A deep dive into The Taylor Jenkins Reid Universe

‘Daisy Jones & The Six,’ ‘Malibu Rising’ to be adapted

Dive into the Taylor Jenkins Reid literary universe. PHOTO CREDIT: thecurryrestaurantattheendoftheuniverse.blog

When I read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s three most recent books last summer, they quickly became some of my favorite books of all time.

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” (2017), “Daisy Jones & the Six” (2019) and “Malibu Rising” (2021) are not technically a trilogy, but they take place within the same historical fictional universe with the characters weaving in and out of each other’s stories. Reid’s universe is so masterfully created, I wish I could live in it. 

While the books vary in their plots, all of the stories deal with characters who grapple with fame. The first of the three is centered around a woman named Evelyn Hugo, a classic Hollywood actress based on the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth. Evelyn spends the book sharing her true life story for the first time with a young journalist. The third of her seven famed husbands was Mick Riva, a womanizing singer, who makes a cameo in “Daisy Jones & The Six,” in which Reid plays with form and genre to write a documentary-style story about a fictional Fleetwood Mac-esque band., the band’s own version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” titled “Aurora” and their split. The world becomes most connected in “Malibu Rising,” which focuses on Riva, his first wife and their four children, who achieve fame in their own ways, and a legendary Malibu house party that literally goes up in flames. 

Reid manages to world-build in a way that is so grounded, it feels as though you could put down your books and turn on the version of “Little Women” that starred Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James, play “Regret Me” on repeat to feel Daisy’s pain through her raw vocals or check out one of Nina Riva’s magazine covers. The fact that I can’t do so is quite frustrating honestly, but with a “Daisy Jones & The Six” miniseries currently filming, I at least have that to look forward to. 

This isn’t the only Reid book that’s being adapted for the screens. Her books became so popular, that before “Malibu Rising” was even released earlier last year, Hulu purchased the rights to publish a miniseries adaptation. Another one of her books, 2016’s “One True Loves”  was made into a film set to be released sometime this year starring Phillipa Soo (“Hamilton”) and Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”). Needless to say, Reid is on fire, and for good reason.

Part of the reason her worldbuilding is so effective is because of her characters. I was able to instantly fall for many of her characters–or instantly hate others. Just saying, if Mick Riva were a real person, he’d have to watch his back. I think she does this best in “Malibu Rising,” which is why it’s my favorite of the three. 

Like “Evelyn Hugo,” “Malibu Rising” has multiple timelines that Reid alternates between. As she takes you through the events of the Riva party on August 27, 1983, you’re also learning the history of the family and getting more insight into how they became the people they are when we first meet them. It would be easy for Reid to fall into a trap with this–for the reader to prefer one timeline over another or wish that she’d just stick to one–but she handles both so well that I practically devoured the book. I just wanted to find out as much as I could about the Rivas, how the fire started and what the aftermath was. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it, but the twists absolutely blew me away.

While “Malibu Rising” is strongest in its character development, “Evelyn Hugo” stands out for the romance at its core and the mystery that is Evelyn Hugo as a character, both to the reader and to Monique, the journalist she entrusts in telling her story. “Evelyn Hugo” is one of Book-Tok’s most talked-about hits, and I think it deserves all the hype it gets. Evelyn is complex, and her relationships are beautiful and heartbreaking, particularly the ones she had with her self-proclaimed wife, Celia, and her fifth husband and father of her child, Harry Cameron, are beautiful and heartbreaking. Reid also does a great job at making her own Hollywood history that flows throughout her subsequent releases. 

“Daisy Jones & The Six” is most remarkable for how unique its writing style is, with the story unfolding through a series of interviews conducted for a documentary years after the band’s breakup. This means everything written is essentially dialogue, and the fact that the characters often have differing points of views and opinions with time also altering their memories, makes for comedy as well as conflict. Reid also wrote lyrics for the entire “Aurora” album, which are shown at the back of the book, and I can’t wait to hear the recorded versions of these songs from the upcoming miniseries’ cast members Riley Keough (“Zola”) and Sam Claflin (“Love Rosie,” “The Hunger Games” series). 

Reid is currently working on her fourth and final book in what The New York Times defined as a “quartet” on women and fame, and I will definitely be pre-ordering it as soon as possible. It’s Taylor Jenkins Reid’s world, and I only wish I could truly live in it.