Initially I enjoyed this novel and found it progressed at a fair pace, but then I felt it began to get a bit repetitive with Caish's wealth and car obsession. Maybe it was deliberate, but it took me a long time to decide on Caish's gender.

Supposedly based on a true story - Malibu Motel is a depressing look into the downward spiral of a man that I could muster ZERO sympathy for. So after a while, I stopped reading. I didn't care, and couldn't read more of the main character's oblivious pathway thru life. Nope.
I provided this honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my copy of Malibu Motel by Chaunceton Bird.

Wow! What a read! What an ending!

I don't believe I've ever read a book that made me want to reach out to the main protagonist as much as this one. For the first part of the story we are introduced to Caish Calloway. (We never learn if Caish is a man or woman but for this review I'll go with male) Caish is rich, filthy stinking rich. He can afford the best things in life - the best cars, the big house in a prestigious post code, he gets invited to the best parties and he believes this is what life is all about - extravagance. He is rich beyond our imagination and actually his own too. We are led to believe that hard work and grit have afforded this lifestyle when in fact we find out Caish actually won the lottery - over 100 million! Suffice to say Caish has no way of understanding the enormity of this sum of money. He's not very savvy even though he believes he is. As you read you find that Caish is actually very naive. A few bad investments are made and we see the consequences of these bad decisions and the downward spiral they take Caish' s life. He talks about his dwindling bank balance but as long as he can keep up the payments on his houses and cars , the drugs ans women he'll be fine, his luck will change and he'll be on the up in no time but despite his best efforts we see his descent continue. He downsizes, offloads some cars and decides he is going to invest the remains of the winnings. He had made some good investments before on start up businesses, stocks and shares and he has a good feeling about Green Mountain. He decides to invest a colossal 35 million dollars however, the 'investment' is actually a scam and he loses it all. Now we see a whole different person emerge. One who has difficulty facing reality, one whose perception of happiness has changed. In Caish' s books money = happiness. We see his desperation to cling onto a life he clearly can't afford. We see his relationships dwindle with his so called friends. In all of this I really enjoyed the authors voice even though Caish' s thought process isn't rational you can't help but be taken on an emotional rollercoaster with him and when he is really down on his luck you really feel for poor chap. This is fantastic, thought provoking read that will remind you of the 7 sins mostly greed, ego and pride. An accomplished and well executed debut novel.

I both liked and hated this book. Caish is the most unlikeable, unrelateable character, and yet I found myself gripped to see what would happen next.
I particularly liked the gender-neutral language of the book. We have no idea what gender Caish and their lovers are, but it's done in such a subtle way that it doesn't interfere with the story at all.
Overall, this is a chronicle of an absolute dumpster fire of a life and it's hard to tear yourself away.

Not really my type of novel but a good read. It was harder to get through in spots, I think I expected more from the reviews. It is novel about the pitfalls of money!!

I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, I really enjoyed reading about the inexorable, yet unbelievable, decline of a morally-bankrupt lottery winner who steadfastly refuses to act remotely sensibly in the management of their finances. On the other, it absolutely infuriated me that the author chooses never to reveal the gender of the main character. Not because we desperately need to know it, but because the writing is often horribly clunky because of this inexplicable choice. For instance, try to describe what your sibling did this morning, without revealing their gender. Give them a generic name for starters, and now you'll have to do the same with their partners, or you could reveal gender through assumptions of sexual preference. So ‘Logan turns to logan’s spouse, Kennedy, and asks Kennedy what Kennedy wants Logan to make for lunch.’ And for what? Why can’t we know that Logan is a woman and so is Kennedy? Or some other combination? One review suggested it’s so we can believe that the hubris and ensuing downfall could happen to anyone. Well, firstly I think reading about something happening to a man doesn’t make readers assume that thing couldn’t happen to a woman. And secondly, this downfall couldn’t happen to anyone. It’s based on an outrageous true story for that very reason!
That being said, I just totally assumed Caish was male because they used to be a mechanic, were obsessed with cars since childhood, paid for sex regularly despite being an attractive millionaire and was a completely absent parent, none of which are statistically-likely female traits.

Overlook this gender-based coyness, and the pointless collection of documentation at the end, and read it the way you watch car crash TV, peeking through your fingers and making audible gasps at the crazy decisions made by a deluded fool-it’s practically Shakespearean!

WOW - what an incredible tale! I was totally fascinated with Malibu Motel, the story of a young man's demise as the result of his poor decisions regarding money, sex, and drugs. I read this book in record speed - it was well written, exciting, and ultimately gut-wrenching.

Potential readers should be aware that this story is painful if they have now or have ever had a loved one with an uncontrollable drug abuse problem.

In Malibu Motel we are introduced to Caish Calloway who left home and family and landed in Los Angeles where he knew he would make it big. Not for him the budding celebrity/actor/musician route – no, his route was to win the lottery and this became his mission. Against all odds he won and he won big, over $100 million. Caish was where he deserved to be: a fantastic house, a fabulous car collection and a Jackson Pollock on his walls. He had a huge staff to keep everything just so, he ate out 3 times a day – never used his kitchen, and he spent a small fortune on his lifestyle. His aspirations? A house in Monte Carlo and an even more fabulous car. He sneered at people who were less wealthy than himself – after all he was the elite, he was truly wealthy – super rich!

He found a quick route to Monte Carlo in an investment in Blue Mountain, recommended by an acquaintance and an introduction to Jamie and quick returns on his investment. What’s that saying? A fool and his money…. Even though Caish still has over $2 million and assets he does not pull in the reigns – he can make it all back. We witness his life disintegrate as he still considers himself able to make it back to the top. Where are all his ‘friends’ now?

At the outset of this sorry tale, I could not determine whether Caish was a man or a woman, the name is as ambiguous as the character and at this point, I am still not sure of the gender, but it matters not. We have an individual that is so seduced by money, serious money, that a mere $2 million doesn’t get it. His arrogance lets him believe that his superior intelligence, his entitlement is enough. He indulges himself if every way possible: drugs, alcohol, jewellery, clothes, cars, houses, everything and anything.

This was a fascinating read and I became so absorbed in it and so horrified that I believed it was almost too farfetched, just too unbelievable. Imagine my shock when it was clear that this was a true story (for the most part).

A great read, almost unbelievable.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I did not enjoy this book. I requested it thinking that it would be a study of lottery winners. What I got was a pitiful story about a total loser. I only like to see people like this win lotteries so I have someone to steal money from.

MALIBU MOTEL – Chaunceton Bird - 4/9/2019
The author has created one of the most despicable protagonists I have ever encountered in my long reading life. Caish Calloway is 100% invested in herself, especially her status as one of America’s wealthy elite, and considers those who work for a living lesser than. She won her money in the California state lottery, but in her eyes she believes she “earned” it by knowing how to play the lottery.

Chaunceton Bird is a true wordsmith and this book is worth reading just for the sake of feasting on the luscious language. The story is gripping from the first page and I read it in two sittings. Bird is unrelenting in his description of Caish’s selfishness, pomposity, self-indulgence, and extravagance. Hers is a life of too much everything – drugs, fancy cars, sex with strangers, and more-than-enough false friends. Too much of everything except self-awareness and responsibility.

After she is swindled out of most of her fortune, Caish begins a slide back to her pre-lottery win status. Instead of being content with the few million she has left, her conviction that she is entitled to everything the lottery winning gave her leads to a very dark place indeed. But she still reaches for a return to fortune and her “rightful” place of rich and privileged, even from her tiny room in Motel Malibu.

I don't see this story as a comment on the danger of winning the lottery and acquiring instant massive wealth, but on the self-destruction that can occur when people like Caish do not face reality. She never spent one second of her life, even before the lottery win, examining her own actions much less recognizing or taking any responsibility for their affect on others' lives. She was an easy target for swindlers precisely because she was so deficient in integrity.

This book is not what you want if you are looking for a touchy feely, heartwarming and uplifting read. But if you want to be enthralled by a character with unremitting self-centeredness and greed, who is not saved by romantic love or a come-to-Jesus moment, I am sure you will enjoy Motel Malibu as much as I did.

I was given a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.