‘Malibu Rising’ Is A Serious Summer Read About Family Perseverance
After reading (and loving!) Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I couldn’t wait to read the next big title by Taylor Jenkins Reid. But, to be honest, I didn’t love Malibu Rising as much as I’d hoped.
Don’t get me wrong, though. It was still a good story that kept me engaged all the way through, but for a book that’s marketed as a “summer read,” I expected the subject matter to be somewhat light, while still filled with relationship drama (romantic or otherwise). Malibu Rising certainly delivered on the drama, but the story was mainly focused on family struggles, including losing a parent, child abandonment, and sibling rivalry. Essentially, the story was a little serious for a beach read.
The characters experience a lot of tough challenges, but the ending is truly beautiful and cathartic. Reid is brilliant at making her characters feel like real people and weaving their stories together. I loved that aspect of it and also the fact that she took Mick Riva — a character from Evelyn Hugo — and centered this book on him and his grown children.
(Warning: The post includes spoilers from this point on.)
But a criticism I’ve seen often, and which I agree with, is the seemingly unnecessary introduction of new characters at the Riva party in the second half of the book. I didn’t get too annoyed by this as some readers did (I thought it added to the atmosphere of the story and showed off Reid’s insightfulness of human connections), but I did find it odd that Reid decided to introduce them for a mere few pages before moving on. I definitely craved more insight into the Riva siblings themselves at this point, especially with Kit and her realization of her sexual orientation and Jay with his heart condition.
But other than that, I did like the story. In true Reid fashion, she made me feel so much empathy for her characters yet again. Personally, I just wouldn’t call Malibu Rising a prime summer read simply based on its serious subject matter.
One final thought: Considering Reid has covered stories set between the 1950s to 1980s thus far, I’m really hoping her next novel will be set in the ‘90s. 🤞 I am a ‘90s baby after all.
💥TL;DR: This is a touching story about family struggles and perseverance. Reid fans will love it for it’s characters and their interwoven connections. But considering it’s subject matter, it’s not a book I’d necessarily take to the beach. 4/5
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