My Rating - 5/5
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.
Riley Sager's Survive The Night takes so many of the things I am interested in and blends them together in to a engrossingly readable novel. It has elements of classic Hollywood, true crime, and cinematic flair. It should therefore be no surprise that this is now my personal favourite Riley Sager novel.
This book feels cinematic in so many ways and it definitely reads like a movie. You can visualize everything that is happening but the format of the writing invokes a movie as well. It captures that essence so thoroughly that I will be upset if this doesn't end up getting a movie adaptation.
This is a love letter to to both Hitchcock films and women in them. Charlie displays the characteristics of a classic Hitchcock blonde and the plot feels very Hitchcockian to me. It will make you want to pair reading it with a watch of Shadow of a Doubt (and possibly binge a bunch of older thrillers).
The entire premise of this book is entirely unsettling to me. You are in an enclosed space that is not easily escapable and with every moment that passes you become increasingly convinced that the person in that space with you is a serial killer. It is a great plot idea that was even more effective than I imagined.
The 90s setting is especially effective at creating more tension and raising the stakes. No cell phones means no easy access to help and that heightens every beat of dread woven into the story. This story wouldn't feel the same in more current times and that is part of what makes the story work.
The interaction between Josh and Charlie is the crux of the novel, especially at first. The limited setting, the inside of the car, makes the focus shift to the characters. There is something thrilling at each stomach drop and skipped heartbeat as things start to unravel. The first half is a restrained, but pulse pounding, increase in fear that feels more psychological when compared to the latter part of the book.
A suspense novel is built on the twists that it unveils. This one has reveals that you will see coming and hopefully a couple of surprises as well. I was very satisfied with the ending and felt it only added to overall tone of the novel. It is definitely a Hollywood type of ending that you only see in the movies.
This is a book for those who have ever gotten lost in a movie. It has a plucky and resourceful heroine at its core and is filled with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. If you are someone who loves reading thrillers at the beach this will be your new obsession.
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