Malibu Burns

by Mark Richardson

Near-future San Francisco is a dark world where reality is changeable and different dimensions overlap.

Teen Malibu Makimura discovers she can feel people’s emotions, and senses an ominous voice growing inside her. She lands a job at a women’s nightclub drawing surrealist caricatures. One night while drawing a portrait, she feels a sinister emotion projected by a woman named Luciana, who invites Malibu to her Presidio Heights mansion.

There, she makes a peculiar request - and Malibu agrees. With each following act the evil inside her grows, and Malibu begins to wonder if she will ever be in control again… or if she even wants to be.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2022

About the author

Mark Richardson is the author of the novels Malibu Burns, The Sun Casts No Shadow, and Hunt for the Troll.

His short stories have appeared in numerous crime and literary publications, including Hobart, Fugue, Segue, Crime Factory, Switchback, and Nth Position.

Born in the Chicago area, he graduated from the University of Iowa, and promptly escaped the midwestern winters for sunny California, first living in Los Angeles and then San Francisco. He spent thirty years working as a writer and marketer for tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Mark now lives in the East Bay with his wife, two children, and the world’s cutest dog. He spends his time writing fiction, obsessing about the Chicago Cubs, attending his daughter’s softball games, and reading stacks of books. He loves genre-bending fiction, especially speculative writing with a noir flavor. In 2019, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and supports the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Reviews

[Brittny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge fan of this book! Mark Richardson has managed to create a dystopian near-future that feels both fictional enough to escape into, and real enough to be thinking about.

Malibu and Luciana's story has a super noir feel to it, without being overdone or trite. I feel that's a risk with any book that describes itself as such, but Mark nailed it. It's very urban fantasy, but not what I'd call teen angst/YA fiction. The relationship between Malibu and Max is, in my opinion, one of the real attention grabbers of the story, and that's all I can say on that without giving anything away!

This book WILL keep you guessing, and is an eye opening look into the mind of an author who clearly has a lot to say. Once you've read it, I'd love to know if you think of Malibu as the heroine...or the antiheroine?

I can't wait to pick up The Sun Casts No Shadow next!

[TheBookDude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a dystopian Near-future San Francisco, Malibu Burns is the story of Malibu Makimura, a teenaged artist who can literally feel other peoples’ emotions. The plot is pretty dark, and the world is pretty grim, but the author avoids it being too heavy through his relatively light style.

I will admit that initially I wasn’t sure if it would be for me, not due to anything poorly done in the early pages, it just took a while to draw me in. But draw me in it did. And I will say that was largely due to the characters, most notably Malibu and the mysterious Luciana.

The writing is professional. Just nicely done prose, nothing overly fancy or amazing, but very nice and clear in a get the job done kind of way. All in all its a sold dark thriller with some great characters and cool and unique fantastical elements that are believable enough for it just to seem like a real future world rather than an unrealistic fantasy one.

4 stars - recommended for those looking for some futuristic crime noir. Thanks to TWR for providing me with a copy

[Kristy Kloster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson is billed as a dystopian thriller, and it is exactly that. Nice allotment of the story dedicated to building a West Coast world 20+ years into the future. Do you like San Francisco cultural? You wouldn't recognize the streets here, though the author manages to lend a strong nostalgic for early 21st Century cultural and so it is compelling. I couldn't predict anything coming, and that's because this isn't a formulaic thriller. Madcap bonkers, super intense emotion feeler teenage protag — holy crap she is a trip. She takes on a job that apparently, because if her emotional sensitivity ESP, progressively makes her evil. I couldn't help but nearly yell at her to stop being a puppet, she didn’t have to keep following Luciana!

Malibu Burns gets 5 stars from me because it made me talk to my Kindle.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not think I have ever read a book like this. It was descriptive and emotional. When Malibu heard the cottages, you could feel the emotion they were trying to convey. Malibu understood their message and was only to happy to oblige. She even had people to help her complete each mission. The only problem was, Malibu started to lose control. So many message came from this book. One was how to allow your inner self to come through. Another was the despair of mental illness and not being able to recognize the signs. The final one, what a terrible future this book portrayed. The cliffhanger only made me want to read a second book, if there is another book. Definitely reader recommend.

[Tracy Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richardson is a master at this genre - Noir with a heavy dose of magical realism. Malibu Burns is imaginative and quirky with clean, clear prose set in a dystopian near future San Franisco. I both rooted for Malibu and felt repelled by her which I imagine was the author's intention. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson delivers neo noir crime fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity. It takes place in near-future San Francisco where teen Malibu Makimura stands at the cusp of a life changed forever when she realizes she can sense her father’s thoughts. He leaves his family to pursue his “gifts” and research. Soon after, her mother takes her life leaving Malibu an orphan. The plot follows the journey of this young woman as she tries to survive in a dark world where dimensions overlap and reality is a variable. She discovers she can feel people’s emotions but it does little to help keep a roof over her head.

She finds a place to live in the seedy part of town and lands a job drawing caricatures at a women’s nightclub while trying to ignore a portentous black-hearted voice growing inside her. One night, while creating a caricature she senses a sinister emotion projected by an older, well-put-together woman dressed in a leopard print dress. She learns the woman’s name is Luciana and is warned to steer clear of her by the bartender, but when she is invited to the woman’s Presidio Heights mansion she decides to go. The woman offers Malibu a peculiar criminal opportunity, the girl accepts and the evil inside her grows. Malibu thinks she can control it, but soon finds herself wondering if she will ever be in control of her life again! And on a base level, she is not sure she wants to be.

Richardson sets the grim, gritty, and matter-of-fact tone in the first few pages and does an impressive job with his dystopian worldbuilding. The backdrop is futuristic, fantastically surreal, realistic enough to believe, and at times horror-worthy. It makes sense like a bad dream that scares you but you want to still know what happens. This tactic works well with Malibu’s mental state as she juggles her allegiance to the authoritative Luciana with her own better judgment, while the sinister voice grows more frequent and dominant.
Malibu Burns is a highly entertaining noir thriller like few others with excellent pacing, an unpredictable story, with complex characters. I recommend this book to people who enjoy the sinister feel of the noir crime genre. Think of The Arrangement by Robyn Harding. A fast-moving engrossing read, though it did take me a few chapters to get into the mind-bending direction of overlapping dimensions and changing realities, then I was hooked. My one word of caution is that there is explicit sexual content sprinkled here and there that is necessary to the development of the story.

As Book Hookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received this book as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with BookTasters.

[Timothy Dorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Non-Stop, Futuristic Story

I enjoyed the futuristic story of Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson. Deep into a lot nostalgia of the west coast and San Francisco, the author uses great descriptive writing to help the reader to understand the complicated life of the drawing artist and protagonist, Malibu Burns, along with some other usage of other famous writings (Moby Dick) and the one facet of the story belonging to a song from the Beatles White Album and added to that, many other references to well-known movies. And, the author’s unique way of using the island of Alcatraz in the future, added another nice touch in the story.

Some terrific characters with superb descriptions -- Luciana with her constant checking of Malibu’s art work, The Engineer who hands out the instructions for her dastardly deeds, The Chairman who leads all and was a great name for the story, her mother and father who leave and return at important times in the story, and Oppenheimer’s love of music (a play on Robert?), plus Prudence who takes on all of Malibu’s advances to the 9th degree. All of them come into participate in big parts of the book. I loved the role of Max in the story, especially his out of the norm attitude and sometimes carefree words with Malibu.

I gave the author a rating of 4 due to the over usage of pronouns and names at the beginning of sentences. And, some of the structure could have been grouped with language that helped the reader more with the theme of each paragraph. Maybe, future writings of Mr. Richardson can mix up some of the sentence leadoffs and paragraph organization. But, all in all, a fascinating story of the west built in the future that kept my attention during the entire novel.

[Theartsyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malibu Burns is futuristic, grim, and quite dystopian. Not just story-wise – the author does a great job portraying that in the narration as well. What I liked a lot was the mixture of dystopian and horror elements and the feeling that it all still could be realistic enough to be real – it all had a bit of a ‘dream-verging-on-nightmare’ feeling to it.

What I didn’t like as much was that the chapters varied in length so much. Some were super long and felt endless, others were only a few pages long. While I prefer short chapters, a clearer structure going either route would have been great. I also felt like – while the book itself did a great job emitting the right tone for the setting – the writing and wording didn’t always feel fully polished.

However, I loved the fast pacing and the fact that the story was so different, so unpredictable and unique, and that I wanted to keep on reading every time I picked it up again. The characters are one-of-a-kind and complex, something I find very important in a good book.

Highly recommended to those who love dark thrillers and futuristic dystopias, and to those who like to keep guessing in a book.

(I read this as part of a blog tour. Neither my spot on the tour nor the ebook I received influenced my review in any way.)

For my full review head over to my blog:

https://theartsyreader.com/book-revie...

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of Mark Richardson’s Malibu Burns, we’re introduced to Malibu herself, the young protagonist. Immediately, it’s clear that she is both tenacious and skilled, as despite her youth, her determination has enabled her to secure a position as an artist in a nightclub, supported by both her artist ability and her unique 'gift' of being able to feel other people’s emotions and commit them to the page.

It’s also made clear to the reader that Malibu is vulnerable – in part because of the simple fact that she is young and mostly alone in a dark, seemingly unknowable city, but also because of that selfsame ability that has been the root of Malibu’s success. It turns out that Malibu is vulnerable not only to powerful emotions, but also to the influence of external supernatural forces, irrespective of their intentions.

It begins with a voice, whispering dangerous, terrifying things – and what follows is a dark tale of Malibu’s slow, inexorable corruption.

Readers familiar with Richardson’s other novels will probably be familiar with – and likely fans of – the grim, noir-esque settings that Richardson depicts so well. In Malibu Burns, the combination of elements of dystopia and of noir are particularly effective, establishing a rich, vivid setting in which future-leaning elements such as self-driving cars (with personalities) and the reality of being subjected to constant surveillance sit comfortably alongside the enmeshing of sex and death emblematic of noir fiction.

The setting also establishes a clear sense of danger: while Malibu is accustomed to living and working in the city, it is far from a safe environment. As well as the fact that her level of experience isn't sufficient to safeguard her from harm, there will always be shadowy figures lurking just out of sight, waiting for an opportunity to sweep in and take advantage of Malibu’s relative naïvety for their own ends.

The result: an immersive reading experience in which excitement about the outcome of the novel is matched with enjoyable unease as to the picture painted by Richardson’s prose.

Progress through the novel brings a growing sense of doom that contributes positively to the reading experience. Having some sense of the type of ending that is to come doesn’t preclude the reader from being surprised by the twists and turns – and Malibu Burns is enriched with many such twists and turns. 

Further, the arguable inevitability also contributes to a sense of resignation about the world in which Malibu lives, as well as the fact that the odds are well and truly stacked against her, which in turn may increase the reader’s empathy for her fate.

Malibu, the young main character, naturally garners sympathy. She's young and largely alone – she has few friends, no social groups, and no family. She is also, understandably, preoccupied with the past, often spending time (and credits) on reliving old memories of her and her parents. It’s easy to draw a comparison to another character who appears briefly in similar environments – an older man, drained, who seems to live solely for the opportunity to lose himself in memory, utterly disconnected from the world moving on around him – and to worry for the trajectory of Malibu’s life as well.

Malibu is also arguably isolated because of her chosen profession, as she lives a life separate from both other employees of the club and from people uninvolved in that environment. Without a support network, the vulnerability inherent in her youth and social isolation is compounded.

While there are minor characters who are friendly to Malibu, their influence is overshadowed by the character of Luciana. At first an intimidating but unknown figure, Luciana gradually dominates the narrative, drawing Malibu inexorably into her dark orbit.

Both Luciana and Malibu are fascinating characters. At first, they appear to be opposites – but those dividing lines steadily blur, and with it, the reader’s response to Malibu. Pairing that with the sense of inevitability mentioned earlier, and you have an interesting reading experience that arguably calls into question the reader’s biases and expectations.

One of my favourite themes of Malibu Burns is the preoccupation with the mind, and what the tenor of a person’s thoughts might suggest about that person. It’s notable that Malibu is one of many people in the city who spends money and time on reliving old memories, as well as the fact that one of her friends is a film buff who operates an old cinema devoted to showing pornographic films to its devoted clientele, two opportunities for escapism.

Additionally, the first piece of evidence that Malibu is in danger, and clear indication of the thematic tone of the novel and setting, are the violent impulses that she perceives through her ability. The thoughts themselves are not inherently dangerous, but a clear pipeline is delineated between them and the actions they give rise to.

Another one of my favourite themes – and a theme common to novels set in futuristic settings – is its consideration of humanity, and what constitutes it. In an world in which the progression of technology is blurring those lines, philosophical questions undoubtedly arise – and have no easy answer.

To round up, I really enjoyed Mark Richardson’s Malibu Burns. I loved the grim, noir-esque setting and the futuristic elements (though of course never want to visit). I also thought the characters were expertly depicted, with even minor characters given a distinct, realistic personality. Finally, I thought Richardson’s evocative, intense prose was a really good fit for the tone of this novel and its plot.

It is the case that the ending of the novel is somewhat predictable, which may not suit readers that prefer a surprising conclusion. However, I found the creeping sense of inevitability and attendant resignation contributed to rather than detracted from the reading experience.

Malibu Burns is likely to appeal to fans of Mark Richardson’s other books, as well as to readers of science fiction that asks philosophical questions and meditates on the nature of humanity.

Read other reviews on my blog.

[Amys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story!

Mark Richardson writes a dystopian noir tale with Malibu Burns. Malibu Burns is not just the title of the book, she's the protagonist with exceptional skills. What a hidden gem. I've read Richardson's work before, and he is a great storyteller. This story really shows his talents and imagination, as he introduces Malibu to the readers. She's like an empath, where she can feel other’s feelings. She is quite the artist, drawing caricatures at a nightclub. Her inherent talents can lead her into trouble. She's aware of herself, and though she is still discovering her talents, she's a strong character. I like the dark world, so noir-like that Richardson created, and the feeling of that darkness jump off the page. Not everything is black and white, though. Sometimes you have to read between the lines or surrealistic imagery. I'm a big fan of this author! If you love a good noir, this book should be next on your list. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! Malibu Burns is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book source ~ Tour

Malibu Makimura is a teenager alone in a world that is dark, bleak, and often dangerous. She’s drawing surrealist caricatures for patrons of a women’s nightclub when a meeting changes the course of her life. But is it for the better? Or worse?

This is a mind-bender of a story. Malibu had an easy life until she turned 16. Everything falls apart after that. I’m just going to outright say it - her dad is a complete dickhole. Anyway, Malibu develops this talent(?) of reading her dad’s mind, but over time it evolves into something else. Something I believe is not good for Malibu. What it is, I have no idea. I couldn’t fully wrap my head around the story. I’m sure I just didn’t grasp the significance of it and that’s on me. But I also don’t care for the jumping around of timelines and sometimes the writing just feels off. However, overall this is a fascinating look into a future I’m 100% sure I want no part of.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty noir/dystopian story that had a great mix of current day techy stuff and dystopian futuristic ideas for me to think Huh that could actually happen. I have been in SF enough to be able to know the locations and the grittiness of some of the descriptions. Great story between Malibu and Max. Reading the last chapter I thought for sure it was going to go in another direction. Really good read and I thought about the book when I was away from it. Very much enjoyed this and was pleasantly surprised as it's not my usual genre. I want to read Hunt for the Troll because I enjoyed this one so much. Thank you to the author for a copy of the book.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Mark for sharing your work!
***
Where to start? This was not what I was expecting - in a good way. I have to admit the start did not hook me in, but as everything grew in the description, meeting new characters, and learning slowly about them as the plot unwinds, it was a slow burn for me. I love the premise and how it fits so nicely into the dystopian niche.

The characters. I can't get enough of Malibu and Max. Love it. Also, Luciana is intriguing, noir in the classy way and pretty much the reason I finished the book.

[Jarrod Scarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun dystopian read! It is the story of a young lady named Malibu who lives in near future San Francisco. Malibu is coming to terms with being an empath, while trying to keep from becoming homeless. She is offered a lot of money by a strange woman to do some strange things. As she does the jobs, a darkness inside of her starts to take over, and she slowly relents! Full of twists and turns, this short tale is sure to keep you entertained!

[Greg Bardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Richardson writes spare, sharp and unapologetic prose, and he tells about broken people in broken places. With MALIBU BURNS, Richardson introduces us to an unforgettable character as he takes us on yet another engrossing and original journey.

[Jennifer Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Richardson book I’ve read (I also read The Sun Casts No Shadow), so I somewhat knew what to expect. It’s a well-written, noir-ish, somewhat quirky book, with a dash of dystopia tossed in. It’s like a stew containing a mix of flavors that combine to make something delightful. I loved it! I particularly liked the relationship between Malibu and Max.

[Julie Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers: Sometimes with a Science Fiction novel, the fact that it's set in the future is merely incidental. That is the case with Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson.


Richardson's previous books were more about world building. The Sun Casts No Shadow takes place in a futuristic world that has fantasy creatures like nymphs, dwarves, and anthropomorphic animals. The Hunt for the Troll is set primarily in the world of cyberspace where characters are hunting an Internet troll who might also be a magic troll from legends. These books are intrinsic in their setting and world building, what goes on outside affects those within.

That is not necessarily the case for Malibu Burns.


There are some tropes that are evident to reveal the tech heavy world of 2040s San Francisco in this novel. No one owns a personal vehicle and all drivers are AI. Police officers are paired in human-android teams. The Internet is outlawed. Sea levels have risen to astronomical heights and environmental changes are present. Historic landmarks such as Alcatraz have become casinos.

Most of the external is less important than the internal, of what goes inside the head of its lead protagonist, Malibu Makimura.


Malibu is psychic and empathic, able to read thoughts and emotions. She works as a caricaturist in a nightclub. While working, she meets a mysterious man named Max. He says that Luciana, the very wealthy woman that he works for, would like to meet her. Malibu is then sent to Luciana's Presidio Heights mansion. The wealthy seductive eccentric wants to hire Malibu to burn down old cottages and Malibu gets to pick them. It's illegal but Luciana points out that the cops won't care. Malibu will be well paid and if she suffers any guilt, don't worry about it. Some places want to die.


This book focuses less on plot and larger questions than it does on character and excels at that. Malibu is a great lead with a rich interior life that Richardson explores.

Malibu's past was not an easy one and helped shape her into the troubled woman that she is. Her father was obsessed with expanding his mind through LSD and then testing Malibu's abilities to the point of sharing thoughts with her. Then he abandons his family for another woman, leaving his wife to commit suicide and his daughter to be institutionalized.


Malibu's institutionalization isolates and infantilizes Malibu but it is instrumental in her artistic pursuits. She makes an abstract portrait of a fellow inmate, capturing his soul instead of his face. Upon her release, she continues painting caricatures of people's souls such as a seemingly quiet pleasant woman holding a knife. (She says it looks just fine.) Because of her time in her own mind and the intrusive thoughts that Malibu hears in her own head, she is more interested in what's inside other's minds and souls than their appearances.


That's why her caricature portraits are abstracts. It's her own way of continuing the experiments on her of exploring someone else's consciousness. It is an outlet to channel her confusion, depression, and frustration with the world around her and the abilities that isolate her.


Another safety net is her love of movies, particularly from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Many of the situations in which Malibu finds herself in parallel her situations in this life. She watches Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and later she is caught in memories and thoughts that she isn't sure whether they are real or created outside of her. She sees Vertigo and has an affair with a woman, whom she is passionately in love with but can't trust. She compares Max to Max Von Mayerling, Erich Von Stroheim in the movie, Sunset Boulevard because of his physical similarity to the butler in the film and also because he works for a wealthy eccentric. No points in guessing who his employer Luciana is similar to in Sunset Boulevard.


In fact, Malibu's fondness for movies could be less of an escape than it is another sign of a troubled mind. Many of the situations that she finds herself in are so close to her favorite movies that it could be coincidences, hallucinations of a troubled mind struggling with their sanity, or evidence that Malibu is somehow controlling the world around her.


The longer Malibu remains working for Luciana, the weaker her grip is on reality. When she finds the cottages, she hears voices telling her that they are in pain and want to die. With each cottage that gets burned, Malibu loses parts of herself becoming someone who craves danger and hurting others. Her darker impulses takes over until she becomes someone lost in her own insanity.


While many Science Fiction novels take their Readers through the outside world to see how it affects their characters. In Malibu Burns' case, we are taken inside a character's mind and perception to show she affects her world.

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malibu Burns is a book that gives a lot of feels and vibes but also feels as though it needs someone far superior with words and understanding of literature than myself to review it – but I shall do my best to convey how this book made me feel.
Malibu Burns made me feel like I was peeking – almost like a peep show – that I was meant to watch but in secret from a distance. At various interludes, Malibu views her life and events as though they are happening in the style of old movies but actually – this is how I felt reading this book. This book played like a film in my mind – everything brought to life through the writing style and gritty feeling to everything about the story. It really has a huge film noir vibe and manages to balance a sexy, classy feeling with a very dark and gritty feeling. The style of the book is very different from things I usually read, and the beginning of the story jumps around in time a little so it took me a good few chapters to settle into the style but, once I did – I was addicted.
Malibu Burns is set about 25 years in the future. It’s strange as there are many differences but some of these are subtle and so realistic. At times I forgot that I was reading a book set in a dystopian future and Malibu’s time and world felt very normal. Again, the writing style wasn’t overly descriptive but it was so easy to picture the scenes in my head. I literally watched my way through this book.
Malibu herself is a complex character. She shouldn’t be likable and has so many flaws, but I found myself drawn to her. I mostly wanted to take her home and give her stability and love as her teen life hadn’t been easy and her gift made her life very complicated. She had some despicable thoughts and ideas but it was difficult to not like her or become invested in her.
Malibu Burns is artistic and fascinating. It is not a complete version of Malibu’s story – almost like a snippet – but it really made me think about the events before and after. It made me think of David Lynch films – I always enjoy them but can never fully explain why.

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Malibu Burns
Author: Mark Richardson
Release Date: September 25th, 2022
Page Count: 288
Start Date: November 21st, 2022
Finish Date: December 2nd, 2022

Review:
Story: For those who read my reviews, it's very obvious that I choose to go into most books I read blindly. The ones I go into known are because somebody talked about them or I saw posts on social media. I don't really address the fact that I do like to go into books with theories. This is one of the books where my theory was so off base it blew my mind. I wasn't even in the right genre. My guess by the cover and the title was that this was a mystery or detective type. Probably set in a tropical era. This book gave me Girl Interrupted vibes. I read after the fact that this is a dystopian type book. I can totally see that. I really did enjoy the book very much. It's quirky and fun. It's hard not to get immersed in the book. Even if it's just to find out what more chaos will unfold through it all. I do want to note that this book covers mental illness and other potentially sensitive topics.
Characters: Malibu is our main character. The whole story is told from her point of view. She comes off as mentally unstable. Possibly has a touch of schizophrenia. She's definitely a pyro. There were a few other characters that had some pretty important parts. I feel like talking too much about them would spoil parts of the book.
Critiques: There were things that were glossed over that I really feel shouldn't have been. There were also parts that I feel really didn't need to be included.
Final Thoughts: I may have been completely off base about my theory. It's something that I will remember for a long time. I really did enjoy the book though. There were some very graphic and gory parts of the book. I can't say I was in love with the book, and I probably won't ever read it again. I don't regret reading it though, and I do strongly recommend it. I would advise you to read what the book is about before getting into it. There are parts that might not be okay for more sensitive readers.

[Raeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

And y’all know imma be honest hahaha

I don’t know what to say or even where to start. There were a lot of things I liked and a lot I didn’t like. Let’s start with the negative in real Raen fashion shall we!? I think my number one problem is the descriptions of BIPOC people are insensitive, stereotypical and need a lot of work. They were also all made to be “bad people or gross”. It really rubbed me the wrong way. Also a man writing a teenage girl in such a sexual way and the “sex” scenes somehow were laughably corny yet boring but also creepy and hard to read. The MCs name is also so fucking dumb. But alas I finished the damn thing. Took me a month+ but something kept pulling me back. Was it the same pull that took Malibu to the cottages idk!? Loved the pre apocalyptic vibe. The internet is banned, police partners consists of 1 robot and 1 “human”, extreme poverty and homelessness, constant surveillance, self driving cars and memory retrieval. Yikes. I loved how the apocalypse stuff was very Pluto in Aquarius. And our girl Malibu is a sort of juiced up “Empath” but in a way that’s not embarrassing. Numerology girlie M is obsessed with number 9 we love an Angel number babes! She also *eyeroll* loved the Beatles (another hate was all the John Lennon talk. Fuck that guy) and old movies but it’s 2050 with no internet can I blame her for being into the classics. lmaooo. Although Ivanka Trump makes an appearance and I hope she never becomes President for 3 terms in real life! Jeepers!! (In combo with the poor description of BIPOC I have a bad taste)
I’m super jealous of Malibu at the end. Most people will think I’m nuts but Hope I’m that lucky in the apocalypse hahaha. Some may think the ending was too easy but I personally enjoyed how we left off. You might like it I was just okay with it and I likely won’t recommend it to the majority but I’d read another book by the author.

[Booklover69 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to start by saying thank you to the author and write reads for my copy of Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson.

Malibu is a young woman who discovers she has an unusual talent. She can sense what other people are feeling, their emotions. Working as an artist in a dystopian San Francisco she is commissioned to paint a mysterious woman. Despite sensing something sinister about her she agrees to goto her mansion as sinister feelings and voices grow stronger within her.

Malibu herself tells the tale and I feel she is a pretty unreliable narrator(in a good way), she has a somewhat obscured but certainly troubled past involving parental suicide and abandonment. She is a loner relying her skills and wits to get by. I eellike the book was almost too short really, like the author had all these great ideas for characters and plot lines but left a lot of them hanging where really he could have expanded them more, for that reason feel the ending came a bit too soon and we could have had more.

It’s a good story, an interesting story, a somewhat unusual story, but also one that I feel falls just short of being a great story. The writing is OKAY - you will not be blown away, but neither should you be disappointed - it doesn’t get in the way of the story and that is the main thing.

Overall a good, solid book. If you feel like reading something a bit different and you see it at a good price you should pick it up.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprising evil

A dystopian tale set in not so far future where we meet Malibu, teen artist, with an extraordinary perception of other people's emotions. She is really talented, her portraits are unique. Her clients do like it. Then she is asked to meet someone in the Presidio
Posh mansion. Malibu meets Luciana at her Mansion. Before long she is given the jobs to be done. That takes her to San Francisco, while thinking she can do it, the evil feeling grips her. So she does what she she was told. A girl's who likes the old classics like Mobi Dick, the Beatles and old movies, Sunset Boulevard, surely she can't be so mixed up! Malibu is complex, not sure what she wants to be.

Suddenly she heard from her father. She ponders over the long letter, then off she goes to do the crime jobs for Luciana!! Malibu has many facets to her character, complex, yet without intention to mend. A more polished character is required to work Malibu.


Maybe in her next books she's a more likeable character.

[Leslie Erkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. It was a wild roller coaster ride that’s for sure.
This story is written very well and you get invested in the characters. I’m still not sure about the ending.
This noir dystopian story had some elements in it that could probably been left out and still been a stunning story that makes you think about it for a long time afterward.
All that said (which isn’t a lot I know, but don’t want to spoil your trip if you should go on it) this is probably not my cup of tea. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing, as it’s spectacular and weaves a tale for sure. This style probably just isn’t something I’d go looking for again. But if noir dystopian crazy train is your jam, you will not be disappointed!

[Lulu Ibarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a near future dystopian feel. It is a neo noir crime fiction. This world was fun to escape into.

We follow Malibu Makimura. She is able to sense her fathers thought. He leaves his family to understanding his gifts. Not to long after, her mother takes her own life and leaves Malibu and orphan. The plot follows her realizing she can sense people's emotions.

This thriller has great pacing and will keep you guessing on every page. This allows you to get into the authors mind. This is something I love in a book when I can understand how the author feels.

I gave a 4 star read due to the use of the same wording and repeating of statements. Something like this takes me out of the story. But other than that I think the story was unique and a fascinating story.

[catreads1997 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thankful to receive a copy of this book to review. I will start off my saying this is my first book by this author and his writing is very good. Personally I felt like I didn’t know what was happening most the time but maybe that was the point. The whole premise is that Malibu who is a girl who is able to feel peoples emotions but within herself she has a voice that calls to her to do things. Set in near future San Francisco where reality is changing and multiple dimensions overlap. The time is set up well and you can sense the changing but my brain couldn’t unpack all the deeper meaning I still feel kinda lost at what I just read but I still enjoyed reading it

[Carola Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first line of the book made me think about Oscar Wilde. Maybe I was conditioned to remember his writing because Malibu was drawing a portrait, but the whole rest of the book, although with Mark's own writing style, for me, has something of Oscar Wilde (or Oscar Wild meets the future.) ...This kind of introspective writing, less descriptive and more about feelings that I am so fond of. The place, San Francisco, where I've never been, always makes me remember art, music, literature... And now, also Malibu Makimura. As a hyper empath person, I was suddenly gripped by the story of this girl who can feel what people feel, which makes her very vulnerable at times, but it's also her strength. And the origin of many issues. It's when Malibu meets Luciana, though, that things get dark and the story becomes more and more interesting. I like the sci-fi elements and the cyberpunk futuristic vibe as well. It's rare to find dark dystopias and this is a great one! Very much recommended!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this for free, to review as part of a book tour with Black Tide Book Tours.


This was very entertaining to read. I liked Malibu a lot, and she made an impression on me. While some of her behaviour made her seem antagonistic, at the same time, I found her fun and endearing.


Something else that I found interesting was the fact that this book was set in the future, and not too distantly in the future, when we think about it. There were also references to some well-known public figures, which I enjoyed.


Thank you to the author and Black Tide Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Olivia Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warning from the jump: sexual content not suitable for (too) young readers. Dude, what?! What did I just read, seriously. I feel for Malibu because she's special and misunderstood by everyone. Really the only people that understand her want to use her, like that turd Luci whatever and her crew. They get Malbu involved in some shady business that gets more twisted and darker as the book goes. Which is really cool as far as books go, but I couldn't help being protective of my girl Malibu. (By the way, I'm getting a cat from a rescue shelter this weekend and she's a such a cute freak that I plan to name her Malibu!!!) The book is pretty good. I think 4.5 freaked out cat faces.

[Paula | pastbookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @henryroipr and the author for the #gifted copy!


•• R E V I E W ••
Well, isn’t this an interesting book. The book started off with a mysterious factor combined with a dark world and that really caught my attention. This story was a combination of noir and fantasy-dystopian and surprisingly enough, i didn’t mind the dystopian aspects. Throughout the story, the book had me guessing as to what is going to happen next. I was so caught in the story that I wasn’t even thinking of what was going to happen later on. I definitely recommend this book!

[Coffee Book Couch by Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

San Francisco, 2049 — the world is wildly different.

But some things never change, such as the trials and tribulations of young women. In this story, It's Malibu Burns (yes, that's her name and it's freaking awesome!).

Her dad wigged out and left. Her mom offed herself. At work one evening, she's offered a new, crazy job, and that's when things get interesting.

Confusing for a bit, but the writing was good enough hold my attention until I could make sense of everything.

It came together in the end, totally worth it.