Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: BOOK REVIEW

Genre: General Fiction

Pub. Date: June 1, 2021

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Read if you like:

• Family Drama

• Beach storylines

• Time jumps

• Close-knit siblings trope

• Love at First Sight

• an Emotional Read

Synopsis: In Malibu 1983, it is the morning of the infamous Rivas’ party thrown by four famous siblings. Each with their own secrets, drama, and reasons for attending the event. 

I had mixed feelings about this book, and I honestly can’t decide why. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing and how she builds her characters. I was immediately enthralled with Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit, four siblings who only have each other. Children of the legendary singer Mick Riva. 

There are beautiful descriptions throughout the book about life and what family means. “Our family histories are simply stories. They are myths we create about the people who came before us, in order to make sense of ourselves”. As a person who comes from a divorced family, these descriptions really spoke to me and even helped me frame some thoughts about my past. I even enjoyed the beginning and how Reid describes Malibu as if it were another character in the book. I loved how everything was positioned at the end. 

Did anyone else have mixed feelings about this novel? We could discuss and try to figure it out together :)