June 2021

MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid is set in Malibu in August 1983. Nina Riva is set to throw her end-of-summer party, which requires no invite --- those in the know just show up. It’s the place to be. Nina is a fabulous surfer and a supermodel. One brother is a champion surfer, and the other is a well-respected photographer. And there is a younger sister who still is making her way. The kids also are known for their pedigree as their dad is a well-known singer, Mick Riva. Nina is not excited about the party; she recently split with her husband, who is a champion tennis player, but the tradition must go on.

The backstory on the family is so well done; we see how they came to Malibu at a time when it was not the huge star mecca that it is today. There are tons of secrets and a fair number of lies. It’s juicy and smart --- and Taylor captures the Malibu vibe so well. She wrote DAISY JONES & THE SIX, and MALIBU RISING has that same cool tone, though it is written in prose instead of the running-dialogue style of her previous novel. She also captures well what it’s like to sit on the water with a board waiting for a wave, as well as the emotion that resonates from being in the spotlight. Oh, and a small factoid that I promise does not give anything away: By the morning after the party, the house will have burned down.

By the way, for those of you who enjoy “Easter egg” trivia about a book, perceptive readers may note that Mick Riva appeared in both DAISY JONES & THE SIX and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO. Taylor is one of those wickedly smart writers who nails it all: prose, setting and character. By the time you finish, you will feel like you are in Malibu. It’s a smart summer beach read where I got to ride waves vicariously!