daisy jones and the six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Fifteenth book of 2020

Reading period: Jan 30th 2020 – Mar 14th 2020

Summary

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six: The band’s album Aurora came to define the rock ‘n’ roll era of the late seventies, and an entire generation of girls wanted to grow up to be Daisy. But no one knows the reason behind the group’s split on the night of their final concert at Chicago Stadium on July 12, 1979 . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ‘n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

Rating (3.75/5)

Review

I started to listen to the book on audiobook as I heard that was an excellent way to be immersed in it, but I prefer to read it with the physical book. My problem with the audiobook was that I failed to remember who was who because I couldn’t distinguish the voices.

I like the story in itself. The band feels so real that sometimes you forget that it’s just fiction and want to listen to the album while you are reading. The description of the seventies is remarkable. You mainly see it through the eyes and the senses of the characters and the interview format of the book helps to transcribe that. Sometimes you can feel the maelstrom they are living in.

Nevertheless, I was not fond of any of the characters, especially of Daisy and Billy so I struggle sometimes and find some parts too slow. Although I know that without them, the story wouldn’t have been the same, so I accept them.

Liz.