Imagine you take a quick trip on a time machine and end up in the era of bell-bottoms, disco balls, Studio 54, and pet rocks. That is what it feels like to read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel, Daisy Jones and the Six. Reid writes in a way that melts readers right into the story. Daisy Jones and the Six is uniquely written in an interview format. The story is a far out interview about a legendary fictional rock band from the 1970s. Each band member takes turns answering questions and telling their side of the story of what they experienced on tour in 1974.
At the beginning of the story, readers are immersed into the story to learn about the band members and how they established the band, The Six. The six band members are Billy Dunne (lead singer), Graham Dunne (lead guitar), Warren Rhodes (drummer), Pete Lovin, (bassist), Eddie Loving (guitarist), and Karen Sirko (keyboardist). Daisy Jones joins the band later on in the novel. After Reid introduces all the characters through a format of a fictionalized interview, the plot falls short. As a reader, it was rather complex to keep track of all the characters and follow the sporadic flow of the storyline. The storyline itself was disappointingly anticlimactic, and the characters lacked any raw substance and little to no character development.
As a seventies rock enthusiast myself, the summary of the book captivated me. While the inspiration for the book is supposedly based on one of the greatest 70s rock bands of all time, Fleetwood Mac, there is no mention of that band throughout the entirety of the novel. The book may have felt more realistic if the author incorporated more elements of the Los Angeles culture of the 1970s. This novel includes sex, drugs, rock n roll, abortion, and dissent with the establishment, and how these issues affect the interpersonal relationships between the band members. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s clever interview format narrative style was unlike anything I had read before. Out of 5 stars, it deserves a 3.5 because of the unique writing style and the homage to the 1970s. It was the inadequate character development and scattered plotlines that contributed to the less than stellar review. Daisy Jones and the Six is an underwhelming story told through an interview format about a fictional rock band from the 1970s.
Recently, Daisy Jones and the Six announced the televised adaptation of the book coming to Amazon Prime in March 2023. Watch the show and see Daisy Jones, Billy, Warren, Graham, Pete, Eddie, and Karen jam out on your television screen. Stay groovy and read a book.