It’s been about a year and a half since I read this series over the course of a month, so I was a bit worried I wouldn’t remember enough for these short stories. Luckily, the way these short stories have been designed and written, they’re fantastic to read almost whenever, either right after finishing Jade City or the whole series, or even months or years after finishing. The stories remind you of what you need without getting bogged down by it, and it was honestly really nice to revisit these characters after so long.

These stories can be seen as prequel stories, all occurring before Jade City, but they showcase events we’ve heard about throughout the trilogy already. While in that way nothing truly ‘new’, is being revealed or shown here, it does give a different perspective on events we already thought we knew. We got to see Anden’s mother, before she succumbed to the itches, and we got to see Lan before the events of Jade City changed him. We also got to see Wen and Hilo falling in love, and see Shae before she was shaped by studying in a foreign country. In a way, it really felt like fanfiction about characters we’ve already come to know and love, and it made the stories so easy to read, even if the content was not very light.

I think my favorite thing, though, were the author’s notes added after each story. It explained Fonda’s motivation for writing each story, and gave more insight both on the events themselves and how she thought about certain aspects of this series, and why she made the choices she did. I feel like I got a look behind the curtain of this series, and I honestly loved it!

Overall, this is a perfect, brief addition to a series I already love with my whole heart, and while I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity, it is also a fantastic way to dive a bit deeper into the world of Janloon and the Green Bones.

+Character-driven
+Compelling writing
+Easy to read
+Great resolution

Honestly not surprised that TJR was able to pull it off again. There's just always something so compelling about her writing, and Malibu Rising is no different.

I was honestly shocked (and so so excited) when I got approved for this ARC, as this was one of my most anticipated reads this year after loving Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo last year. I loved the premise of this one, and couldn't wait to dive in.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I just couldn't stop reading! Unfortunately I always picked the wrong moments to start reading, and kept being forced to put this down so I could sleep, but I couldn't wait to get back to it the next day. This book was just so easy to read, and the way it was formatted made it easy to just say 'one more chapter', which I haven't had often lately. Malibu Rising combined my favorite aspects of both Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones yet gave the story of fame it's own special twist.

Reid always excels when it comes to making you connect with and feel for the characters, and Malibu Rising is only further proof of her skill with character building. From the beginning you feel a connection for the Rivas, siblings who seem to have it all on the surface, and you're immediately drawn in by their close relationship and their story. The first part of the book consists of alternating flashbacks and present scenes building up the events to happen later, allowing you to connect both with who the characters are now and understand what shaped them in the past. Even in this part, Reid managed to keep me hooked in both the past and the present, with one never seeming to overshadow the other. By the second part, where all the build-up goes somewhere, you're already quite invested in the characters and all their individual stories and problems. I honestly don't think this story could have been told differently and had the same effect. While I definitely favored some characters over others, I felt all had their own moments to shine, and their dynamic as a family also played a huge role in the story.

This is definitely more of a character-driven story, though the plot is still interesting in its own way. The present story hinges around the 24 hours leading up to and after the famous Riva party. While the events of the party itself sometimes disconnect from the turmoil of the siblings themselves, it's a great background for the tension that builds over the course of the night. As the conflict with each character grows, so does the party grow more wild. It was the perfect complement to such a character-driven story, and keeps the reader excited and interested even when emotional conflict may seem slow to some.

Overall, I loved this latest book by Taylor Jenkins Reid (and the nods toward Evelyn Hugo it contained), and I can't wait to see what Reid writes next! In the meantime, I still have a few more of her books to read...

“That's what heroes did. They ran straight toward danger and didn't ever give up.”

Stars (Out of 10): 4/10 Stars

Overall Thoughts: While I enjoyed this installment in the series, and where it went to with the ending, it was by far my least favorite in the series. I didn’t see as much humor in the book, missing that spark of laughter the first two had. I also felt it was missing the constant action of the first book, dedicated instead to only constant build-up, which can be a tad boring sometimes. I still enjoyed it though, and am super curious to see where the rest of the series goes!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Good: I really loved the ending (while hating what it did to the characters at the same time!!!) I also liked seeing the characters messing up, getting in trouble, and showing their flaws. I was also glad Call dropped his obsessive worry about being the Enemy of Death reincarnate for the most part (until the end), as how Copper Gauntlet ended made his character a tad annoying to read at the end.

The Bad: The book felt really short, and while it was almsot entirely build up for the ending, the ending felt rushed and under “exposed”, as no hints were dropped about Alex having anything to do with it, all the blame falling to completely different characters. I also didn’t feel any closure at all, and while I get the desire for a cliffhanger ending, I was now left feeling like there wasn’t an actual ending at all, and that I maybe missed a final chapter or something.

The Characters: In some situations, the characters read different from what I remembered them to be, almost as if they were becoming more basic versions of themselves. We lost the spark and humor between Tamara, Aaron, and Call, seeing more speculation about each other, feeling lonely or left out at points, as well as a lack of the bond they seemed to share. I’m curious to see where this all goes though, since there are still a few books left in the series, and a lot left to explain.

The Plot: I enjoyed where the plot was going, and how it seemed to draw on information from former books, but it definitely felt really short. Maybe it was the much shorter time span this book had compared to books 1 and 2, or maybe it was the lack of smaller conflicts in the book, with all the writing seeming to go towards the ending, which never even got fully explained. I enjoyed the read, but felt it could’ve been more spectacular, and was a small let down compared to how much I loved the first two.

The Favorite Character: Toss up right now, liked Aaron, but well, he’s dead now :(

Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it

This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/