JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Julia Whelan passionately narrates this family drama, which focuses on a model/surfer named Nina and her estranged father, a rock legend. The story alternates between the events of a day in August 1983 that lead up to a party and flashbacks that recount how Nina and her siblings became so emotionally dependent upon each other. Whelan provides a distinct voice for each briefly glimpsed character, enhancing the rich details the author is known for. Famous entertainers mingle with people in the service industry who feel graced by their mere presence. An exaggerated “woo!” after a partygoer shotguns a beer amps up the exhilaration. A short “yeah!” in agreement to someone’s understated comment on the wild night highlights Whelan’s comedic finesse. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
If summer could somehow fit into a book, then you’d find it in Malibu Rising.”—Oprah Daily
“Reid has once again crafted a fast-paced, engaging novel that smoothly transports readers between decades and story lines.”—The Washington Post
“Taylor Jenkins Reid soars with Malibu Rising.”—Associated Press
“Reid delivers a breathtaking, epic family novel.”—Marie Claire
“A compulsively fun read.”—Today
“Reid’s descriptions of Malibu are so evocative that readers will swear they feel the sea breeze on their faces or the grit of the sand between their toes. . . . A compulsively readable story about the bonds between family members and the power of breaking free.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Whatever Reid releases has become a major literary event. And her latest more than lives up to the expectations.”—E! Online
“Malibu Rising is a fun, unforgettable read.”—Business Insider
“Delicious drama.”—Vogue
“A must-read.”—Parade
“Taylor Jenkins Reid sure knows how to tell a story. . . . It’s an unforgettable book about an unforgettable night.”—HelloGiggles
Library Journal
12/01/2020
It's August 1983 in Malibu, CA, time for Nina Riva's annual wrap-up-the-summer party, where everyone gathers to rub tanned shoulders the supermodel; her brothers, champion surfer Jay and photographer Hud; and beloved little sister Kit.But this year, everyone has secrets that lead to a house in flames by morning. From the author of the multi-best-booked, New York Times best-selling Daisy Jones & The Six, the basis of the Amazon series.
JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Julia Whelan passionately narrates this family drama, which focuses on a model/surfer named Nina and her estranged father, a rock legend. The story alternates between the events of a day in August 1983 that lead up to a party and flashbacks that recount how Nina and her siblings became so emotionally dependent upon each other. Whelan provides a distinct voice for each briefly glimpsed character, enhancing the rich details the author is known for. Famous entertainers mingle with people in the service industry who feel graced by their mere presence. An exaggerated “woo!” after a partygoer shotguns a beer amps up the exhilaration. A short “yeah!” in agreement to someone’s understated comment on the wild night highlights Whelan’s comedic finesse. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-03-17
In the early 1980s, four Malibu surfer siblings throw a raging party that forces them to confront their pasts in this new novel from the author of Daisy Jones & the Six (2019).
The Riva siblings didn’t have an easy childhood. Their father was a famous singer who came and went whenever he wanted, finally leaving for good. Their mother was an alcoholic, leaving her oldest daughter, Nina, to take on the bulk of the parenting. Nina ends up becoming a surf model to earn enough money to take care of her siblings: Jay, who becomes a pro surfer, Hud, who becomes a surf photographer, and the youngest, Kit, who hopes to follow in their surfing footsteps. Their rocky childhood led them to become extremely close as adults, and no tradition means more to them than the annual Riva party, held at Nina’s beach house. It’s typically raucous and full of celebrities behaving badly, but the real drama this time ends up coming from the secrets the Rivas are keeping from each other. Reid alternates between the siblings’ current-day party preparations and the story of their past: how their parents, Mick and June, met in the 1950s, fell in love, and had a tumultuous relationship. By the time the end of the party rolls around, the siblings each realize the many ways their pasts continue to affect their futures. Reid’s descriptions of Malibu are so evocative that readers will swear they feel the sea breeze on their faces or the grit of the sand between their toes. The Rivas have a believable sibling dynamic, and the family members are complex and delightfully flawed (especially Mick, whose bad decisions reverberate throughout the novel).
A compulsively readable story about the bonds between family members and the power of breaking free.