Malibu Rising
Ratings468
Average rating4
4/5 • Breathtaking Characters
This is now my third novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid and it did not disappoint. She just has a magnificent way of writing characters you can't believe are not real. Loved this read and would definitely recommend.
omg????? 5 stars well deserved even though there were a couple parts that i felt bored it's worth it. i can ignore everything for that ending
3/5
too many stories about meaningless side characters that didn't have any effect on the ending.
I loved how this book switched between timelines drawing parallels between the parents' lives and the children's' lives. I also love hearing about characters from other Taylor Jenkins Reid books within the parameters of this storyline. This was a sometimes sweet, sometimes heart wrenching story about inter-generational struggles and parenting/ relationship patterns repeating themselves.
It wasn't necessarily gripping, and definitely not my favorite book from this author, but enjoyable nonetheless.
so so fun! I loved the alternating timelines and all the drama and the way we jumped to see what each character was up to. although the end kind of fell flat for me, it felt like it was building up to this huge ending (and, don't get me wrong, I loved the ending) it just wasn't the big explosion I was hoping for. still enjoyed every second of it, though!
THE CHARACTERS WERE SO LOVEABLE i loved the way everything wrapped up at the end nina is an all time favorite for me and tjr never misses with this. i was scared for this book when i got to the middle but just when i doubted it exceeded my expectations
edit: 4.5/5
This book is full of nostalgic 80's vibes and a unique family dynamic. For those of us who adore the 80's, this book is a must-read! It's a delightful trip down memory lane, reminding me of when cellphones weren't a constant distraction and we could simply enjoy the moment. Also, the non-traditional family dynamic and the inclusion of puzzle pieces in the story make it all the more endearing. The only downside? I wanted more! That's why I gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Gratest peice of litriture ever writen,
Even tho I read it this time last year i can remember the whole book word for word!!!!!
4:
Am I giving this book 4 stars solely on the fact that it made me cry, even when there were a whole bunch of things I disliked about it? Yeah, pretty much so. It's hard to get my feelings straight about it.
I was 20% into the story and three sex scenes with six different people had already taken place. Why? I mean, I think TJR was trying to draw a parallel and so it made sense, and that might be okay for some readers, but to me it was too much. Then there were also too many side characters that I did not care about, and wish weren't included. Like the threesome lady, and the chandelier drunk, and Vaughn that got about three whole pages. What was that for? At the party ending scene I didn't feel a thing when we learned what came of them, it was annoying.
And of course, the men, who all sucked here. Not sure if BranRan was just too cartoonish, or if men are in fact just that ridiculous. My favorite quote in the book was “Kit regretted every single choice she'd made that had brought her to this moment.This is what she had always wanted to avoid: being forced to pretend men were interesting.”
Having said that, as always, TJR just has a knack for punching through a rib cage and squeezing hearts tight. The first time I lost it was when June decided to love Hud. I loved June so much. And her children. I basically spent all of part two crying. I cried when Nina had to take over, and her growth was wonderful. I cried through Kit's self-acceptance journey, cried when Hud did after Jay told him what he needed. I cried when they took Casey in and cried at the climax of the story and I cried at the resolution. Basically I am dehydrated now.
The most beautiful thing in the story was the deep love and loyalty the Riva kids felt for each other, how they respected each other. I adored how they always were looking out for one another, even though it may hurt them. They were all my favorites, although I do have a soft spot for Kit.
Yeah. I wasn't in love with the whole thing, but it's like the family dynamics story was tailor-made for me.
(It feels so right to be wrong and Carrie Soto I loved you from the moment you rolled over in bed at Brandon's whining. She sucked so bad, I'm so excited to start her story)
This started out great, with raw and honest personalities and the writing style I loved so much in ‘daisy jones'. I was deeply immersed in family drama and rich peoples problems and then it just ... unravels? The second half is so unintentional and longwinded, sappy and melodramatic that it feels like a different book.
Also hated the way the men got so much more space in a story that supposedly wanted to center the generational trauma of the women. I know way too much about Mick Riva and way too little about June.
I love that she is building up her own little extended universe though, it's fun.
Do not read this book if you think you want to do something else. . . particularly the last half of the book. Reading it was like running downhill. I couldn't stop. I needed to sleep, but I tried several times to put the book down after finishing a chapter and I couldn't. That's quite a recommendation for a nearly 400-page book.A stunning fact about this book it is really takes place in 24 hours. Sure, there's backstory, mostly in the first half, but the second half is more like a description of 12 hours and a ticking clock. Add that to the explosive family dynamics and you've got a real adventure in your hands.The whole book centers around the Riva family and their legendary party. And, trust me, [a:Taylor Jenkins Reid 6572605 Taylor Jenkins Reid https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1645653842p2/6572605.jpg] knows how to show a family coming unglued and how to write a party into legend. The setting itself is an evolving character. The Malibu she depicts used to be a sleepy surf town that got discovered and suffered the same fate as most of the movie stars who inhabited it. If you need a real romp, [b:Malibu Rising 55404546 Malibu Rising Taylor Jenkins Reid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618293107l/55404546.SY75.jpg 74581401] fills the bill. Just give yourself the time you need to read it. Stock up on food and drink. Lock the door. It's a masterpiece.
I understand why people did not enjoy this book as much as they enjoyed Evelyn Hugo. That one was a league of its own. The book starts promisingly, well a vast cast of characters. The hyper-realistic characterisation is something TJR always nails. Throughout this book, you meet SO many people, and you remember them all because of how well they are introduced to you.
But at some point, I wanted more than just well-done characters. I wanted a plot that moves further than “then this happened and then this happened”, especially when the book starts with the ending. If this book was meant to be a biography of the Riva family, it succeeded, but I also felt like, “okay, but what's the point of this all”. It felt like Malibu Rising had so much potential that it stayed unfulfilled. In every chapter, you feel like the crescendo will finally rise, but it continues to plateau from start to end. The only reason I did not DNF this was because 1) TJR writes a compelling story with her characters 2) the audiobook was well narrated. I mean, I did finish this book in a little over 24 hours so def not a bad one.
I know for sure, if I was reading the book I would have ciao adiosed it. Anyways, I stared and ended the whole damn thing for Carrie Sotto and was adequately entertained for the most part, so I ain't complaining. I understand the writer can't replicate perfection in every single book.
Malibu Rising is that book. A story of a young couple in love and the world created by the collision. A decadent character driven story of a family plagued by fame, addiction, and bad decisions. ..this is every bit the guilty pleasure I wanted in a book. This was a dramatic ride of the interwoven lives of a dysfunctional family and the potential that exists for all people to gain redemption despite their circumstances. Five stars all the way...highly recommend!
-1 star because even though Taylor has done such an amazing job of creating this universe of movie stars and rockstars and tennis pros, she FAILS to reference them in each other story lines!!!
You mean to tell me that although Mick Riva was referenced in not one but TWO of her other novels, those people are not even referenced in Mick's life?? And to be honest, this story is written in 2 separate timelines, 1 from Mick Riva and 1 from the alternating view of June (Riva's children's mom) and his kids (Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit). Its a damn shame because the Mick chapters are relatively short and it would not be too much to reference his interaction with both Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones with the Six. That is the true shame.
This book was good, but all in all you could really tell that it was a world-building book. It set up the cast of characters for Taylor to expand upon in future novels. At the time I read this, I knew that ‘Carrie Soto is Back' was coming out, so I read the parts that mentioned her with more intent because I knew she would be expanded upon from her own point of view very soon.
As for other instances, there was a part at the party where she was naming random actors, producers, financial gurus, etc. etc. The few sentences of pure name drops were clearly for reference later in future novels.
This book really reminded me more of a stepping-stone novel as opposed to a stand-alone. It was good, don't get me wrong, because I really enjoy Taylor's writing and the way she humanizes her characters. Her play on drama is more down-to-earth comparted to other contemporary/historical fiction writers, which is a feat when talking about actors and rockstars, etc. with big egos. BUT, this book did not measure up to Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones, which I have read several several times over (and I don't normally do that).
It got a bit crowded with side characters and cheating white men, but it was worth it.
It's fun when hot people make out! The ending was a little too after-school special for me, but I really enjoyed this book
I definitely enjoyed it and finished it within a week. My only issue was the ending seemed super rushed and not even very well thought out. I expected more and was pretty disappointed.
Extraordinary plot about familial love in between countless unnecessary sex scenes after sex scenes.
I really enjoy the references to her other books. This was fun to read and made me want to go to the beach!