Review by rapunzelrewritten - Malibu Rising

rapunzelrewritten 's review for:

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was a full five stars because every single aspect was fully realized. There was absolutely nothing spared from developing the characters in all their tightly knit scenes, to fleshing out the setting - especially Malibu and the way it changed over time. Each step of the plot was carefully crafted, and jumps forward or backward in time were clearly delineated and executed with a sense of purpose as opposed to convenience. That and the spare but meaningful prose show the true hallmarks of both great writing and great editing.

I will admit that I lost track of some of the more secondary characters who were in attendance at the big party, but I think that’s almost intended, because part of the point was that they weren’t really that important and mostly served to illustrate the shenanigans of 1980s Malibu and famous circles.

Some highlights- empowering messages, people eventually standing up to sh&&heads, unpacking family trauma realistically (it’s not rainbows), siblings being there for each other. Inheritance vs forging your own path.

Content Warnings