Taylor Jenkins Reid - Daisy Jones and The Six

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid - Daisy Jones and The Six

5⭐

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Pages: 351

Format: Paperback

Publisher:  Hutchinson 

Date Published: 5th March 2019

 

Book Blurb: 

In 1979, Daisy Jones and The Six split up. Together, they had redefined the 70’s music scene, creating an iconic sound that rocked the world. Apart, they baffled a world that had hung on their every verse.

This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of the band’s rise to fame and their abrupt and infamous split. The following oral history is a compilation of interviews, emails, transcripts, and lyrics, all pertaining to the personal and professional lives of the members of the band The Six and singer Daisy Jones.

While I have aimed for a comprehensive and exhaustive approach, I must acknowledge that full and complete accounts from all parties involved has proved impossible. Some people were easier to track down than others, some were more willing to talk than others, and some, unfortunately, have passed on.

All of which is to say that while this is the first and only authorised account from all represented perspectives, it should be noted that, in matters both big and small, reasonable people disagree.

The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle.

My Review: 

Honestly! What a book! It is definitely my second favourite TJR book, after Carrie Soto. I loved TJR's writing and character portrayal. It felt like I was reading a biography of a real band and not a fictional one. The writing style and the fact that the book is set like a documentary interview is just brilliant. It makes each of the characters sound so authentic and the story more real.

The book follows Daisy Jones the ‘It Girl’ of the 60s and 70s. She has a beautiful voice, her looks are mesmerising and she is such a strong and fierce female taking over the LA glamour and life by storm. On the other hand, we have a band called The Six, led by Billy Dunne. The band slowly rose to fame in the late 60s and the beginning of the 70s. However, one day their producer decides that if he combines the talents of The Six and Daisy Jones, something legendary will come out. He wasn’t wrong! Daisy Jones and the Six came in with a storm in the late 70s, especially after their album Aurora sells millions and their Aurora tour sold out stadiums all across the world. To everyone’s surprise, the band calls quits just as their fame rose to the highest peaks and no one knows the reason why…Well until now…

I loved this book so much! Especially the way TJR managed to develop these characters in such a multi-dimensional way it felt that I am not only reading about a real band but also knowing those people my whole life. TJR also doesn’t shy in exploring toxic relationships as well as discusses and portrays drug/ alcohol abuse. This book is a fabulous character study of a group of complex, flawed, talented and famous people, who rose (and fell) from fame.

The only thing I wished this book had, is a stronger ending. For me, the actual ending felt a bit rushed and could have been done with extra few chapters. I also wanted more drama mixed in with all that character development and exploration, but even without the extra drama book was brilliant.

Overall: Definitely one of the top TJR books! Left me emotionally damaged for a few days and took me a while to recover. So many amazing topics and complex, yet flawed characters explored. I would like to listen to it on the audiobook too, as I heard it’s even more engrossing than reading the physical version. Now onto the TV show (and the rest of TJR books that I need to read). 

About the Author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. She lives in Los Angeles.

https://taylorjenkinsreid.com/