I am far from the Taylor Jenkins Reid fangirl. This is only the second of hers that I’ve read, though I do plan on picking up more in the future. I feel like readers are in one of two camps with her (usually.) Either you love her stuff or you’re dropping one star reviews simply because she’s permanently ensconced in the popular fiction camp. Frankly, I’ve never thought the latter of the two philosophies to be entirely fair to anyone, not the author nor the readers devoted to their works. Then again, for me a one star review means something is either highly offensive or is just so bad in every single facet to the point I can’t find any redeeming qualities. Those are few and far between. Though, reviews are purely subjective. One person’s masterpiece is another person’s trash. Frankly, that’s what makes literature and life so compelling.

Synopsis

The four Riva siblings have known their fair share of struggles. As the children of an apathetic famous father whose face they only ever see plastered on magazine covers or television screens, and a love-worn alcoholic mother that succumbed to depression before her children were grown, they’ve only had each other. The oldest, Nina, learned to only care for others as she was thrust into the role of parent, sibling, and breadwinner all in one day. As adults, they’ve all attained their own success in their own unique ways, but they still feel the void left by their shared childhood trauma and personal resentments. On the night of the biggest party in Malibu for the year, an annual event thrown by Nina Riva, everyone who’s anyone will converge on the mansion for a raucous night of irreverent and, inevitably, dangerous fun. And it will change the lives of the Riva siblings forever.

Review

I thought this was a pretty fun read. The characters are solid and well thought out. They are quite flawed but still ultimately likeable. I liked the way Reid interspersed the backstory of the family in amongst the current chapters to lay a slow-building foundation for their characters. All the while, readers are slowly gleaning the tension that’s building toward what we expect is a pretty explosive conclusion. The conclusion was satisfying but it’s not as climactic as I’d expected. That may sound a bit odd, because it really is quite explosive, but I was expecting a certain type of explosion so I was pleasantly surprised. The end section did get a little convoluted with so many people at the party. There’s so much going on, and suddenly we’re getting all these different stories that aren’t necessarily related to the Riva siblings and their history. They proved to be more of a distraction from the main thread. Aside from illustrating the vapid and ridiculous world of Malibu’s elite, I’m not really sure what the purpose could be for including all the extras. Perhaps just as an illustration as to just how poorly Nina fits into this world. If so, mission accomplished.

As the de facto matriarch of the family, Nina really is the focus. Malibu Rising is her story of finally embracing her truth, and that’s what really kept me reading. Her character had a very satisfying character arc. They all did. They all discover something important about themselves and about each other, but Nina’s was surely the most vital and life changing. Overall, I like how this is an ultimately touching story without delivering a pot of saccharine goo. It’s a well-rounded book with competent and authentic character-building with quite a bit to which many readers can relate. 4 stars for this one.

Published June 1, 2021 by Ballantine Books. ISBN 9781524798659. Hardcover. 369 pages.