Review: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Everybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.

From the moment Daisy walked barefoot on to the stage at the Whisky, she and the band were a sensation. Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They sold out arenas from coast to coast.

This is the story of their incredible rise: the desire, the rivalry - and the music.

Then, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones and the Six split up.

Nobody knew why. Until now...

I’ve seen so much hype for this book that I was actually nervous to read it! I went in knowing very little about it but I finished it utterly obsessed. In short, Daisy Jones and the Six is the story of the meteoric rise and fall of a fictional 70s pop/rock band. Fictional being the operative word, because I genuinely kept feeling the urge to look the band and their songs up on Spotify. That’s how realistic it felt to me. The book is in interview format with the characters, which I found a little jarring at first, but once I got into it, and figured out who was who, it flowed really well. Multiple points of view, including differing descriptions of the same events, really brought the band to life. The 70s spirit of ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ is well and truly depicted, and there’s a real sense of nostalgia for the era.

Daisy Jones of course is the star of the show. A beautiful yet deeply troubled individual who just seems to float through life. A true 70s sprite. ‘The Six’ are all unique individuals too with very different narrative voices. Warren made me laugh. Eddie made me roll my eyes. Graham was adorable. Karen was a true independent woman. Pete just wanted a quiet life. And Billy was Billy. The frontman. The showman. Hungry for success whilst struggling to keep his demons at bay.

Truly, I didn’t want this book to end. I was so immersed in the story and the era that I was left wanting more. This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and she has fast become one of my favourite authors!