Every verdict checked against the same thirteen questions. No paid placements.The free app is coming soon. Get early access →
Read vs Listen
Christmas
Home › Verdicts › Historical fiction › Malibu Rising
Read

Malibu Rising audiobook vs book: which should you choose?

The four Riva siblings, children of singer Mick Riva, host their famous end-of-summer party in Malibu, and over 24 hours the family’s history comes to the surface.

Read vs Listen·Verdict last reviewed 29 October 2026·5 min read
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Short answer: for the Malibu Rising audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (73% confidence, leaning). The novel cuts between one party night in August 1983 and the Riva family’s past from 1956, and it hands the story around four siblings and their mother. Julia Whelan’s narration is praised, but one voice carrying two timelines and five viewpoints is easier to follow in print.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. See how we decide in full →

Read it on Kindle

Two timelines and five viewpoints in one voice: praised narration, but easier to follow in print.

Definitely readDefinitely listen
73%
Read
Get it on Kindle400 pages (Penguin paperback)Listen on Audible11h 5m, read by Julia Whelan

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.

Confidence 73%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.

The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorJulia WhelanJulia Whelan
Length11 hours 5 minutes (11h 5m), unabridged11 hours 5 minutes (11h 5m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 7h 23mabout 7h 23m
At 2xabout 5h 33mabout 5h 33m
Audio publisher and dateRandom House Audio, 1 June 2021Same recording
Audiobook price£14.37 on Audible UK$20.25 on Audible US
Kindle price£3.99 on Amazon UKNot confirmed
PrintPenguin paperback, 400 pages, £9.99Ballantine hardcover, 384 pages, $31.00
Listener ratingToo few ratings to use (5.0 from 3)Performance 4.72 from 19,946 ratings

Audible UK and US sell the same Random House Audio recording. It is the only English recording.

Ratings and prices checked 29 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 29 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre
Historical fiction
First published
2021
Length
400 pages (Penguin paperback)
On audio
11 hrs 5 mins, Julia Whelan
Set
27 August 1983, with flashbacks from 1956

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

Two criteria point to reading
✓
Jumping timelinesPublishers Weekly describes two braided timelines; Kirkus says it alternates between the party and flashbacks. The audiobook’s chapter list runs hours of 27 August 1983 between years from 1956 to 1981.
✓
Three or more points of view, one narratorNina, Jay, Hud and Kit, with their mother June in the flashbacks (The AU Review; Kirkus names the siblings). Julia Whelan reads them all.
–
Story depends on images or layoutNothing in the book depends on pictures or page layout.
–
Literary or dense proseNamed sources call it a beach read and escapist. None calls it dense.
–
Narration criticisedThe Audible US Performance rating is 4.72 from 19,946 ratings (the UK store has too few ratings to use), and no named critic criticises the narration.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesNo maps, family trees or footnotes, and no PDF companion.
–
Many similar-sounding namesThe four sibling names are short and distinct, and no source says the cast is easy to confuse, so it does not count.
One criterion points to listening
✓
Award-winning or praised narrationAudioFile says Whelan narrates passionately and gives minor characters distinct voices. No award was found.
–
Full cast or produced audioJulia Whelan reads it on her own, with no cast or music.
–
Read by the authorIt is a novel, read by a narrator rather than the author.
–
Single point of view and narratorOne narrator reads it, but the story moves between the four Riva siblings, with their mother June in the flashbacks.
–
Long bookThe UK paperback is 400 pages, not over 400.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectNo source comments on the names, so it does not count.
How the score adds up
Listening 6 points, reading 16

Listening: award-winning or praised narration (6), 6 points. Reading: jumping timelines (8), three or more points of view, one narrator (8), 16 points. 73% of the confirmed points favour reading, so the verdict is read it on Kindle at 73% confidence (leaning).

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Julia Whelan, Random House Audio, 2021, 11h 5m, unabridged
Critic review
AudioFile praises Whelan’s passionate reading and distinct voices
Alternatives
None in English
What you miss
Nothing confirmed

What this book actually is

Malibu Rising is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel about the four Riva siblings, children of the singer Mick Riva, and the end-of-summer party they host in Malibu on 27 August 1983. Over 24 hours the family’s history comes to the surface, told in flashbacks from 1956.

Mick Riva also appears in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six, but the author says her books do not need to be read in order. What Hud confesses, who Kit’s guest is and how the fire starts are not covered here.

The case for reading it

The book is built from two clocks: the hour-by-hour party and the years of the Riva parents’ marriage. Each chapter is headed by an hour or a year.

In print you can see which thread you are in at a glance and flick back to check; on audio you rely on one spoken heading and one voice for every viewpoint.

The case for listening to it

Julia Whelan reads or co-reads nearly every Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, and AudioFile singles out how she separates even the minor characters.

At 11 hours 5 minutes, it comes down to about 7 hours 23 minutes at 1.5x.

The audiobook in detail

Random House Audio publishes the unabridged recording, read by Julia Whelan, at 11 hours 5 minutes (1 June 2021). Audible UK and US sell the same recording, and there is no other English one.

It had a Performance rating of 4.72 from 19,946 ratings on Audible US on 29 October 2026; the UK store had only 3 ratings. No PDF companion is listed.

Who should ignore this verdict

Lean towards audio if you already know Julia Whelan’s voice from other Taylor Jenkins Reid books and find her easy to follow across viewpoints.

Get Malibu Rising
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.
Our pick

Kindle

  • 400 pages (Penguin paperback)
  • Hour and year headings at a glance
Get the Kindle edition

Audiobook

  • Read by Julia Whelan
  • 11h 5m, or about 7h 23m at 1.5x
  • Unabridged; praised by AudioFile
Listen on Audible
Affiliate links. If you buy through one of these we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and with no influence on the verdict above.

Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →

Related verdicts

Same author

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Same author, and the Mick Riva link.

Same author

Daisy Jones & The Six

Same author, the opposite pick.

Same author

Atmosphere

Award-winning narration with a narrator for each strand, against a timeline that jumps from 1984 back to 1977.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates Malibu Rising?

Julia Whelan.

How long is the audiobook?

11 hours 5 minutes, unabridged.

How many pages is Malibu Rising?

400 in the UK Penguin paperback, 384 in the US hardcover.

When is Malibu Rising set?

Over 24 hours from 27 August 1983, with flashbacks from 1956.

Is Malibu Rising on Netflix?

No. A Hulu series was announced in 2021, with no date since.

Do I need to read other Taylor Jenkins Reid books first?

No. The author says her books do not need to be read in order. Mick Riva also appears in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six.

Should I read or listen?

Read, at 73%. Two timelines and five viewpoints are easier to follow on the page.

Do you agree with this verdict?

We said read it on Kindle. One tap, no sign-up.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.

How this verdict was reached

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.

Deciding about a different book?

Search for it. If we've written it up, we'll take you to the verdict. If not, we'll add it to our list of books to check.

← The Best Christmas Pageant EverThe Bullet That Missed →
Malibu RisingOur pick: read · 73%
AudibleKindle