When the story opens, Nina, a famous model and surfer, who lives in Malibu, has hardly accepted that her husband Brandon, an accomplished tennis star, has left her for another woman. Together, they purchased a big beautiful house in Malibu where they have thrown yearly parties for all their friends and acquaintances. She is the lone host of the party this year, and the entire novel takes place on the day of that extravaganza. While preparing for the party and welcoming guests, many asides explain Nina’s upbringing and family history.
Nina has two brothers and a sister. Jay is a well-known surfer. Hud is a photographer, and Kit is her baby sister. Their father, Mick Riva, is a renowned singer who abandoned their mother, June, when they were young. June turned to substance abuse while raising her children, and Nina did lots of mothering in her place. We learn much about these siblings’ connectedness and their rivalries and struggles through the characters and their significant others. Their prominent social status, fame, and wealth account for many dynamics of their intrarelationships.
Some reviewers of this book classify it as social satire, and perhaps it is. Still, I think it is more a statement about superficial vs. genuine relationships regardless of social strata. The main story boils down to the adage that money can’t buy love, and irrespective of how wealthy one might be, having loving parents matters more. There is a police scene that certainly comes across as satire. Yet, most plot points brought to mind the rich and famous lifestyles with highlights of extravagance, infidelity, drug culture, body images, and dysfunction.
