honestly, the fast paced tension build that gets constantly cut up by side scenes and reader-respite was handled with such a deft hand that it was insane.
The only other TJR book that I’ve read at this point is Daisy Jones And The Six, and I can see how that book is far more refined than this, yet somehow I think the second half of Malibu Rising is the best depiction of TJR’s skill I’ve seen yet. Despite the bland yet meaningful ending.
Pacing is weird to describe because everything was very fast paced when we got down to the story but it was very slow to get into that.
Pacing is weird to describe because everything was very fast paced when we got down to the story but it was very slow to get into that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abandonment, Car accident, and Grief
val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this was my first time reading a taylor jenkins reid book, and only because i saw that it has good sibling dynamics. even though i loved it i'm not likely to read another tjr book simply because the genre isn't for me.
this book is amazingly written. at one point i even shed some tears. there's not much going on for most of the book but it still was easy to read and somehow felt fast paced. maybe it was the dual timeline.
i do wish there was more chance for me to get attached to the characters though. besides nina we don't really see a lot into their minds.
also, i still don't get why exactly jay was so mad at hud, i mean he was over ashley so what's the big deal?
this book is amazingly written. at one point i even shed some tears. there's not much going on for most of the book but it still was easy to read and somehow felt fast paced. maybe it was the dual timeline.
i do wish there was more chance for me to get attached to the characters though. besides nina we don't really see a lot into their minds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Death, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
vanessagrausam's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Drug use, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy