Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins - Book Review

Ever wonder what it would be like to be the lead singer of a band at a time when rock and roll were at the height of its cultural power? Taylor Jenkins Reid turns that hypothetical into an engrossing story in her latest novel, Daisy Jones and the Six, which was a blockbuster hit upon its release in 2019.

Sort of a mockumentary in literary form; the book functions as the oral history of a band called The Six, and their erstwhile “guest” singer, Daisy Jones. The drama between the band members and their volatile personalities provides the book with much of its glorious engine as it tells an incredible story of love, jealousy, and making art during the turbulent 1970s. 

While the novel is bursting with vibrant and complex characters, Daisy Jones is at the heart of it all. A young girl growing up in L.A. during the 1960s, she hits the clubs on the Sunset Strip in search of cheap thrills and great music.

However, she soon grows confident enough to harness her own extraordinary powers as a vocalist, and she charms potential record agents and bandmates left and right. While ideally, she would like to make it out on her own, she is drawn into The Six, a band helmed by the handsome and withdrawn Billy Dunne. 

Eventually, Daisy joins the group to work on an album that will become one of the ultimate rock and roll classics. The album is absolutely groundbreaking, and it turns into the stuff of legend given the tremendous amount of drama swirling around the record. 

The novel is fast-paced, and each character has a clear, distinct voice of their own, which is no easy feat given that Reid has presented this story in the form of oral history. The compelling characters are a delight, and the author perfectly captures what it must feel like to create beautiful music with people you’re not sure you like, but respect on a profound level.

Any reader who has loved reading about real bands such as Fleetwood Mac, who were notorious for producing beautiful music despite hating each other, will get a kick out of Daisy Jones and the Six. Or, readers who want strong female characters to be front and center in their books will also have a hard time putting down this novel.