Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre: Comtemporary Fiction

Format: Print, Paperback

Pages: 365

Start Date: April 25th, 2023

End Date: May 10th, 2023

My Ratings

Overall: ★★★★

Character Development: ★★★★

Ending: ★★★

Tear Jerk-ability: 💧💧

Pace: Medium to Slow

Recommend: Yes

Summary - Goodreads

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them... and what they will leave behind.

My Thoughts - Contains Spoilers, Continue at Your Own Risk

I'm going to start off by saying that I really, really enjoyed how the author connected characters from her other books. She's created an entire world by doing so, makes the book feel "more real", as if we're reading the true stories of these people's lives. I would have loved it if there were even MORE, it makes you want to read all of her other books.

I wasn't expecting for this book to be as sad as it was, I think that part that shook me the most was the death of the mother. To watch her from a teen, becoming a mother, doing her absolute best for everyone but herself in life only to slowly kill herself with drinking. This then trickles down to Nina, who becomes the caregiver for her 3 siblings, essentially filling in their mother's role when she's gone.

I have so many feelings regarding Mick. A part of me was rooting for him too, to follow his dreams & be a star while making June's dreams of a double sink & everything implied with that come true. However I couldn't decide who I was more disappointed with - June for taking him back time after time, or Mick for constantly putting her in that position.

I'm Curious

1. What did you think of Mick? Did your perception of him change by the end of the book?
2. Did you find yourself rooting for June or were you frustrated with her choices?
3. Do you think you could have raised another person's child? Hud was just dropped off, the birth mother not once looking back. What would you have done do you think?
4. Do you think you'd be as immediately welcoming & accepting of Casey as the Riva kids seemed to be?
5. What did you think of the ending, was it enough for you or were you hoping for more closure?

Next Book: The Last Word by Taylor Adams