Book: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read From: 16th July - 19th July 2021
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Malibu, 1983. Nina Riva and her siblings are preparing for Nina’s annual end of summer party, an exclusive event renowned for being hosted by the offspring of famous singer Mick Riva. By midnight, the party will be out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will be up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
I think at this point it's universally known that no one writes incredible characters quite like Taylor Jenkins Reid. I really loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Daisy Jones and The Six is a firm favourite of mine simply because the characters are so real it feels like you actually know them. Malibu Rising was no exception and whilst its not my favourite book by TJR, there's no denying that its an AMAZING book where the Riva family don't feel fictional whatsoever.
The book is split up into hourly snippets over the 24-hour timespan, and in between this we also get flashbacks from the past that depict Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit's childhood years as well as an insight to Mick and June - their parents' - love story. I absolutely adore all kinds of stories with a family dynamic (bonus points if drama is involved). Malibu Rising definitely delivered on that, so it's no surprise I got on with this book so well. In the 'present' timeline, you are thrown straight into the deep end from the get-go: Nina is recovering from her pro athlete husband suddenly abandoning her, Hud is attempting to navigate the correct way of confessing a betrayal to Jay despite the two being joined at the hip their whole lives, and Kit has some secrets of her own. The 'past' timeline is one that will completely pull on your heartstrings as you witness how Mick Riva's rise to fame massively impacts those around him.
The Riva family is by no means relatable in terms of their popularity and success, from both being Mick's children and from their own famous and lucrative careers. Instead, the relatable aspect is their struggles and their familial bond and this enables the story to be so raw and realistic. I mean it when I say that I connect to Reid's characters like no other. You simply have no choice - they are always written so exceptionally well. Malibu Rising is the ultimate hot girl summer book and although summer will soon be ending, its still 100% worth a read. The aesthetics and atmosphere in this book are unmatched and EVERYBODY needs to read it!