Malibu Rising

I saw Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new novel Malibu Rising all over social media, and although I was intrigued by the hints about the family story, I was a bit slow on this one because, I couldn’t really get into Daisy Jones and The Six. I know, I know, I could get my bookstagram account revoked for admitting that, so please don’t tell anyone.

In Malibu Rising, the Riva siblings face their secrets and their problems over one epic party night.  The story takes place over one day, but in a way that feels organic and not gimmicky. We all have important moments and meaningful turning points in life, don’t we? And for the Riva siblings, their annual party is a perfect place for announcements and discoveries.  I love family sagas, and I loved the flashbacks and discoveries about the Riva family. One of the best parts of family sagas is seeing how one generation affects the next.

The family backstory is revealed in flashback scenes over the day and night of the annual Riva party. Despite marrying June Riva twice, Mick Riva is unable to stay faithful to any woman. He tries to be a family man, some times are more successful and long-term than others, but as his music career leads him to beautiful women, he just can’t keep it in his pants.  So June finds herself and four kids back working at the family seafood restaurant, exactly where she didn’t want to be.

I loved seeing the family relationships revealed, both in present day and in flashback. It’s a bit hard to take the oldest sister Nina’s poor-sad-model storyline seriously (oh no! I’m just so pretty! I have to take all this money for being gorgeous! But I’m not fulfilled by this work!) but the relationships between the siblings were developed and lively. Jay and Hud, the almost twins, work together for Jay’s professional surfing career. Hud’s the photographer and Jay’s the surfing performer.  All four siblings love surfing, including the youngest sister, Kit, who wants her successful surfing siblings to take her seriously. And when the party begins, they all have something they’re keeping secret, too.

Malibu Rising is a readable family story of complicated relationships, with 1980s California style.