Review for "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 TJR sure knows how to write family drama!

★★★★☆

This was a highly enjoyable soft historical fiction with vibrant characters and relationships. TJR books also always have immaculate vibes and this was no exception. The Malibu coast atmosphere was tangible, yet the book was only sparingly about surfing so that was impressive. The whole Mick/June story reads exactly like a Taylor Swift song (I'm thinking cardigan, illicit affairs, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Babe, Better Man, Should've Said No, etc.) so of course I loved that. The complicated feelings that all the Riva kids had towards their dad was excellently done; a lot of people don't realize how hard it is to hate a parent even when they have abandoned or neglected you. I also just loved the sibling relationships. Every character was unique, if a bit one-sided--Nina was the Pushover, Kit was the Rebel, Jay was the Jock, and Hud was the Empath and those traits comprised most of each of their personalities. Nina definitely had the most character growth which was extremely satisfying considering my vicarious rage at both Brandon and Mick during the entire novel. It's also worth noting that I quite enjoyed Jay's growth; he comes to accept the end of his career with a fair amount of grace which I wouldn't have expected from him in the beginning.

I know I'm not alone in appreciating the expansion of the TJR-verse. It was cool to see Carrie Soto in this novel (I know this one was written before Carrie Soto Is Back but I still appreciate how things overlap between the novels). You can definitely tell how TJR writes intentionally in different perspectives because whereas Carrie feels very focused and unflappable in her own novel, here she is portrayed as a madwoman (Taylor Swift reference intended).

I think the plot and suspense is where I had trouble loving this novel. TJR is great at weaving intricate stories with many different characters, but they are not usually suspenseful or mysterious. This one wasn't either--but it was set up as if it would be which only served to create expectations that were not fulfilled. The beginning of the novel tells you that it ends with Malibu burning, and it has a lot of "no one could have guessed what would happen by the end of the party" type of statements. (view spoiler)In all, I think the creation of suspense in the beginning was a disservice to a story which was very enjoyable but not at all shocking or thrilling.

Final verdict: The book is enjoyable and has vibrant characters and relationships, but by the end it does not deliver some foreshadowed thrills.

TJR books ranked:

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

2. Maybe in Another Life

3. Daisy Jones & The Six

4. Carrie Soto Is Back

5. Malibu Rising

6. After I Do

7. Forever, Interrupted