Malibu Rising Book Review
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Book Review 
*Warning: This review contains spoilers*
Introduction
This is the third book in TJR’s infamous “Mick Riva Universe,” and it’s the third TJR book I read after Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo in the incorrect order because I didn’t know they were part of a continued universe, it’s the installment set in the 80s (with Daisy being the 70s, Rvelyn set primarily in the 60s, and the fourth installment following this one covering the 90s), and it’s the only book in the four books set in this universe that doesn’t contain the first and last name of the female protagonist (I’m so sorry Nina Riva, you deserved the spotlight).Look, are these books serious literature? No. But I enjoy them nonetheless, they’re fun and entertaining and sometimes emotional, and I like the way that Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to create a literary universe that is more satisfying when you realize the books all go together, but at the same time don’t require you to read them all in sequential order ti understand them like a true series. I like the recurring theme of this universe: each book follows a specific decade in time, and each book follows a type of celebrity (Evelyn Hugo, 60s actors and actresses; Daisy Jones, 70s bands and musicians; Malibu Rising, 80s models, athletes, and nepo-babies; Carrie Soto, 90s athletes and sports stars). That being said, while I enjoyed Malibu Rising, found it fun and beachy—and I read it over the summer which only added to the aesthetic—I did find it the weakest link in the Mick Riva universe.
Like I said, I enjoyed it. I loved the fun summery aesthetic, and I especially loved how disputable Reid made Mick Riva in this book, after previous readers of her universe already kind of figured based on how he was portrayed in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. But the biggest shining point of this novel is the character Nina Riva—while all four of Mick Riva’s children get to be POV characters in this novel, it’s hard to argue that Nina (the oldest of the siblings) isn’t the true protagonist of the story.
Summary & Review
Nina’s character arc is such an earnest look into the weight and responsibilities that often fall onto oldest children when the parents are absent, deceased, or otherwise out of the picture or uninvolved in some way. This novel explores the way that the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings fell onto Nina at such a young age after their mother died, and not only caring for them, but the way she felt compelled to continue her mother’s family restaurant, and how that feeling of responsibility continued to impact Nina even after all her siblings had become adults capable of taking care of themselves. She was their sister, but a certain part of their relationships to her never stopped feeling like she was also their mother in a way too. I love the way Reid shows how unfair this expectation is, but at the same time, you still understand Nina’s point of view on it, and it feels so genuine.
Something about the way the responsibility of caring for her siblings weighs on Nina also mirrors her mother, the way that her mother constantly took Mick back after he would leave, and she even took the burden of raising Mick’s son with another woman. It’s easy on the surface to write her off and be like, “ugh what a poor depiction of a female character,” but I tend to disagree. I think it actually shows how much she was willing to suffer for what she felt she owed her children, including raising a baby that wasn’t even hers because it was still her children’s brother. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m saying it’s real and raw emotion. And we see that same idea reflected in Nina, the sense of responsibility she has to others—her siblings, her ex husband.
And that’s what makes it even more satisfying when Nina finally stands her own ground, deciding that she’s not getting back together with her ex after he cheated on her with Carrie Soto, and she doesn’t want a relationship with her absentee father. She’s finally taking responsibility for herself for once.
Plus the lead into Carrie Soto is Back! I never thought I would like Carrie’s character after reading this book, but I ended up really loving her, so props to Reid for setting her up as someone to dislike here and turning that around later—great character arc.
I also may be (definitely am) biased here, but I loved Kit’s storyline too, and her journey to realizing that she’s WLW. My absolute favorite aspect of this story isn’t even just the coming out aspect, but the way it’s not about romance. She doesn’t end up with a girl at the end, there’s no love interest. It’s just about Kit figuring out she’s not straight, and that I’m it of itself is the resolution to the plot. It’s a great way of showing how queer identities exist outside of romance; a queer person not in a relationship is still queer.
As much as I loved the sisters in this book, the problem for lies with the brothers, Jay and Hud.
Generally speaking, I like Hud a little bit more than Jay. The main conflict here is that Hud is having an affair with Jay’s ex-girlfriend and hasn’t talked to his brother about it. So why do I like Hud better when he’s sleeping with his brother’s ex and keeping it a secret because he doesn’t know how to face Jay about it, I mean obviously that’s a jerk move? Well, it’s just that… Hud is being a jerk, but that’s all he’s being. And jerk is still somewhat better than creep… which is what Jay is.
There’s this entire subplot involving Jay being “in love” (obsessed) with a woman he hooked up with one time. Like, total insta-love, going to the bar where she works to try and get her attention, confessing that he’s in love with her the second time they’re together. That’s right. It’s not even portrayed like it’s creepy and wrong; I think Reid is trying to make us feel bad for Jay, but I don’t. He’s being so weird.
So yeah, Hud’s being a jerk, but it came from a place of not wanting to hurt his brother, so he isn’t irredeemable. Jay, on the other hand, is a no go. So, I like the general idea of a storyline about one brother falling in love with the other’s ex, and seeing how they can repair their relationship as brothers in a way that doesn’t cause more pain. I just wish there had been more focus on that aspect of the story instead of having the creepy Jay/Lara storyline. Ideally, for me, that should have been scrapped completely.
Although, I do enjoy the aspect of Hud’s storyline about the fact that he’s technically only the half-brother of Nina, Jay, and Kit, but that it doesn’t really stop them from viewing him as their brother through-and-through. That’s very heartwarming.
There’s also something to be said about the symbolism of how the big Riva family party grows more and more out of control as the family relationships begin to breakdown, and they’re all forced to confront each other from the hurts of the past. That really reinforces what the heart of this story actually is—a dysfunctional family.
Final Thoughts
I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun read, and I liked several parts of the story. There are just other areas I wish were handled differently. Highly recommend reading this during the heat of the summer months to add to the aesthetic!
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