Fiction Review: Daisy Jones and the Six

Given all the hype over the past few years, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I just read my first-ever Taylor Jenkins Reid book! Daisy Jones and the Six was one of those novels that didn't sound all that interesting to me, but I figured I should see what all the fuss was about. Much to my surprise, I found it incredibly propulsive and stayed up much too late each night reading it!

This novel is written as if it were an oral history of a famous rock band from the 1970's, with excerpts from interviews with the band members and others near them telling the story of their rise and abrupt ending. It starts with a teen girl named Daisy Jones in 1965 who seems to be on her way to becoming a professional groupie, hanging out with various musicians and immersing herself in the L.A. music (and drug) scene. Daisy has dreams of becoming a singer and songwriter, though she has no formal musical education. Meanwhile, across the U.S. in Pittsburgh, two brothers, Billy and Graham, start a rock band called the Dunne Brothers. Over the next six years, their band grows and some members change until eventually, there are six in the group, and they begin calling themselves The Six. They gradually grow and expand their reach, until they move to L.A. in 1973. They release a successful album, though their first tour ends with a catastrophe for Billy. Eventually, Daisy is paired with the Six for a song by their shared production company ... and then, a whole album. Daisy and Billy have an electric chemistry together, which comes across in their songwriting and duets, though Billy is committed to his wife and children. Daisy's drinking and drug use grow more and more out of control, as the group of seven goes out on tour. Abruptly, on July 12, 1979, Daisy Jones and the Six break up in the middle of a tour. This oral history, put together decades later, is meant to answer the questions of how the band rose to fame and why they eventually crashed.

That summary sounds pretty dull, even to me, but this book is full of life. I wasn't sure I'd like the interview style, but it makes the story feel real and dynamic, like you're there with the band and with Daisy when all of this happened. The lyrics to the songs on their hit album are even included at the end, and I turned to them again and again. It's a unique and very effective way to tell this story. The band themselves feel real, and the author says she took inspiration from Fleetwood Mac, which led me down an internet rabbit hole about them (one of my favorite bands). Reid does a great job of painting a picture of the era, especially the L.A. music scene. As I explained, I went into this book with low expectations, but the story and characters almost immediately grabbed me. It's told in such a compelling way that I had a hard time setting it down, telling myself, "just one more chapter ..." over and over. It feels authentic and immediate, filled with real emotions. I'm convinced; now I want to read more novels by Reid!

351 pages, Ballantine Books

Random House Audio (I read this in print, but the audio sounds amazing! Sample below)

A TV adaptation is coming to Amazon Prime on March 3, and I can't wait to see it!  Here's the very short trailer that was released so far, and a quick look from the Today Show that shows a bit more.

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, with an all-star cast of big name actors, and/or download it from Audible. This sounds great on audio! This sample gives you an idea of the oral history style.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

    

  

 

Or you can order Daisy Jones and the Six from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.