Malibu Rising: A Novel

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Narrated by Julia Whelan

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today • From the author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo . . .

“Irresistible . . . High drama at the beach, starring four sexy, surfing siblings and their deadbeat, famous-crooner dad.”—People

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Time, Marie Claire, PopSugar, Parade, Teen Vogue, Self, She Reads

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives forever.

Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781984845344

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been chosen by Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, and Book of the Month. Her novel Daisy Jones and The Six is now a limited series on Amazon Prime. She lives in Los Angeles.  

Reviews for Malibu Rising

[kathy.g.bischof · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints. I’ll be thinking about all the characters here for a long while!

[cgrizwold-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good book! Deep family ties and disfunction make you appreciate your own

[siok-76276 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I have high expectations of Taylor Jenkins Read's books. Daisy Jones and the Six was a shade paler and Malibu Rising is even more shades paler. I couldn't recognise Read's voice in it. If not for the ending, I would say this is quite a mediocre book by Read, going by her high standards.

[castlelass · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dual timeline family saga set in California. As the story opens, there has been a fire in Malibu at the home of the wealthy Riva family. By flashback, we learn the family’s history and the events leading up to the fire. The present-day (1983) timeline involves four siblings – Nina, Jay, Hub, and Kit – as they prepare for their annual end of summer party. Each sibling harbors secrets, which will eventually be revealed. The historic timeline tells of their parents, how they got together, and their turbulent relationship. It is primarily a story of a dysfunctional family.

The narrative revolves around the lives of the “rich and famous.” As these types of stories tend to do, it contains lots of sexual liaisons, drugs, and alcohol. All of the family members have problems. The author’s skill lies primarily in describing the characters’ dysfunctional relationships with each other. It ventures too close to soap opera territory for my taste. I had previously read Daisy Jones & the Six, which I enjoyed very much and recommend.

[didireallyreadthat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of the Riva family was hard to put down. The ending was just a little too pat so I deducted a half star.

[abiiharrisonn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

[4.5] it’s been a while since i’ve read a tjr book, so i was worried i’d remembered how much i’d liked her writing to the wrong extent, but this absolutely met my expectations!! having a cast of such diverse, relatable and likeable / unlikeable characters really made this book for me.

[spiritrider1101 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s a great summer book! Very quick read and it keeps you interested

[zmagic69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I know late to the party on this one. What an excellent beach/pool read this be.
Funny, touching, and heartbreaking.
The last 50+ pages detailing the party are a nonstop riot.

[japaul22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun novel - I'd describe it a "beach read". It's about four adult siblings, who throw an annual party that is the place to be seen every summer in Malibu. The novel takes place over the 24 hours of the party, with flashbacks to their parents' disastrous marriage and its affect on all four children.

I was happily sucked along reading this book - very plot driven, and predictable enough to be comfortable but not boring. I'd gladly read more of [[Taylor Jenkins Reid]]'s books when I want something fun and light.

[geauxgetlit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ok so I’m not the biggest fan of TJR, and I actually DNFed this book a couple months ago. However, I started it again and I did begin to love the story of the 4 siblings that rose together after the death of their mom. Their dad was a big time musician. But they didn’t need his help. I didn’t enjoy adding so many extra characters into the mix of the story, it was hard for me to keep straight. All in all, give it a try. A 3.5 stars from me

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a 2021 Ballantine Books publication.

Set in Malibu in the early 1980s, this novel follows the Riva siblings- Jay, Nina, Hud, and Kit.

The siblings are the progeny of Mick Riva- one of the most heralded rock stars of all time- but he's not so great at being a good person. He abandoned his kids, even after their mother died, leaving Nina to step up and take care of her siblings.

Now, as adults, all four have achieved some level of success- but they are each struggling personally, harboring secrets, each scarred and haunted by their childhood in one way or another.

As Malibu gathers for the party of the year- NIna's annual end-of summer bash- each of them will face their deepest fears and flaws as an unexpected reckoning presents itself….

I had 'Carrie Soto' up next on my list- but then I discovered that this book introduced that character -so I decided to fit this one into my schedule first, hoping for a little background.

I love family sagas- so this one was right up my alley. I loved the glamorous setting, the time period, and the premise. I was not a fan of all the threads, there were a few too many characters for my personal taste, and I felt some avenues were not wrapped up neatly enough, but overall, I enjoyed the story well enough, and am glad I decided to make room for this one right away.

I’m glad I discovered a little of Carrie Soto's back story - and am wildly curious as to how the author is going to redeem this character….

[crabbyabbe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My 2nd TJR read (1st was E. Hugo). I love how TJR is able to draw the reader right into the story with very few words; that's not easy to do. I adored the characters (especially Nina) and was completely able to suspend my disbelief in certain areas because of that. I could relate to a lot of the trauma, too, also coming from a broken home with 3 siblings. Will have to read more of her!

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing is absolute perfection.

[indygo88 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nina Riva, the oldest of her four siblings and daughter of famous musician Mick Riva, has a beautiful house on the Malibu coast. It's the morning of her now-famous annual summer party. But she's not necessarily looking forward to it, and a lot happens in the next 24 hours.

This is the third novel of TJR's that I've read, and so far I haven't been disappointed in any of them. It's hard to pick a favorite. Each one has a Hollywood vibe, but they're not superficial or silly. I love the way she writes. Her books are easy to read, but they're well written and engaging with enough serious subject matter to not be too shallow, and I race through them. This one alternates between Nina and her siblings' interaction prior to the party in the mid-80's with that of her parents' relationship in the 60's. I was engrossed the entire way through.

[dominiquedavis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(4.5 rounded down)

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing always leaves me in disbelief. With every new release, her writing gets better and better. Malibu Rising didn’t immediately grab me like TSHOEH and Daisy Jones & The Six, but I got there eventually. Once I did I was captivated by the book and the relationships between the characters. The only thing I didn’t love were the chapters that focused on the guests from the party instead of the family members. Those chapters took me out of the story a little bit, but luckily they were short. Taylor Jenkins Reid continues to impress me and proves why she’s one of my favorite authors.

[CaoticaPaula · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I felt an urgent need to read everything Taylor Jenkins Reid has written. It took me several months to muster the courage to pick up another of her books, as I feared it would disappoint me since Evelyn seems unbeatable. Even at the risk of changing my opinion of the author's writing and narrative style, I decided to start from the beginning of her bibliography and read her novels chronologically, assuming that her first novel would surely be the weakest... How wrong I was!
I definitely think I have found my favorite author.
While it is true that if Evelyn Hugo is a 10 (5 stars), this one shouldn’t reach that score because it's more like a 9.5. But I enjoyed it so much that I can’t do anything but give it the highest rating. I fell in love with Elsie and Ben, with their story, I got angry at the stupid things they did in their relationship, I laughed at their antics, and of course, I cried. Because this is one of those books that tears you apart and leaves your heart aching.
Just as I refuse to accept that Evelyn Hugo is considered romantic literature, Forever, United is not either. It is a story of pain, of feelings, of overcoming, of mourning... It has love within its pages, and plenty of it, but the message it conveys goes far beyond a love story.
I will continue reading the author because I know I will come across many more gems in the process. (Translated from Spanish)

[mcelhra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Malibu Rising ostensibly takes place on just one day in 1983 at a party thrown by Nina Riva, a famous surfer and model. However, there are flashbacks throughout filling us in on the Riva children and their parents. Their absentee father is the famous singer Mick Riva. Nina, the oldest, raised her younger siblings – Jay and Kit also surf and Hud is a famous photographer. The party at Nina’s gets wilder and wilder as the night goes on, eventually spinning completely out of control. The Riva children’s lives have been pretty chaotic over the years as well.

This is the first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel that I’ve read. Everyone raves about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. I can only assume that they are a lot better than Malibu Rising. This book fell flat for me. I understood what Reid was trying to do but she didn’t quite get there. It was the party that got to me the most. I think it was supposed to be a satirical and perhaps humorous statement on how famous people lack self-awareness and can be quite horrible. But the antics of the party-goers were too over the top for even me to suspend disbelief and I didn’t really find them to be funny. I also thought the dialogue was stilted and simplistic. I did like the plotline about the siblings’ childhoods and their relationship with one another. That could have been developed more and the entire party thing scrapped and it would have been great. All that being said, I will try either Daisy or Evelyn at some point so don’t @ me Taylor Jenkins Reid stans! (Just kidding – feel free to tell me why I’m wrong.)

[micareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nina Riva is a well-known surfer, model, and eldest daughter of Mick Riva, a famed singer (also Evelyn Hugo's third husband if you've read the book!) who has to take care of her siblings, Jay, Hud, and Kit, after her mother's sudden death.

Each sibling has drama going on in their lives ranging from health issues to finally finding themselves. At the annual Riva party, everything goes haywire. There are gunshots, naked people on the lawn, and a fire that devours everything in its sight. At the end of the day, each Riva sibling must come to terms with the life-altering decisions they must make or accept.

I loved that this book was set in the 1980s as it made it relatable in terms of fashion, television shows, and the development of the characters. I found myself interested in each character's ongoing issues and the way Reid resolves their issues in a way that lets the reader know that life goes on after arguments, altercations, and recognizing who you really are.

[amzzz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An annual party at Nina Riva’s house is the catalyst for exploring the messy personal and family lives of the Riva siblings and their parents. By the end of the night, the party is totally out of control. Recommended by Ginette and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo :)

[baochuan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book lay out the complications of human relationship and did not apply any fixed formula that are supposed to fix the problems. It states as what it is and left at its right place. I enjoyed the book.

[eas7788 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-crafted in many ways. One I think I would have responded to a little differently had I read it on the page (Julia Whelen is an excellent narrator, of course). I suspected the author was not actually around for the 80s and then saw that was true; some of the cultural details felt inauthentic and a little forced even if technically accurate. It made me want to try surfing, and it did a good job of being grounded in its setting. The relationships among the siblings are the most compelling part. The confrontation scene at the end is very satisfying. Nina and Kit come to life more than Hud and Jay -- I love Nina's change and Kit almost steals the book from Nina. I appreciate the stab at racial diversity but still felt like an overwhelmingly white book. Many plot points were predictable but that didn't always take away from the moments.

[Bocabeille · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Do you have that friend who, in order to tell you a gossip, has to give you context first so you can understand it?

Well, that's exactly how Malibu Renace is. Just like that. The entire first half is to tell you what happened so that, now yes, you can really understand the second half, and reading it feels like watching Dynasty or some other '80s series that I don’t know because I’m from the '90s.

In summary, it's about narcissism. About "I do it without realizing it and I hurt you for life," except we see it from the perspective of the one receiving the damage and not the one acting. And it's ugly, because even though it's unintentional, the damage done is still there.

And here's the spoiler (it's a huge spoiler for real, so read carefully, I might remove it later when I cool down): nobody dies at the end like they promised me at the beginning ?? so even though I enjoyed the reading, the ending wasn't worth all the crying I had to do. (Translated from Spanish)

[CitlalyAvalos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Forever United is a book that shows us grief, how we can come to love a person in a short time. It has brought me to tears more than once while reading it, and I liked the fact that it shifted from present to past between chapters. (Translated from Spanish)

[jthierer_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised by how much I liked this. I picked it up from the library on the new shelf without having read any of Reid's other books...and now I want to go track them down. My only complaint is that like many books with a flashback/flash forward structure I definitely preferred one time period to another and felt somewhat frustrated when the times changed again.

[newnaturalmama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Everything about this story was “too much”. It was so so

[janismack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Story of 4 siblings abandoned by their rock star father. After the death of their mother, They hold together because of the oldest child Nina who steps in to parent her siblings.

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a novel, Malibu Risingby Taylor Jenkins Reid doesn't really work. It is populated by cardboard characters who face unmoving dilemmas and it doesn't capture a 1980s atmosphere despite being set in that decade. Its view of family life, especially motherhood, is unconvincing and sappy. The formulaic story centers on a big neighborhood party that comes across like a histrionic high school prom, but for wealthy, beautiful celebrities.

Yet for some mysterious reason, the book kept me reading. I wish I knew Reid's secret.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think this book is the dictionary definition of a beach read: light and stylish but immediately forgettable. Not to mention set on an actual beach. The four Riva siblings are like a mash-up of Sweet Valley High meets Party of Five, all of them good-looking and talented, generous and popular, with a completely messed up family background to ground their sun-kissed lives in reality. Did I really like any of the characters or the swallow the cheesy writing, full of references to soul mates and finding 'the one'? Nope. Did I keep reading, almost non-stop? Hell yes!

The story is split between two generations of the Riva family, pathetic wife and mother June and the history of her failed marriage to deadbeat dad Mick in the 50s and 60s, alongside the lives of their children, Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit in the 80s. The past merges into - and threatens to define - the present, where Nina and her siblings are preparing for the 'Riva Party', an annual event at her house in Malibu. I tried very hard to understand June's mentality, betrayed and abandoned again and again by her husband yet always ready to take him back (and adopt his love child into the bargain!), but must admit she drove me mad. And then Nina, living in her vain and arrogant husband's glass house, seemed to be taking on all of her mother's worst qualities before eventually salvaging her dignity and the whole novel - 'I'm a doormat', she finally realises. The plot, if there is one, involves the final and cataclysmic Riva party and a lot of very satisfying home truths, but the heart of the story is centred around the four siblings, and damn me, I actually came to care about them all! Beautiful surfer and model Nina is physically flawless but also a control freak, which I found strangely relatable. Brother Jay is a professional surfer with a health scare that forces him re-evaluate his life, although not before playing dog in the manger with his brother's happiness. Hud is the cuckoo in the nest, Mick's lovechild taken in by June. And Kit is the youngest, struggling with her sexuality. They are all two dimensional characters, perfect with token flaws - Francine Pascal would be proud - and yet I loved the strong family bond that makes them local celebrities regardless of fame or success.

I think this book might become a future guilty pleasure!

[dcoward_6 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I loved Daisy Jones and the Six. But this tale of the young, rich, and beautiful, but tortured did nothing for me.

[alanna1122 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love a good fast read and this definitely was one of those!

I read Daisy and the Jones and The Six and didn't love it - I liked this one better. It is definitely not high literature - but in a pandemic - having a good source of distraction can't be over rated.

I liked the way Reid told this story - shifting between the stories of different characters in the book - mostly between the parents and the children and moving back and forth through the main time line that the takes place the day of the party that everything is building up to.

I will say, I was initially really turned off by this book - I think in part to the names of many of the side characters - they just seemed so soap opera-y to me - but I kept going and it stopped bothering me so much.

I'd say this is a great book to pick up if you just want a good solid distraction.