Tag: Daisy Jones and the Six

Posted on

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Robin’s Rave Reviews

If you’ve been putting off reading Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, now is the perfect time to pick it up. The surfing scene in Malibu makes for a perfect backdrop for a great summer read. It’s a nostalgic, fictional story of rich and famous people behaving badly.

The Riva children, offspring of a famous father, are introduced as young adults in the novel: Nina, a surf model married to a tennis phenom; Jay, a world-renowned surfer; Hud, a surfer photographer; and Kit, the youngest, just finding her way into adulthood.

It’s 1983, and Nina is preparing to host an annual party in her Malibu home. Each year the party attracts movie stars, producers and directors, sports figures, tv anchors and other famous people. By page two, we already know this notorious party will lead to a fire that engulfs the Malibu coastline.

As we work toward that party in the story, we get glimpses into the current problems and secrets in the lives of the Riva children. We also dip into their past to see their parents’ rocky relationship, including their father’s abandonment of the family and their mother’s alcoholism. These kids had an all-around tough childhood, often leaving Nina, the oldest, to take adult responsibilities for her siblings while still a child herself. Hobnobbing with the rich and famous, having a famous dad, and living in Malibu doesn’t necessarily make for a happy, or easy, life. Readers will want to see these flawed, lovable characters find success and happiness.

Not only was I interested in the characters, but I was caught up in the increasing tension. Since the author dropped hints of all the drama that would find its way to the party, I couldn’t wait to get to that part. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the characters introduced at the party, but they also added to understanding this Hollywood culture. It was fun to see some names dropped of real people showing up for this fictional party.

Just as “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” is the environment of Reid’s book Daisy Jones and the Six (see my blog review here), it is in full force in this novel as well. Many of the characters are having (mildly described) sex, drinking heavily and doing lines of coke. (Giving you a heads up on that just in case that isn’t something you want to read.)

I really liked Daisy Jones and the Six, but I have to say, I liked Malibu Rising even more. The story flowed easily and naturally, and the characters came alive. I wanted to know how they would deal with the family drama between siblings and with their distant father.

Fun side note: If you’re a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid books, you may have noticed that Mick Riva, the famous father in Malibu Rising, also appears in two of Reid’s other books, Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

 

Happy reading this summer!

Netgalley Professional Reader

You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram .

 @author.robin.shelley

Posted on

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Have you noticed the upswing in movies about musicians over the last few years? The fourth remake of A Star is Born, a fictional story, was released in 2018. Two movies based on real lives, Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddie Mercury and Queen) in 2018 and Rocketman (Elton John) in 2019, also come to mind. Perhaps the market is there because we’re curious about what a rock star life is like. Perhaps we’re amazed at their talent so much that we want to see that they are real people with real struggles, too. Perhaps it’s the nostalgic part that brings us back to our lives in our teens and twenties. Yes, I saw all three movies. So when I heard there was a book out inspired by Fleetwood Mac, I have to admit I was interested.

Although Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Reid Jenkins is fiction, the book is loosely based on the experiences of the band members of Fleetwood Mac and other 70s bands. I have always enjoyed the music of Fleetwood Mac and there’s just something mesmerizing about Stevie Nicks. Her delicious, sultry voice, the carefree gypsy vibe like a breeze that can’t be caught or tied down, and the rebellious girl rock ‘n’ roller fascinate audiences. Yes, we want to know more about the band! But, remember, Daisy Jones and the Six is a fictional story of living in the 70s rock world loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. Be forewarned: you know the saying “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” That is this book. If reading about that world isn’t your thing, that’s fine. This book isn’t for you. If you want a closer look into that world – the ups and downs, the struggles and the big breaks, the insecurities and egos, the choices both good and bad, the friendships and the rivalries – then try it.

Even though I knew the book was fictional, the Fleetwood Mac members came alive to me as I read.  At times I believed I could pinpoint that this character or that event was about Stevie Nicks or Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie or Mick Fleetwood, as well as John McVie, Neil Finn or Mike Campbell coming through in the story. Other times I wondered if a detail was based on a real event or totally fictional. Reid has a way of making these people and this band seem totally real. You will catch yourself believing it all and then reminding yourself it is a fictional story and band.

Written in a unique style, the book is told through responses to an unseen interviewer, like a rock documentary. I wasn’t sure I would like this technique going in, but rarely did it throw me. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed hearing what one band member said and then hearing another band member with a different perspective or different memory of the same event. It added realism. Although this technique doesn’t allow for inner-dialogue, I found myself sometimes questioning what the person really thought, what they couldn’t or didn’t want to say to an interviewer. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, that’s how relationships are in real life. It makes us question but perhaps also not be so judgmental since we don’t really know the whole story that makes up a person’s heart. Be prepared to keep an open mind at trying this unique technique in storytelling. It might work for you. It might not.

If you grew up with bands like Fleetwood Mac, you will relate to this story. It’s not necessarily a feel good story, but it is realistic look into the 70s rock world. It doesn’t apologize for the 70s rock experience. It simply lets us peek into the inner circle.  Daisy Jones and the Six is a New York Times Bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Amazon is currently working on a series based on the book.