Malibu Rising: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel

I recently went away for a week’s holiday and had deliberately left the time free to read purely for pleasure and took with me half a dozen books from my TBR. One of the books which made its way into the suitcase was Malibu Rising. Don’t ask me why I chose this one rather than any of her others, I think it was purely because the setting made it sound like it would be a good beach read. And was it… in spades. (Terrible pun, I know. Sorry, not sorry.) This is a dual timeline story telling the story of the four Riva children living in Malibu in 1983 as young adults and, going back in time, the story of their parents failing in love in California in the late 50’s and growing their family. The Rivas’ father was a legendary singer and so the story is touched with the glamour of Hollywood in those days. I absolutely fell in love with the Riva children and the dynamic between them. For reasons I won’t go in to because I don’t want to include any spoilers in the review, the story is not all happiness and beaches and Hollywood glitz – although there is enough of that to make the part of me which picked up the book for those reasons very happy – but is a beautiful exploration of the ups and downs of relationships, especially those of celebrities, and what effect that has on the offspring of such marriages and how it bonds those children together. Despite the fact I have no experience of the Hollywood lifestyle, or indeed the Malibu life (much as I wish I did), I related very hard with the four Riva children, particularly Nina. I myself am the eldest of four children and could sympathise with her feeling that she has to take on the parental burden of the younger ones when the parents step out of that role (although my parents were nothing like the Rivas, I hasten to add.) Aside from being great at formulating a ripping good story, Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius at character development, creating a sense of place and her writing is just beautiful. This book elicited huge emotion in me, even more so than Maybe in Another Life, and it was one of those books that kept me thinking about it long after I had finished it. Still now, more than two weeks later, I am still feeling emotional about this book and I know it is one I will return to again in the future. I absolutely adored the ending in particular, it was just so perfect and I was cheering for Nina and her amazing siblings until the last page. Is it too early to say that Taylor Jenkins Reid is becoming one of my favourite authors after only two books? I don’t care, it’s how I feel at the moment and I can’t wait to read her entire back catalogue. As I said, I already have three waiting to go and I’ll not leave such a big gap before I get to those. Watch this space.

I liked this. I liked the spirit it's written in. I appreciate it can be a bit flat for long periods of time and the "WTF ending" (which I'll get to) threatened to derail what came before, but I'll stand up for myself against a lot of negativity surrounding this book and say I did rather enjoy it. There is a simplicity to it, but it has a sort of aura, and a sort of charisma which shuts itself away and excuses the shortfalls. Yes - none of the characters are particularly likable - just rich kids doing rich-kid-things. But it sets out to be that and never tries do deceive you with anything else. But the ending has to be addressed and (I think) criticized. I'll compare it to the end of the movie "Bugsy Malone" whereby long conflicts and challenges seem to be resolved in the final ten minutes as everyone goes "Actually, let's not fight." and that's the end of it. The fire at the end (which let's face it, everyone who'd read the synopsis was building up for) seemed a bit comical and without consequence. All the characters' stupidity came to the fore at the same time but my point would be - it's in a controlled way, the author never lets the characters run away with it themselves. That's the sign of a good book I think. It's a smart author describing dumb people - that's the way to see it.

I loved Daisy Jones And The Six and The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo but I'd heard mixed reviews of Malibu Rising, and it's the only one of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels that I've read that's written in the traditional format, so I was a little nervous going into it. However, I needn't have been. I became completely immersed in the characters and their lives and it was difficult to tear myself away from their story. I loved that I recognised some of the characters from the later novels in this one. Malibu Rising takes us through, hour by hour, the build up to and the events of Nina Riva’s annual party. It is clear from the beginning that the day was eventful and I really wanted to know what had happened. I loved tension created by the time frame, as despite the slow build up, the novel is really quick to read. There are also chapters in Malibu Rising that go back in time to when June and Mick Riva started dating. Taylor Jenkins Reid takes us through their life together, including the childhoods of Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit. This gave me real insight into the characters and why they behaved in the way they did, and I really enjoyed getting to know them more deeply. It meant that as the story went on, I was rooting for them, really invested in their lives. The lives of the Riva family are turbulent, and there's a lot going on for them. This allows Taylor Jenkins Reid to explore a number of themes, including grief, addiction and infidelity. Her writing is incredibly emotive and I often felt the sadness and anger and disappointment of the characters pouring off the page. I'm looking forward to reading more of Taylor Jenkins Reid's earlier work in future - as it's definitely just as good as her more recent work!

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Really impressed by the writing skill. Enjoy the deep stories of each character. Though it often read like a celebrity gossip magazine, in the end it was wrapped up poetically leaving a satisfying, goosebump-inducing aftertaste.

I definitely loved this novel!!! TJR has a way of creating characters who are real with raw, honest intensity. I loved seeing the characters grow throughout the novel, ending in a way that I thought was empowering and satisfying. To me, it’s really Nina’s story, and I could feel her strength, as well as her compassion. But June (who is a foil to Nina) and the other siblings, Jay, Hud and Kit, and even Mick Riva, are deeply-drawn characters who evoke heartfelt empathy from the reader. We learn that despite the selfish, unkind and sometimes debauched world they live in, the four siblings are shown to be resilient, good, decent people, and the reader sincerely knows it to be true. TJR’s narrator effectively moves among the thoughts and perspectives of each character to create an immersive reality. And let’s not forget the setting. TJR creates a world so rich that one can almost feel the sand beneath one’s feet and smell the brine in the air. I could also sense the ‘cool’ vibe of Malibu in the early 80’s. (I could at least sense it to the point of knowing that I am not cool enough!) The setting and the characters are thoroughly linked, making their interactions with it, especially through connecting with the ocean while surfing, all the more powerful. We are also aware of the looming presence of wildfire. The plot is well-structured and unique. It fully develops the characters through its oscillation of the past and present. It also builds tension and depth as the story unfolds simultaneously over decades and over the course of one day. And all of the signature elements of a good plot are there and masterfully executed. The pacing is precise and keeps the reader engaged. The character arcs are solid. The novel had powerful themes of family and identity, as well as empowerment and ownership of one's whole self. I feel it really gets at in what ways one accepts one's circumstances, what we will ourselves to be, and how we can choose to define ourselves boldly and unapologetically. These themes were effectively woven throughout the plot. And can we talk about Carrie Soto? What a powerful presence, for better or for worse! I highly recommend reading 'Carrie Soto is Back' is back to gain a deeper appreciation of this complex character. And Brandon. Weak just like Mick. What is TJR saying about the ways that men are weak and fail and the ways that women are strong and succeed? It is worth considering how or if this question applies to the novel's characters. Overall, I couldn’t put this book down! I was drawn in and rode the waves all the way through!

Estaba preocupada por que el viaje fue muy largo, pero el producto llegó en buen estado y sin detalles. En cuanto al libro, amo las historias de Taylor Jenkins y Malibu Rising no fue la excepción.

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