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A review by mbenzz
California Golden by Melanie Benjamin
4.0
This book was a little heavier than I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. It gives some low-key Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes, and that's NEVER a bad thing. I absolutely loved the backdrop of the 1950s-1960s California surf scene. Melanie Benjamin paints such a vivid picture of the sun and the sand, and it was a great place to escape to each night before bed.
I really felt for Mindy and Ginger, two young girls abandoned by their father and raised by a negligent mother who never wanted to do anything other than surf all day and who got by doing the absolute bare minimum of parenting (I'm still not sure how she made money and was able to afford rent and groceries when she didn't seem to have a job, but I tried not to overthink things and just enjoy the story).
'Surf Mama' Carol Donelly is quite the enigma. She's a woman of great talent on the waves but is very closed off to everyone else around her. Even her own children. Because of this, I really appreciated the section near the end that was told from her point of view. It didn't excuse her behavior, but it really helps the reader get inside her mind and understand just how trapped she was by the time period she lived in. All her choices were taken from her, and she no longer had a voice in the life she was being forced to live. It's no wonder she harbored such resentment towards her daughters, even if they weren't at fault.
I struggled with Ginger, who consistently made one bad decision after another and refused to take any responsibility for her life, but given her childhood trauma and debilitating insecurities, I get how she was the perfect prey for the 60s-era cult community. All she wanted was to be loved and needed, but when you're as broken as she was, you'll fall for the first person to show you any interest, regardless of their intentions.
Mindy is the driving force behind this story, though, and while she's a bit aloof and unapproachable, you still find yourself rooting for her. She missed out on a normal childhood because she spent all of her time raising her sister and trying to get her mother's attention, so while she's much stronger and more resilient than her sister, she's just as damaged. Her journey of self-discovery was raw and realistic, and I thought the author did a great job highlighting her inner struggle of trying to define herself, yet also trying to do what was right.
Overall, I'm really glad I read this! I requested it on a whim (mainly because I loved the cover, lol), and I really enjoyed it. This is the first Melanie Benjamin book I've ever read, but I'll definitely have to check out some of her other stuff. Definitely recommend.
I really felt for Mindy and Ginger, two young girls abandoned by their father and raised by a negligent mother who never wanted to do anything other than surf all day and who got by doing the absolute bare minimum of parenting (I'm still not sure how she made money and was able to afford rent and groceries when she didn't seem to have a job, but I tried not to overthink things and just enjoy the story).
'Surf Mama' Carol Donelly is quite the enigma. She's a woman of great talent on the waves but is very closed off to everyone else around her. Even her own children. Because of this, I really appreciated the section near the end that was told from her point of view. It didn't excuse her behavior, but it really helps the reader get inside her mind and understand just how trapped she was by the time period she lived in. All her choices were taken from her, and she no longer had a voice in the life she was being forced to live. It's no wonder she harbored such resentment towards her daughters, even if they weren't at fault.
I struggled with Ginger, who consistently made one bad decision after another and refused to take any responsibility for her life, but given her childhood trauma and debilitating insecurities, I get how she was the perfect prey for the 60s-era cult community. All she wanted was to be loved and needed, but when you're as broken as she was, you'll fall for the first person to show you any interest, regardless of their intentions.
Mindy is the driving force behind this story, though, and while she's a bit aloof and unapproachable, you still find yourself rooting for her. She missed out on a normal childhood because she spent all of her time raising her sister and trying to get her mother's attention, so while she's much stronger and more resilient than her sister, she's just as damaged. Her journey of self-discovery was raw and realistic, and I thought the author did a great job highlighting her inner struggle of trying to define herself, yet also trying to do what was right.
Overall, I'm really glad I read this! I requested it on a whim (mainly because I loved the cover, lol), and I really enjoyed it. This is the first Melanie Benjamin book I've ever read, but I'll definitely have to check out some of her other stuff. Definitely recommend.