We are headed back to the 80’s where supermodels reign supreme and anybody who is anybody knows the famous Riva’s of Malibu. Taylor Jenkins Reid has skyrocketed to the top of my favorite authors list. I fell in love with her a couple of years ago when my book club read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This was followed up with Daisy Jones and the Six and I was hooked. Imagine my excitement when I was able to preview a copy of her latest book, Malibu Rising, courtesy of Random House – Ballantine!

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 bubbling 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.

RISING UP

Part 1 of this book is told from the hours of 7am – 7pm on the day of Nina Riva’s annual party. This is where everyone who is anyone will show up, and anything can happen. But before we can get there, we meet all 4 of the Riva children. We then flash back to the 1950’s where we meet their parents. Through a series of flashbacks, we see how their relationship played out, and how the children ended up where they are now. When we are not flashing back, we are back with the Riva kids in present day.

Part 2 takes a different approach. The party has begun and the narration feels like an old 80’s movie. You know when the camera walks through a party, and you see all the shenanigans going on? There’s a bit of that! We meet quite a few celebrities, and some “everyday people” who ended up there.

BURNING DOWN

Warning – there is a lot going on in this book. I was able to keep track of what was going on with each Riva kid, with the parents and with their close friends/relationships. It gets a little more difficult when you start meeting other people involved with the Riva family. When you get to Part 2 and start meeting everyone at the party, if you are not paying close attention, it can get overwhelming with the amount of people you meet – just like if you were to walk into a popular party and start getting introduced to everyone!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed spending time with the Riva’s. I couldn’t put the book down and wanted to know more, more, more! The parts of the book that discussed the parents were the most interesting to me, but I still enjoyed the present day as well. The party portion of part 2 was a little crazy to follow at first, but seeing where everyone ended up made the journey worth it!