The format of this book made the story feel very real and believable. It felt like you should be able to go out and buy their record. Lots of drama, as one would expect. Very enjoyable read.

I received a free e-galley from netgalley.com.

Thanks @netgalley and @tjenkinsreid for my free copy of Daisy Jones and The Six.

So, I got this a while ago (before it was released 😬) and didn’t get around to reading it until now. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing so much and I felt a bunch of anxiety because everyone was loving the book and what if I read it and didn’t?
My fears were unfounded because I absolutely adored Daisy Jones and The Six! I took the hybrid approach as I read and listened to the book. I have to tell you the audio was amazing! It really brought the story to life and uh it was SO GOOD and so many quotable lines in this one.
I still think Evenly Hugo is my fav though.

Wow. Just wow. After Evelyn Hugo, I didn't think Taylor Jenkins Reid could possibly wow me any more. But... WOW. I've never read anything like Daisy Jones and the Six. This storyline, the way it's written, was SO SMART, so evocative. It's so much more than a story of sex, drugs and rock and roll but it is all of those things. It's art imitating life imitating art. It reads like a documentary, an episode of Behind The Music that follows the most intimate details of the band members and those involved with them at the time. 

Daisy Jones and the Six is brilliantly told through at least a dozen different characters' voices, all offering up their own perspective on the rise and fall of this rock band. It covers their struggles, their whirlwind romances, their addictions, their grief, their temptations and their lust... and, of course, their music. It was beautiful and devastating and I can't think of a story that twisted me up quite like this one did. I never wanted it to end but I was desperate to see where it would go. It literally had me in knots on every single page. How you can love these characters and hate these characters with equal measure and only want good things for them while simultaneously feeling wholly infuriated by their choices... it's such an emotional roller coaster, the true definition of ANGST, and it felt both authentic and ethereal all at once. 

If you have the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book, I can not recommend it enough. The narration is brilliant and perfect and it brings to life a story that already feels like a force of nature all by itself. I couldn't get enough of it. This is not a feel good story necessarily. It is gritty and raw... so raw that you come away feeling like you saw too much, like the veil of fame and success is there to protect you because what really goes on behind it is often so ugly and so twisty and so unbelievably complicated. But it's so very good. There is nothing like it. My heart was pummeled. I laughed. I felt sick. I was enraged and my heart ached and I was moved by these friendships and by what fame does to relationships and what can survive stardom and what can't. These characters are so vivid and unforgettable. The writing is NEXT LEVEL. The entire package is like NOTHING ELSE. It is supremely phenomenal and unequivocally one of the most searing storylines I've ever read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. I thought it was interesting how this book was set up, it remind me of a Rolling Stone interview. The characters had interesting dynamics. I enjoyed the story, but didn’t see all the hype the book is getting.

From the first page to the very last, this book had me hooked and dying for more. I loved the setting and the unique writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview concept and I think it really added a lot to the novel. I loved how real the characters seemed because they were so eloquently placed into real life settings with real bands and other famous people. There were multiple times that I had to remind myself that The Six were not actually a real band.

This novel is definitely a knock out win for Taylor Jenkins Reid and I would highly recommend it for book clubs or a good summer read. It will have you singing rock'n roll and wishing you were born in a different era. Thank you to Booksparks, Random House, and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4/5

amazing taylor can do no wrong i want to read everything she has ever written now it's incredible how she crafts stories in a way that makes me so happy and connect but tells a new and different story too she is a queen of our time

My co-blogger and I both read and enjoyed this book. To review it, we did an interview style asking and answering six questions we came up with relating to the book. Here is our review:

We love bringing everyone into a book and an author we love in a very astronomically different way. And that's what we're going to do. Katie and I both read this gem of a book so we decided to do things a little differently. Actually, we tried this little experiment before and if you want to read our first dual interview, go here.

Also, even if our answers are similar, we both didn't know what each other answered so how we both answer will surprise both you and us.

So here are our questions:

1. Who was your favorite character?

Ilena I don't really think I can answer this one without considering the pros and cons of all the characters. Of course, you would think that Daisy Jones is the main focal point. But because of the way the book is written, we really get the point of view from all of the characters. And when I really think about it, and as much as I appreciated Daisy Jones even though sometimes she wasn't that likable of a character, my favorite character ended up being Karen (who has a pretty interesting romantic relationship, which I won't spoil), but who honestly, I wanted to know so much more about and wouldn't mind reading a spin-off novella, if the inspiration ever hits Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Katie I'm hesitant to answer this question because I really appreciate the way that Taylor Jenkins Reid weaved her characters. She does an amazing job of making everyone feel very real with their flaws and everything. My first response would have to be Daisy, because she's a rather iconic woman, done so well. We all know a cool girl, with confidence and an invisible ability to pull people to them. However, I also loved Billy's complexity and the way he developed throughout the story.


2. What was your favorite relationship within the book?

Ilena Probable referring back to the last question, my favorite was Karen and Graham. I adored them so hard. Their relationship was so interesting, and not the typical dynamic you're used to seeing in a female/male relationship.

Katie I was totally rooting for Karen and Graham throughout the book.


3. What aspect of the book stood out to you the most and why?

Ilena I really enjoyed the format of the book. It was told in a transcript-like version. It caught me off guard even more because I didn't know that it was written that way going into the book. I thought it was going bother me but it really didn't - although I do think that I felt a little unconnected to the characters. But what I did find is that everyone had told their own version of events, which is so like real life.

Katie The format really stood out to me. I haven't encountered a book written like this before. With people talking like an interview format. There was so much in it that felt real because of this. There was a bit of unreliability, wondering who is telling the truth, and seeing the characters through other's eyes while simultaneously hearing the character's thoughts themselves. I sometimes enjoyed it, sometimes not so much, but it really stood out to me.


4. What kind of reader would you recommend this book to?

Ilena I'm a kid of the 80's and 90's so i really grew up with television programs like VH1's Behind the Music and Pop-Up Video, as well as MTV's Unplugged. If you never watched these shows, I highly recommend looking it up on YouTube so that you get a sense. For those who are bit younger, I would definitely recommend it to people who are curious as to what goes on behind the scene, and have an appreciation for, music groups. Personally, I was so interested in what happened with The Civil Wars (and even though I have my own theories, no one truly knows).

Katie I would recommend this to someone who loves getting to know characters. That loves complex characters and seeing the good and bad. I would also recommend this to anyone wanting something different, or someone who loves music.


5. If you could live in a different decade, which would you choose and why?

Ilena I would love to have lived either in the 1920's, right before the Depression really hit or sometime in the 60's and 70's, during the height of music, love, drugs, peace, and war - although it feels like we're living in sort of similar times, there were still things that people wouldn't have to worry about: such as social media, AIDS, and other major crisis we've had to deal with since.

Katie I feel drawn to the 1920s - what an era!


6. A song that reminds you of the book?

Ilena If I had to pick one song, I'd probably pick something from the 70's, sung by a woman but backed by a group of men, such as Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. My second, and really close second, would be When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin.

Katie The song that reminds me of this book is Remembering Sunday by All Time Low. If you go listen to this song, hang in there until the very end. To me, this song exudes some familiar themes from the book, a guy chasing a girl, a girl who is hard to reach, a desperation, a hope, a yearning for love, a resistance to love, and a relationship full of emotion.

I loved this book! I've read everything written by this author and loved all of her books. However, I surprised myself when I realized my favorites are The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and now Daisy Jones and the Six because I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction. Taylor Jenkins Reid has the unique talent of creating characters that feel unbelievably real - after reading Seven Husbands I wanted to turn on Netflix to watch an Evelyn Hugo movie because I was sure such a movie and such an actress actually existed in the past, and with Daisy Jones I wanted to listen to her records on Spotify as I was reading because I was sure her music was real. I felt connections to the characters despite them being larger than life celebrities because they were else very human in their problems and flaws. I can't say enough good things about Daisy Jones and the Six and Taylor Jenkins Reid! Excited to see what the upcoming Amazon series will look like! This is a must read and I will be talking it up with my customers at Barnes & Noble!

The whole time I was reading Daisy Jones and the Six, I was wishing that the album in the book was real! The author did an amazing job telling this story, and it played out like a movie in my mind. This has to be in my top 3 for this year. Incredibly done!

A fictionalized version of "Behind the Music" for a fictionalized band. This was a fun read and a great palate cleanser. The characters were believable as rock stars and this novel taps into everyone's fascination with behind the scenes stories.

I will recommend this romantic, nostalgic tale. I'm just not sure to whom. Perhaps although my coming of age was during the same historical period as Daisy's, I didn't feel a connection to the characters or their actions. The interview transcript vehicle was a clever move. However, sometimes the chorus of voices telling an event from individual perspectives added little. A pleasant read.

This book has received a lot of hype, which always makes me a little hesitant because the book doesn't always live up to the attention it's getting. In this case, however, the hype is real. Not being a huge music person I was more intrigued by the style of the novel, which is written as an oral history. Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to make me care about these characters and about their music and what happened to them in a way I really wasn't expecting. The format of the oran history is so clever and well done that it reads quickly, with urgency, and sincerity as though these really are real people. A very well written book, and definitely one to put on your list.

It is the 70's and Daisy Jones was a carefree young woman in Hollywood with absolutely nothing to lose. She loved to hit the bars and mingle with the bands. And the older she gets, the more one thing was becoming very clear. Daisy Jones could sing.

The Six is an up and coming band led by Billy Dunne. Billy has been fighting his demons for years but is willing to give up all of the partying for his wife, Camilla, and their young family. A savvy producer thinks that putting Daisy Jones with The Six will create an unprecedented sound. He was not wrong.

Almost immediately Billy and Daisy clash in explosive ways. Daisy hasn't met a drug she didn't like and is seldom sober. Billy sees in Daisy everything that he gave up when he got sober for his wife and family. Her life is what he covets and struggles with every day of his life. The closer they work together, the more Billy is drawn to her in a way that he never thought possible. And then abruptly it is over. The band falls apart while on tour, leaving the world questioning why. Did Billy fall off the wagon? Did he and Daisy make an epic mistake?

Rock-n-Roll biographies are the rage right now. Especially biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody. We are one week off of the Oscars where an actor playing one of the most famous frontmen won an Oscar. And there is an Elton John biopic getting a ton of buzz, right now. Daisy Jones & The Six is written as if it is one of those biographies, or even extended Rolling Stone article. Each member their part of the story in alternating voices. Sometimes it is only a few sentences and other times it is several pages long. It reads like a long interview, but you don't know who the interviewer is or what questions are being asked. Daisy was an enigmatic kind of character. You can't help but be drawn to her carefree personality, but her addictions make it tough to like her. Billy, on the other hand, seemed much more sympathetic. He had conquered his addictions for love. He was a bit of an ass at times, but I think that is a symptom of being a rockstar. As the reader, you start out wondering where the story was going, but it is nearly the end of the book before you get that "wow" moment. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Daisy Jones and The Six is getting so much buzz. And rightfully so. At first, I couldn't understand why. And then by the end of the book, I was just as mesmerized as I expected to be. This book is one that readers are going to be talking about for a long time to come.

Details:
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
On Instagram
Pages: 368
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Publication Date: 3/3/2019
Buy it Here!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a major hit with Daisy Jones and the Six. The format - each person's story in his or her own voice - is not my favorite, and I had anticipated not really enjoying the book. Instead, I absolutely loved it and read it in one sitting.

The character of Daisy was inspired by the baby groupies of the 1970's. These young girls, ages 12 to 16, followed headlining bands to party with the band members. Although some people scream "child sexual abuse", the band members were actually victims of beautiful young ladies, who saw them as notches on a belt.

Daisy Jones, at all of 16, is aging out of the baby groupies. She is a talented, although amateur songwriter, with an amazing voice. These talents land her a recording contract.

Billy Dunne is the lead singer of a band called The Six. Their first album is a great success; however, the joys of a road tour - drugs, sex, and groupies - get the better of Billy. The band's second album is a struggle, so the studio forces Daisy Jones and Billy to work together

This story chronicles the flaming stars of DaisyJones, Billly Dunne, and The Six as they rise to international fame, becoming , quite possibly, the greatest band in the world .

Although the band is fictional, it accurately portrays a great rock band of the 1970's. It's also a realistic portrayal of the pop culture of the time, when the only things that mattered were sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

This title is a walk down memory lane for those of us who came of age in the 1970's . I would highly recommend this title for anyone over the age of 16; however, parents should be strongly cautioned regarding the adult themes of the story.

I cannot thank Net Galley and Ballantine Books for providing a free copy of this title for my review.

#DaisyJonesandtheSix#NetGalley#BallantineBooks

First line: This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of how the renowned 1970s rock band Daisy Jones & The Six rose to fame---as well as what led to their abrupt and infamous split while on tour in Chicago on July 12, 1979.

Summary: Daisy Jones, a young girl in the late 1960s who spends her time on Sunset Boulevard, sneaking into clubs, drinking heavily and dreaming big of a life as a rock star. Billy Dunne is the lead singer of an up and coming rock band called The Six. They each have a unique sound but when their producer decides that the way to make them superstars is to combine their talents.

Told through interviews with band members, family, friends and colleagues we get the story of the legendary band known as Daisy Jones and The Six.

My Thoughts: If you loved the movie Bohemian Rhapsody then you should definitely check this out! And listen to the audio book. I find that the style of the writing is very hard to read because it is an oral history. The book is composed of interviews which bounce back and forth between different members. But the audio has a full cast and it feels like a documentary. I kept having to remind myself that this was fiction not an actual band.

I did not grow up in the seventies but I can imagine that Taylor Jenkins Reid does a great job of portraying it. Life was wild at the time. I really loved hearing about Daisy. She sounds like the typical female rock star of the time who struggled with drugs and the crazy lifestyle. However, I kept rooting for her to figure it out.

Each of the other characters has their own demons but they are mainly supporting characters. But I did enjoy hearing each ones perspective on the same events. It is crazy how different each person views and remembers the same thing. The one character that I really struggled with liking was Eddie. He drove me crazy. He was constantly complaining about everything, even though most of the stuff had nothing to do with him.

FYI: Pick up Reid’s novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!

This was the first book I read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last.

You can’t look at Instagram/bookstagram without seeing this book around. And it’s worth the hype for sure. The subject matter is awesome if you like reading about the inter sactum of a traveling band and its rise and fall of it all. The way the book is presented is fascinating to me, it is all an extended dialogue stream, like someone is interviewing the band, and while I did like this format, there were two things that irked me: I missed the in-depth description of people, places and things that only an external narrator could provide; and the way this book was laid out, it wasn’t “can’t-put-downable” … it took me well over a month to read what would otherwise be an easy read because I just wasn’t invested as much as I would have liked to have been. I also didn’t buy the love story, but that could’ve just been me.

Likes:
The Format
The subject matter

Mehs:
Love story didn’t tug at heartstrings
I missed descriptions of places
Wasn’t “can’t-put-downable” reading

I still really recommend this book for its entertainment value, and am excited to see what Reese Witherspoon and Amazon do with the upcoming series in the fall!

I have devoured every Taylor Jenkins Reid novel I have read, and Daisy Jones & The Six was no exception. I absolutely loved this book. It is written as a series of interviews with the band members in the present day and I loved the set up of how we get everyone's point of view. It was full of all the juicy details of what happened to this fictitious band in the 70's during the height of their career. There were relationships, both good and bad (love and hate and both sometimes), and the way the book was written just flowed so well. I love the way it ended. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.

I love this one! I loved, loved, loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I was worried I wouldn't enjoy this one as much, as the music scene of the late 60s/early 70s was not as naturally interesting to me as Old Hollywood. But the writing, the relationships, the characters, won me over as always. TJR is becoming a must-buy author for me personally, and also one I constantly recommend to customers, friends, and family.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I’d describe it as A Star is Born (the Barbara Streisand version obvi) meets Almost Famous meets Fleetwood Mac. If that’s your sort of thing, you’ll love this. I actually thought it was nonfiction for the first few pages until Daisy is described as being the most beautiful woman in the world and I went to look for a photo of her and find out it’s fiction.

So, so good. I felt like this was a real band with all of its ups and downs and drama and loyalties. Excellent.