Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

4/5 Stars

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid really sucked me in. I will preface all this by saying it is no Daisy Jones (my favorite TJR book), but I enjoyed this book and read it relatively quickly. I am also very glad that I am not a part of Hollywood if it is anything like what the people in this book experience. I will take my sheltered small-town life ANY DAY!

But I digress. As I said, I enjoyed this book. Set in the 80's (my favorite decade because, well, let's just say I'm a product of it), we get to meet and know the Riva family in all its dysfunctional glory. This story weaves together the stories of all the Riva family members:

Our family histories are simply stories. They are myths we create about the people who came before us, in order to make sense of ourselves.

• Dad and incredibly famous and handsome singer, Mick Riva. Also, he's a jerk and really likes women, married or not. And if you've read any of TJR's other books, his name may sound familiar. He has popped up in a few of them.

• Mom, beautiful and naive, loyal and loving, June.

• Children, each unique, each key to the story, and each interesting, Nina (forced to grow up too soon), Jay, Hud (actually not June's son because as stated above, Mick really likes women) and Kit.

The book covers one day as well as a lifetime. Nina, the oldest Riva child, is throwing her annual party which turns out to be an absolutely wild and outrageous occasion. The events of the party unfold from the beginning to the end of the novel. But to understand all the events, the reader must understand the timeline of Mick and June and so the book flashes back and forth between their story and the day of the party. Despite this back and forth, the book is easy to follow and even easier to read. And the ending is a bit tragic, surprising and redemptive all wrapped up in a nice little package complete with a pretty bow.

Great book, easy read, roller coaster of emotions. Typical Taylor Jenkins Reid.