Book Review: Daisy Jones and the Six

The truth about Daisy Jones and the Six is that readers are either going to love this book or hate it. This stems primarily from two facts. First, the story format itself is a departure from most of the previous novels by Taylor Jenkins Reid, framing the story of Daisy Jones and the band The Six through interviews and media coverage instead of a full narrative. And second, these characters are living the lives of rock stars, complete with copious amounts of bad decisions, sexual encounters and consumption of alcohol and drugs, which means they’re not always likable or easy to root for. So, unsurprisingly, this novel has had the most polarizing reactions from many folks who have read (or attempted to read) it. 

Personally, I was apprehensive when I started Daisy Jones and the Six. Did I think I would ever be interested in a tell-all type story about a rock and roll band? Not at all. Did I fret over the fact that this might turn out like Reid’s last novel release did for me? A fair bit. But it surprised me, this novel, and in a good way. 

It helps, I suppose, that I decided to listen to the advice of many other readers and listen to the audiobook. With a full cast (one voice actor for each role) and the incorporation of music, it made for an extremely engaging listening experience. It also made it easier to find the interview format a little less impersonal, since each narrator was excellent at making their given character stand out from the rest using mere inflections or affectations. So, before I go on, I must agree with others before and tell you that if you do get the chance to read this one via audiobook, I would also highly recommend it. 

I will say that I never expected to be as invested in Daisy Jones and the Six as I was, and I am confident in the fact that this happened because of the characters. These characters are all wonderfully complex, as readers will discover while getting to know each person involved in this tale with every succeeding interview. Reid certainly spotlights the many fine, admirable strengths these folks have, but she also doesn’t hold back in revealing their weaknesses and the terrible choices that lead to terrible circumstances. The interview format, in my opinion, worked well for this purpose, as it offered a multi-faceted perspective on each individual (based solely on who was talking about them at any given time). It all comes together to be a group of character studies, and I certainly admire Reid’s chosen approach in the telling. It’s not always easy to read about their ups and their downs, but there is a raw honesty to the portrayal of the series of events that make up the story of one Daisy Jones and her time with the band The Six before everything all falls apart. 

Daisy Jones and the Six was compelling, challenging and different from most of what I read this year, and I savored every single scandalous, intriguing second of it. While it certainly will appeal to a more niche set of readers and it still hasn’t eclipsed former novels of Reid’s to become my favorite, I thought Daisy Jones and the Six was well-done and one of my favorite reading experiences of the year. 

Daisy Jones and the Six was released on March 5, 2019 by Ballantine Books.