Malibu Rising (2021) is the latest [released] book from Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR). Did this book miss the mark or did it exceed expectations? If you’re on the fence about trying this one out, reading it for a book club, or simply asking yourself what it is you just read (head scratch), then read ahead! -Spoiler Alert-

How real was the writing? The best way I can describe it is Jersey Shore…1st, 2nd, and 3rd drafts…discarded. TJR is not a bad writer, I want to be clear about that. This was just not her best. It gave me the perception that she had a publishing deadline to meet and needed to get something out there.

The plot was thin and the character count was excessive but there were some elements that saved it. The timeline jumps around often and can get a bit jumbled. There were points when I had to flip back to remember which time period I was currently in. Sexism is prevalent, which is applicable for the fifties. However…

There are two ways to think of how people spoke in the fifties: On TV and in real life. The flashbacks were very predictable and cliché. You could foretell the next sentence of every line in these sections. While I can understand the gender roles at that time, the women throughout the story, past, and present, were projected as weak, submissive, and mute when interacting with the male characters.

It was a difficult task to relate to any of the characters. Granted, there was a large party at the conclusion, but did we really need to know the name of every person that entered?

The underlying part, as mentioned above, that saved it was the family dynamic. The interactions between the siblings were the most authentic but when they interacted with other characters, that’s when things got lost and became “fake.” I can understand saying all men are cheaters (and are forgiven for the transgressions), women are vulnerable, everyone becomes an alcoholic when devastation strikes, and all parents fight but that’s normal; however, not when it is literally every single character!

Kneel, kneel, I said kneel! Okay, I will kneel.

That’s basically what the dialogue was between the men and women.

I did like the metaphoric and literal fire that started the book and wrapped up the story. It was well-written and is really what got me engaged. That was the best part for me. The party itself just frustrated me.

I understand that it’s entertainment for the rich but…throwing someone’s wedding china like frisbies? Really? Just because you’re a celebrity? Sure, it’s all materialistic and they can buy more but how many times have we seen a celebrity that had extravagant events and was actually struggling?

I guess that was the point. To iterate that the rich have no morals and do not care about “things.” To us regular folks this might seem peculiar and rude, but is the obvious standard for the rich. Coincidentally, we find out shortly after that the main character was fine with it because she didn’t like the china anyway but that did not justify the behavior for me.

Malibu Rising did not compare to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Hopefully, the next one is much better with more effort from TJR.

My rating: 2 of 5 bookmarks

What are your thoughts? Was this typical TJR writing or was something missing? Follow and share!