Daisy Jones & The Six chronicles the rise to superstardom of the fictional band that came to define rock 'n' roll in the late 1907s, as well as the troubles that subsequently led to the band splitting up seemingly overnight and its members never playing together again.
Going in, I was a little bit wary that I wouldn't connect with this story. I wasn't alive during the 1970s and rock 'n' roll isn't my preferred music genre, so I don't have much in common with the book's settings. But this is Taylor Jenkins Reid, so of course I was hooked right from the start.
Told via interview transcripts of band members and various friends and family, it reads like an intimate first person account. I know some readers felt this interview format made the book feel a bit impersonal, but it had the opposite effect for me. When you can see into so many characters, it automatically makes all them feel real and fleshed out, with their individual personalities, quirks, and baggage.
The story is raw and evocative, filled with sweet, complicated characters I can't help but connect with. There's complexity and nuance in the way Reid captures the relationships between the band members, each flawed in their own way. With their every success, I cheered for them. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what happens next.
For me, the only small letdown was the ending. To be fair, I can't quite separate out if my disappointment is just that I wish the band had stayed together forever, making music and being happy, instead of splitting up. I wanted certain things to happen with the story, but they obviously didn't, and that left me with an unfinished feeling.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the sort of author who can write about anything, even a topic that I have no interest in or knowledge of, and still make it riveting and poignant. Even though this is an account of a fictional group, I found myself wishing they were real so that I could bask some more in the magic of this band.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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