1983.
The Riva family’s end-of-summer shindig is upon the shores of Malibu. Jay, Hud, Kit, and Nina, burdened by their family’s legacy, are all yearning for a change in their story. Who knew that passive wish would all go down in one night? Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is available in the Red River library now!
This book can be savored, or devoured in one week like I did. I personally have a soft spot for novels that switch timelines, perspectives, etc. This happens to be Taylor Jenkins Reid’s signature in her bibliography. In Malibu Rising, we follow the Riva family, switching from the beginning of their family all the way to present day, the 1983 night that the Riva estate went up in flames.
The characters drive this story to its core. The Riva parents, June and legendary singer Mick, have their own mess of a love story, not to mention the progeny that came of it. Nina, the firstborn, a stunning swimsuit model with a passion for taking care of the rest of her siblings. Jay, international surf champion, with his practically twin brother, Hud, behind the scenes with his exquisite photography. Kit, the youngest girl, is budding her own identity for who she wants to be, separate from her genetically privileged siblings to become her own. Each carries their own burdens, their own love dynamics, but with an equally jointed love for the water and the waves it provides. Also the blood of Mick Riva, a lingering factor that has led them down many paths to where they are now.
This read is SUMMER encapsulated into 400 pages. Prepare to get sucked into the drama, feeling every twist and turn with the flip of the page.
Since 2013, Taylor Jenkins Reid has been sweeping the realm of literature with her beautifully convoluted love stories, centered by the lives of celebrities and the culture that surrounds it. Her introduction into having such knowledge on the matter includes her first couple jobs in the entertainment industry herself. Being a casting assistant, studio desk jobs, then even being a high school teacher, writing books were purely a pastime for Reid.
Pick it up, now!
Sources:
Hutcheson, Susannah. “Taylor Jenkins Reid: How I Became a Bestselling Author.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 May 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/getting-started/2018/05/08/taylor-jenkins-reid-how-became-bestselling-author/580271002/.