I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive going into Malibu Rising. I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (which is super hype) and was somewhat disappointed. However, Grace Tahir suggested Malibu Rising to me on twitter and so I decided to pick it up. I was very glad because I actually enjoyed it a lot!
I liked how the story was told. Essentially it is in two narratives parallel to each other: June Riva’s life and the lives of her four children. Put side by side, it was fascinating to see how their lives played out: affecting and being affected by events decades apart. At the same time, June’s kids resolved a different life for themselves, one no longer beholden to the cycle of destruction started off by their father, Mic Riva.
How the four siblings: Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit held on to each other was incredibly touching. In a big world which continuously handed them sadness, they were able to create their own happiness, warmth, comfort, and love. I think that’s what got to me the most. These kids had it really bad, but they survived and still thrived thanks to being there for each other.
These kids had it really bad, but they survived and still thrived thanks to being there for each other.
One thing that made me like Malibu Rising more than Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was because there was a lot of “showing” in Malibu Rising, while in Evelyn Hugo there was more “telling”, and sometimes quite pushy too. I liked Malibu Rising so much I made a short booktok aesthetics of it.
If you’ve read this book, let me know what you think in the comments!
