A review by jem_ko
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.0

fine! TJR can write! It took a few chapters (exc the epilogue which I was unsure about initially but generally quite enjoyed), however TJR hits every paragraph point break out of the park & nails so many niche emotions involved in familial trauma, abandonment and pain that I can’t deny her excellency in writing. The pacing is great at times as I engulfed whole passages especially when the Riva kids were the main focus BUT there is a lot - seriously a lot - of oscillation between our main characters and secondary characters or even full on strangers who have chapters to themselves. To an extent this pads and aids the story and it’s many interwoven beautiful themes and motifs, nonetheless it also adds a fair amount of drag which hurts the pacing of what otherwise could have been a one-sitting read in my opinion. If you like extra detail to character and theme this is worth it though (i suffered some from a personal longing for speed at high intensity moments tho). The best part of the novel is certainly how TJR describes emotion though - moments so small they could be captured in the flick of a dime or forgotten by any other author are fleeted over with poetic grace that etches them in our mind like little pivotal moments of lives that feel distinctly our own (despite them belonging to the characters). Would recommend this book! Not as a beach read tho … (fr who reads about sm pain on the beach)