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A review by linesiunderline
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
For a book that has been aggressively marketed as the “It Book” of the summer, Malibu Rising sure has ended up garnering mixed reviews.
What I liked:
• TJR can write. I enjoy her prose. It has energy.
• Although I felt like the characterization was uneven, there are characters here who felt alive and memorable (June and Nina especially).
• Malibu came to life vividly - love me a strong sense of place.
Howevers:
• So many people - I wanted to know more about the Riva kids in the present day.
• Somehow I was expecting the cause of the fire to be A LOT more dramatic. This isn’t to say that I don’t like TJR’s choice the more I sit with it, but it did seem like we were building towards this giant climactic fire-lighting moment that never came.
• A lot going on for a relatively short novel, told in dual timelines. I enjoy her writing so maybe overall this would have worked better for me if it was a bit longer.
Very well narrated on audio by Julia Whelan.
What I liked:
• TJR can write. I enjoy her prose. It has energy.
• Although I felt like the characterization was uneven, there are characters here who felt alive and memorable (June and Nina especially).
• Malibu came to life vividly - love me a strong sense of place.
Howevers:
• So many people - I wanted to know more about the Riva kids in the present day.
• Somehow I was expecting the cause of the fire to be A LOT more dramatic. This isn’t to say that I don’t like TJR’s choice the more I sit with it, but it did seem like we were building towards this giant climactic fire-lighting moment that never came.
• A lot going on for a relatively short novel, told in dual timelines. I enjoy her writing so maybe overall this would have worked better for me if it was a bit longer.
Very well narrated on audio by Julia Whelan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence