Daisy Jones & The Six ~ Taylor Jenkins Reid

I have tried to write this review so many times but just can’t seem to find the right words for how I feel about this book. Last year I read another Taylor Jenkins Reid book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which was by far my favourite book of last year. I have a full review on that book also if you’d like to hear my thoughts. Annoyingly, I think my love for said book tainted my experience somewhat when it came to reading Daisy Jones & The Six. In my head, I thought because I loved ‘Evelyn Hugo’, her story and the way Reid writes that I would automatically have the same feelings for ‘Daisy Jones’. Unfortunately, for me, that was a silly assumption to make. In no way am I comparing the two books because they are completely different in their own right. But I will say that I enjoyed reading ‘Evelyn Hugo’ more but both books are beautiful in their own ways. I am going to try my best to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible but I know that the main things I want to talk about are to do with all the twists and turns along the way.

So, this book follows a 70s rock band named Daisy Jones & The Six who epitomize the main themes of the era. Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll. The beginning of the novel is almost in two separate narratives. We see both the lives of Daisy, Billy and the rest of The Six before they joined forces into this power band. Through this written oral history we see the ups and the downs whether that be from the drugs or relationships. We see how relationships can fall apart and what effects forbidden love had on such a renowned band of its times. What everyone wants to know is why they split? Why has no one spoken since their final concert at Chicago Stadium on July 12, 1979?

Going into this book, I believed and I think many others would also, that the band were real. Especially, from the author’s note at the beginning of the book. However, like ‘Evelyn Hugo’ this band is entirely fictitious.  Something I love about the way Taylor Jenkins Reid writes is that she makes you believe that these people were real and draws you into their lives. The way she writes her characters is unlike many I have read before. She makes you feel so much for these people you’ve never even met. I will burst the bubble. This band isn’t real but that doesn’t take anything away from the story and after doing a little digging some say that this band is loosely based on the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. 

The main thing I struggled with was the narrative structure of this book. Because it is an oral history the whole book is written in interview style from start to finish. Aside from the small scene settings here and there to bridge the gap of the time past. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the style of writing, I did, however, it was hard to keep track of who had said what because at times 7 or more people were talking. Throughout the book, you gain no input from the ‘author’ who has been collating all these interviews over the years. You don’t know who they are. Well, at least not till right at the end of the book. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read this yet but I was shocked by this revelation and once I had finished the book it made me view it in a completely different light. It made me look at the ways certain people spoke and how others spoke about certain people. It all sort of clicked into place after that point.

I will say although I didn’t enjoy this storyline as much, I was still invested in the characters and the heartbreak they all go through. Also, there were some characters, for example, Karen, who I loved but were hidden from the spotlight a little and I wished at times her parts weren’t brushed under the carpet as much. I think she was the main feminist of this book rather than Daisy who at times I found very frustrating and annoying. But who knows maybe that was all intended. Overall, I gave Daisy Jones & The Six a ⭐️️⭐️⭐️️⭐️ star rating and I am intrigued to make my way through the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s collection.

M🌸