Thanks to NetGalley and to Random House UK, Cornerstone, for providing me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
I kept seeing this book pop up all over when it came to recommendations of new releases and that made me curious. I also read that Reese Witherspoon had bought the rights to adapt it into a TV series, and the comments about the book made me think about the movie This Is Spinal Tap, although the musical genre is different (yes, it’s all Rock & Roll, baby) and the story is not intended as a parody, and all that together with the evocative cover, I knew I had to check it out.
This is one of those novels where I was intrigued to read what other reviewers had said, and, curiously enough, one of those where I could see the point of both, those who really loved the book, and also those who hated it. Somehow, I could see the merit on both types of opinions, and it really depends on the kinds of books you enjoy or not. A couple of provisos, here. Many of the reviews talk about the author, and especially refer to one of her previous books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which seems to be a well-loved novel, and for people who had loved that book, their expectations were very high, and some found this book too different (some fans of the writer also loved this book, so don’t let that put you off). I haven’t read any of the author’s previous novels, so I cannot help with that. After reading the reviews and this novel, I became curious about her other books, but I come to it without any previous knowledge. The second proviso is that quite a few people compare the ‘fiction’ band at the heart of the story, The Six, that is later joined by Daisy Jones, with Fleetwood Mac (with Daisy Jones then being a stand-in for Stevie Nicks), but I must confess not to know enough about the ins and outs of this band to be able to comment (I was quite young when they were at the height of their popularity, and I never read much about them, although having read a bit about them since, yes, I can see similarities, but I can also see differences). So, if you are a big fan of Fleetwood Mac, you might be more intrigued to read this novel, but you might also hate it. You’ve been warned.
So, what are the comments on both sides that I agree with? The way the story is told will not be to everybody’s taste. This is the story of the band, and of Daisy Jones, pieced together through interviews conducted many years after the band was created, and that makes it very fragmented. It does follow a chronological order, and we get to know about Daisy Jones, and about the Dunne Brothers (Billy and Graham), from before they got into singing, composing, and playing songs, and later on the rest of the members of the band, Camila (Billy’s girlfriend and later wife) and their manager also come into play. These fragments of interviews often refer to the same events, providing the reader different points of view, and sometimes completely different descriptions, but it can cause a disjointed effect, and it will suit some readers but others will hate it. Personally, I found it fun and quite dynamic, but it is true it does not immediately create a picture of what’s going on in one’s head, in the same way as more standard narratives do.
There were also a lot of comments about the characters, and how some of them were one-dimensional and it was difficult to tell them apart. As I have said before, the story starts with the origin of the band (we later learn why), and then we only get to hear from the rest of the members as they join the band or meet the other characters. For me, Pete, Eddie and Warren were not distinctive enough. Yes, Eddie always seemed to have issues with Billy and didn’t like his style of leading the band. Pete had a girlfriend in the East and he would phone her often, and Warren was the drum player, but other than that I’m not sure I got a strong impression of who they were, and when later in the book one of them wanted to leave the band, I realised that I must have been told two of them were brothers already, but because that hadn’t feature prominently anywhere (after all, the interview is about the band, their tours, and their records, and the questions asked are mostly about the time they spent together), it had not registered with me. Camila is talked about a lot, because many of Billy’s songs are about her, and although she seems to represent an old-fashioned model of femininity, the staying-at-home Mom, she gets involved at crucial points and she has a more important role than one might think when the story starts. I did feel that the female characters were the strongest, and although that did not make them immediately sympathetic and likeable, I thought they were the more complex and the ones I most enjoyed. I liked Karen (I’m not a musician, but I did feel a connection with her) the keyboard player, as well, and she is, perhaps, my favourite character. And I quite liked Daisy’s friend, Simone, also, although she is mostly portrayed as her friend, rather than being an individual in her own right, and that comes in part from her telling Daisy’s story and her role in it rather than giving us much insight into her own character. Although Daisy marries at some point, Simone is more of a steadying influence for her, like Camila is for Billy, than any of the men she meets and talks about in the book. But I agree, the way the story is told does not make for fully rounded characters, although many of the situations will feel familiar to people who have read a lot of biographies of rock & roll bands.
Some reviewers were disappointed by the ending, that perhaps feels more like a whimper than a bang, but I thought it made perfect sense, and yes, there is something I’ve seen described as a twist, that is perhaps not truly a twist, but it helps join everything together and adds a nice touch.
I am not an expert on music, and not a big follower of bands. I have not been to many concerts, although even with that, it is difficult not to have heard or read about the use of drugs, wild parties, hotel rooms trashed by bands on tour, groupies following bands from city to city, and the paraphernalia around the 1970s world of rock & roll music scene. There is plenty of that here, and also of envies, of fights, of creative differences, of the process of composing, creating, and editing an album, down to the shooting of the cover, that will delight people who really love the period and reading about it. Even I, who am not knowledgeable about it, enjoyed it, particularly learning more about the process of creation, although it might not sound authentic to people who truly know it. The writer gives the different characters (at least the main ones) distinct voices, and the lyrics of the songs, that are also included in full at the end, fit perfectly in with the band and its themes, and it made me keen on reading more of the author’s novels.
There is more than R & R to the book, or perhaps some of the themes seem inherently related to it, like drug addiction, family relations, alcoholism, abortion, fatherhood, bringing up children, the role of men and women in the family, child neglect and abuse… Although some of them are only mentioned in passing, we get a fuller picture of others (Daisy is very young when she leaves her parents and starts visiting bars, taking drugs, and engaging in behaviours that would be considered risky at a much older age, and drug and alcohol addiction and its consequences are discussed in detail), and readers must be cautious if they find those subjects upsetting.
I have talked a bit about the characters and said which my favourites are. In some ways, Billy and Graham are the most sympathetic to begin with. Their father abandon them when they are very young, and they work very hard, are talented, and support each other through thick and thin. However, when Billy becomes addicted to drugs and then gets sober and becomes the head of the band, he puts himself and his family first and is not always likeable (even if creatively he sounds interesting). Daisy, on the other hand, sounds at first like a rich-spoiled girl, but her family pays no attention to her, and she is in fact neglected. She is selfish and egotistical as well, but she has no role models or understanding. I liked her attitude, but not her in particular, at least at first, and her behaviour will be alien to most people (although typical of the image we might have in our head about what a rock star would be like). However, the way the story is told gives us the opportunity to read her later reflections and the way she now sees things and how she evaluates much of what she did at the time. And although I didn’t particularly like the Daisy of the period (she is described as a magnet to everybody who met her, but I never had the feeling I would have liked it if I had known her), I came to appreciate the older Daisy and her take on things.
What did I think of the book? I really enjoyed it. It panders to most of our standard images of what the life of a rock & roll band would have been like at that time, but it gives an insight into parts of the process that I found interesting. It also creates some credible female characters that have made their own decisions and fought their own fights, and in the world of music that is not always easy to find. The way of telling the story worked for me, although I know it won’t work for everybody. I highlighted a lot of the story, so much so that I decided to leave it to readers to check a sample and get a sense of the narrative style. Does it deserve the hype? Well, perhaps not for me, but it’s a good read and I can see why it will captivate some readers more than it did me. Oh, and for those who love audiobooks, I’ve read very good reviews of the audio version, and I understand that there is a full cast of narrators and each character is voiced by a different person, so it is worth considering.
If you are a rock & roll fan and enjoy trips down memory lane, especially to the 1970s, I’d recommend this book. And I hope to explore further novels written by the same author.

I’m fortunate to read a lot of books in a year and in that year, although I will read a lot of really good books, there will only be about one or two if I’m really lucky that will completely blow me away. This is one of those books that completely blew me away.

The books is told in the form of multiple interviews that are all pieced together by the interviewer after she had met with the various band members and other people associated with Daisy and the Six. The band rose to fame quite quickly in the 1970’s during the period of sex, drugs and rock n roll and each character adds their thoughts and re-tells the story of the band how they remember it throughout their rise and fall from fame.

I really enjoyed how the author pieced this book together in this way. I’ve never read a fiction book told like this before and it was so authentic I had to keep reminding myself that the people I’m reading about are fictional as the story and the characters are so believable!

Although there is no one main character as such, as there are multiple stories within the characters of the band, and you get to know them all quite intimately while reading, arguably one of the stand out characters for me was Daisy.

Daisy is so broken and fragile I just wanted to mother her and give her a hug but at the same time she is so fierce and determined. Her love for her music is what keeps her going even though she is the kind of personality that easily succumbs to drug use and has a tendency to over-do just about everything she does. She is an addictive person in every sense of the phrase.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. This was one of those rare times when as I was reading I thought to myself that I am reading the perfect book at the perfect time. I loved reading about how the band rose to fame and came to play together, how they worked on their hit album, and the complex inter-relationships between the members and those closest to the band members. For me everything worked in this book. I wish I could read it again for the first time and bottle up that feeling you get when you know you’re reading a book that is going to knock your socks off.

I recommend everyone read this book and fall for Daisy Jones & the Six just like I did.

"Daisy Jones and the Six:" Wow, I loved everything about this book. The story, the characters, the multiple points of view and especially the form in which it was told. It was different. It was unique. and nothing like I'd read before. I'll be honest, there was a lot to get my head around initially and it could have all gone horribly wrong but actually thanks to this author's amazing story telling ability, all of the elements I've just mentioned fit seamlessly together and this story was executed perfectly.

I can really see why this Book is being made into a tv series. Because all of it felt so real. Like Daisy Jones and the six actually happened ... as if they really did exist! So much so that I found myself googling to see whether this was a work of fact or fiction!!! Ha ha I know I know! But it didn’t say in the synopsis either way so that’s my get out for the google! But that is also a sign of such a brilliant story.

"Daisy Jones and the Six" was rock and roll personified. This was a story about sex, drugs and music. It was about addiction and demons and of course it was about love. It was car crash reading at it's best and I was addicted to the story these characters had to tell!!!! It was tragic and sad and heart breaking and full to the brim with pain, heart ache, insecurity and vulnerability!!!!

A brilliant work of fiction that deserves all the praise it's receiving.

This book, it has took me a bit to write the review as i needed to let my mind and body settle from reading such an amazing story. I love the cover and its beautiful colours and image, the blurb totally got me hooked. But the story wow, it transports you literally to another time and place, where the music was life, the people lived wild and free at times!! As living wild and free brings its own consequences, a truly beautiful and engaging story that takes me back to an era and location i would have loved to see. Go read this book

https://books-and-thebigscreen.co.uk/books/daisy-jones-the-…lor-jenkins-reid/

This is a fictional biography about the rise to stardom of the band Daisy Jones and the Six, in the 1970s - the heyday of drugs and rock and roll.

It is unusal in that the story is told in the form of interviews with the band members and those close to them, and I was impressed by how well this worked. This could have come across as cold and factual, but instead it serves to really convey the self-destructive relationships and emotions between the characters very effectively. I really liked the way the different viewpoints of the characters added layers to the story, and it is a very convincing portayal of the bands of the era.

The story does inevitably get a bit bogged down in the middle, when the band is creating their albums, because there is so much about writing the fictional songs - it is very difficult to relate to the back stories of lyrics for songs you do not know. I liked that the lyrics were added at the end of the book, though.

Reece Witherspoon is working with Amazon on a tv series based on this book, and I can see this working really well, because adding the music will really bring the story alive.

To begin with I was not sure if I was going to get into this but once I got into the reportage style I was hooked. It was such an unique way to tell a story and it fit perfectly. I actually thought I was reading about a real band I could not get enough of the backstage drama. Sex, drugs and rocknroll makes for one hell of a riveting read. Brilliant.

There is nothing I don’t love about this book. As I was reading, I 100% felt like I was reading about a real rock band from the 70’s. The characters are completely believable and as I read the lyrics dotted through out the book, I wished I could listen to their music (which we may soon be able to as Amazon have ordered a series adapted from the book).

There are many fascinating and fun characters in the book, but Daisy is the central and most interesting. Her journey from the young schoolgirl constantly being ignored by her parents to international rock star is a fast he, but filled with a great many bumps along the way.

The way the chapters are set up as interviews with different band members, and the friends, family, managers etc around them at the time works very well. The way they so often contradict one another about what happened shows how unreliable people can be and how subjective the past is.

A great many subjects are dealt with in the book, including substance abuse, infidelity, birth, death and so much more.

I highly recommend reading this if you love music, the 70’s, strong female characters and great writing.

You know when you read one of those books and you can just picture it playing out as a movie in front of you-this was just like that! If you loved the style of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-this is a very similar conversational style and you are going to love it. It is actually unlike anything I've read before.

So one of my favourite kinds of movies is a biopic and I think that's because of my love of books about people, just like this one and I think that's why I enjoyed this one so much, it plays out like a biopic on the pages. Although you expect the books to be predominantly about Daisy Jones, with her being on the cover and all, this book is actually about all seven of The Six and so you get to hear from everyone, find out about them all and you also get to hear a little bit about a couple of other people in their lives. Sp if you love a character drive story, this one is for you.

I also love the climate that this book is set in. We begin in LA with people on Sunset Strip and all that that was for musicians who were going to 'make it' and we meet these people who are somehow thrown together. I loved the dirtiness of the whole thing and the newness of the particular scene that they are entering. At one point Daisy says she knows that she has to go without a bra in order to be a rock star and that kind of just says it all for you really!

I've already mentioned the conversational style of this book but I think that's exactly what made this such a quick read for me. I love the fact that this was an interview style so we always got to listen to various people's perspectives on any given situation-I love that! I like the fact that we often get differences of opinions from characters we might not expect to have them and also that we get to hear both sides of disagreements and certain fall outs. When it is revealed at the end of this book who the author of the 'interview' is, I did do a little gasp so you've got that to look forward to.

I listened to this book on audio over 2 days, it accompanied me in the car, the movie theatre, the gym and in bed and I would definitely recommend the audio. It has a full cast of characters, some big names in there and I think this particular media really makes the book come to life and makes you believe you are listening to real people in a real interview. I would definitely recommend this book and I am thrilled and terrified to hear that it has been optioned for a TV series, I really hope they do it justice and if they do, I am all in!

I was interesting in reading this book after seeing reviews mentioning it for publication this year. Like most art criticism, rock music tends to be lots of men wanging on in music magazines about their knowledge of bands and genres and exercising their amazing taste as if they actually contributed to the artistic process just by physical distance. Taylor Jenkins Reid uses the style of an oral biography to write the fictitious lives of Daisy and 'The Six', and as a conceit it works, brilliantly. Initially I was sure I was reading the thinly veiled diaries of Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham and the turmoil that surrounded Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' album, but somewhere about half way through i stopped looking for explanation and just started to enjoy and invest in the characters and the story. SPOILER ALERT: My only quibble is that the band's lyrics are laid out at the end of the book, like poetry, for people to pour over and dissect for hidden meaning, and I'm not sure if that was necessary in my humble opinion. Otherwise, an enjoyable, well-paced read that deserves a wide and enthusiastic summer audience.

‘Music can dig, you know? It can take a shovel to your chest and just start digging until it hits something.’

Daisy Jones and The Six was easily one of our most anticipated stories for 2019. The moment we saw the cover and read the synopsis, we thought…’this book is for us’ and so we were over the moon to receive an advanced copy.

‘They each seemed like they thought the other one was the only person in the room. Like we were watching two people who didn’t realize thousands of people were watching them.’

We’re music addicts and rock star romance junkies. The turmoil, the lifestyle, the drama, the passion, in fact, everything associated with a rock star theme draws us in time and time again, and some of our favourite rock star reads which have been in a similar format to this book, and have completely wowed us.

‘The chosen ones never know they are chosen. They think everyone gets a gold carpet rolled out for them.’

We really did enjoy this book; however, there were times we felt a little disconnected and put it down to the whole book being delivered in an interview format. Reading this way doesn’t have the same impact as hearing it, seeing it, and so we think the audio version of this book is going to be phenomenal, as will the television show already in the works. The way the story is written had a feel of The Defiant Ones documentary about it, which, as a music documentary film works brilliantly, you can see the expressions, feel the emotions, sense the uneasiness or revel in the camaraderie, but in written form it would be like reading a very long interview in a magazine, which wouldn’t have the same effect, and that’s how we felt with Daisy Jones & the Six.

‘It’s like some of us are chasing our nightmares the way other people chase dreams.’

We love when rock star books manage to combine the interview process interspersed with the ‘real life’ moments, where we’re allowed to be present with the characters, living and breathing them in, feeling their story, their drama and pain, and really wish we could have lived those pivotal moments in Daisy, rather than being told about them, our connection with the characters would have been far greater had we been afforded that experience.

‘I was paying the price for the parts of himself he didn’t like.’

In saying all that, there was much of this book that did work for us. The story had a Fleetwood Mac tortured feel about it which also lent itself to the seventies pop culture and music which we particularly loved. Taylor Jenkins Reid certainly took us back to that era where we could visualise the settings and at times it was reminiscent of those ‘Behind the Album’ insights which we devour.

‘We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn’t get much more obviously broken and classically beautiful than Daisy Jones.’

We were desperate to find out how, coming into an already established band, Daisy received top billing, and why, at the peak of their fame, they walked away from it all, with the ending of the interview having us welling up, it was such a poignant, moving and beautiful moment.

We can’t wait to hear the Audiobook, with each different perspective being brought to the fore, to see this story come to life on screen, will transcend beautifully, it’s going to be a real treat! The characters each had their own personalities, strong or laid back and it’ll be interesting to see them depicted on screen. Bring it on!

“Where do you see this band in five years? Ten years?”
“We’ll be the biggest band in the world.”

I'm sure this book will do very well commercially because it's a quick, "brain candy" type read, but, if I'm honest, the story felt kind of pointless to me and, except for the who main leads - Daisy and Billy -, most of the supporting characters were basically interchangeable.
Overall, this book didn't really work for me, and I would suggest reading one of the many great rock biographies/memoirs instead of this fictional oral biography of a made-up and rather cliché 1970s rock band.

Really enjoyed this. Evocative, brilliantly paced and with a really vibrant cast of characters that you can't help but be invested in. The female characters (not just Daisy, but Karen and Camila too) were refreshingly drawn. Loved it.

I downloaded this book because it has a pretty cover and it's about the music industry - and I love music! However, I didn't realise it was written in the style of magazine interviews, with rapid changes in points of view. Normally I hate that kind of thing but fortunately I stuck with it, and was immediately drawn into the story, falling completely in love with the characters. It is utterly, utterly brilliant!

The Six are a rock band founded by Billy Dunne and his brother in the mid-1960s. By the 1970s they have a certain level of success but their manager suggests they should join forces with Daisy Jones for their second album. Daisy is an original wild child. Her wealthy parents don't care what she does and she spends most of her time hanging around bands, getting stoned, and trying to write edgy songs when she has no real experience of life. Billy, now a reformed addict/alcoholic, only wants to write happy love songs about his wife. How are they going to make this album work without killing each other - or falling for each other?

Daisy Jones and The Six is an incredibly detailed, behind-the-scenes style story about a rock band, and the writing and recording of an album, with all the drama and clashing of egos you might expect. (I suspect the author was inspired by Fleetwood Mac!) The characters are not immediately likeable: Billy leaves his wife at home to go on tour, spiralling into various addictions and womanising, and Daisy is completely self-absorbed, needy, and entitled. But it's a lot of fun watching them learn to work together, and help heal each other.

The best bit about this book is that it is so well-written and the author's research is so detailed (she's even written songs for the band), you'll start believing The Six are real. My favourite character was Warren, because he's so matter-of-fact about the benefits of being in a rock band, but I also loved Billy because he tries so hard to do the right thing. Daisy is fascinating, but I really wouldn't want to be her friend!

In conclusion, Daisy Jones and The Six is absolutely brilliant, and particularly recommended if you're a fan of music, or films such as A Star is Born.


Thank you to Taylor Jenkins Reid and Cornerstone (Random House) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This book did not work for me at all. I disliked how the author had compiled the interviews with various band members and hangers on. I think it spoiled my overall experience of the story reading short accounts of events rather than one longer narrative divided by chapters.

I've read a few of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books over the years and have always really enjoyed them but unfortunately Daisy Jones and The Six didn't hit the spot for me. Whilst the interview style was a brilliant narrative device and very clever, I found it very difficult to connect with the characters or the plot. I think it took me outside of the book and I struggled to get immersed as it felt disjointed. Thankyou for the opportunity to read and review, this was most definitely a personal thing and not a reflection of the book or the writer (in fact, I have just bought The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) and it just wasn't my cup of tea.

‘Music can dig, you know? It can take a shovel to your chest and just start digging until it hits something.’

Daisy Jones and The Six was easily one of our most anticipated stories for 2019. The moment we saw the cover and read the synopsis, we thought…’this book is for us’ and so we were over the moon to receive an advanced copy.

‘They each seemed like they thought the other one was the only person in the room. Like we were watching two people who didn’t realize thousands of people were watching them.’

We’re music addicts and rock star romance junkies. The turmoil, the lifestyle, the drama, the passion, in fact, everything associated with a rock star theme draws us in time and time again, and some of our favourite rock star reads which have been in a similar format to this book, and have completely wowed us.

‘The chosen ones never know they are chosen. They think everyone gets a gold carpet rolled out for them.’

We really did enjoy this book; however, there were times we felt a little disconnected and put it down to the whole book being delivered in an interview format. Reading this way doesn’t have the same impact as hearing it, seeing it, and so we think the audio version of this book is going to be phenomenal, as will the television show already in the works. The way the story is written had a feel of The Defiant Ones documentary about it, which, as a music documentary film works brilliantly, you can see the expressions, feel the emotions, sense the uneasiness or revel in the camaraderie, but in written form it would be like reading a very long interview in a magazine, which wouldn’t have the same effect, and that’s how we felt with Daisy Jones & the Six.

‘It’s like some of us are chasing our nightmares the way other people chase dreams.’

We love when rock star books manage to combine the interview process interspersed with the ‘real life’ moments, where we’re allowed to be present with the characters, living and breathing them in, feeling their story, their drama and pain, and really wish we could have lived those pivotal moments in Daisy, rather than being told about them, our connection with the characters would have been far greater had we been afforded that experience.

‘I was paying the price for the parts of himself he didn’t like.’

In saying all that, there was much of this book that did work for us. The story had a Fleetwood Mac tutored feel about it which also lent itself to the seventies pop culture and music which we particularly loved. Taylor Jenkins Reid certainly took us back to that era where we could visualise the settings and at times it was reminiscent of those ‘Behind the Album’ insights which we devour.

‘We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn’t get much more obviously broken and classically beautiful than Daisy Jones.’

We were desperate to find out how, coming into an already established band, Daisy received top billing, and why, at the peak of their fame, they walked away from it all, with the ending of the interview having us welling up, it was such a poignant, moving and beautiful moment.

We can’t wait to hear the Audiobook, with each different perspective being brought to the fore, to see this story come to life on screen, will transcend beautifully, it’s going to be a real treat! The characters each had their own personalities, strong or laid back and it’ll be interesting to see them depicted on screen. Bring it on!

“Where do you see this band in five years? Ten years?”
“We’ll be the biggest band in the world.”

I was nervous about picking this book up — not going to lie. Daisy Jones & The Six was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and, thankfully, I adore every second.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Taylor Jenkins Reid and I’m thoroughly impressed. I am definitely going back to read her other books. She has done an incredible job recreating the atmosphere and culture of the 70s along with the crazy lifestyle surrounding those superstar bands. This is especially impressive given the book isn’t told in a traditional format.

Daisy Jones & The Six is told in the traditional style of other oral history music biographies. It reminds me of the Please Kill Me: The Uncensored History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. The narrative is pieced together with interviews from Daisy and the band, along with music producers, friends, family, managers and music journalists. Each interview has been cut up and mixed together to create this rich tapestry of events.

The interviews form the storied histories going back to Daisy’s childhood and the formation of the band The Six. It includes everything from how Daisy joined the band to their rise to stardom and their swift implosion. Yes, the band has the explosive feel of Fleetwood Mac. There are too many personalities, too many drugs and harsh, angry songs about each other. The homage to Fleetwood Mac I don’t feel is a rip-off or inauthentic in any way but rather a celebrates them and the classic rock'n'roll lifestyle.

The thing I love most about the style is the contradicting the story is from person to person. It goes to highlight the subjectivity of memory. What you were fixated on or what you remember is different from those around you. Add in drugs, alcohol and a touring band then you're faced with a whole cast of unreliable narrators. You're left to sieve through the stories and events to get to the heart of what happened.

The overall tone of the characters interviews is conversational. It feels like they are sitting across from the coffee table. I was never bored even though there is quite a lot of telling rather than showing. The characters personalities colour their interview. Daisy and Billy are headstrong and, at times, unapologetic; Karen is more reserved, focusing on the music; The bitterness and unresolved rage is the key feature to most of Eddie's interview; and there's a wistful sadness in Graham's recollection. Going through the history it’s no wonder this band broke up and even as they tell it years on, you can feel the emotion, ego and pride coming off the page.

Although the band is fictional, I love the nods Reid includes to the actual history and setting of the California music scene. The band plays at the iconic venue the Whisky Go Go and record at the infamous Sound City recording studio. These features work to ground the narrative in the place and era.

I have my fingers and toes crossed that there be a miniseries or movie waiting in the wings for this book. The story has this cinematic feeling. Also, Reid has included the lyrics of the band’s songs. I need to hear these songs.

The only thing I love just as much as books is music and Daisy Jones & The Six is the perfect combination of the two. I highly recommend. It’s perfect for fans of Fleetwood Mac or just the fans of old-fashion rock’n’roll.

The format of the book is simple it's a rock and roll biography, a chronological account of the band. It's about the highs, the lows, the successes, the loves, the sacrifices, the losses, the failures, the determination, the sobriety, the excess, the parties, the isolation, the fear, the strength, and everything in between.

It's told from the perspective of each of the band members, band managers, journalists and family members - in a interview style - this makes the book read like a conversation. Taylor Jenkins Reid's effortless writing style draws you right in, so before I knew it I had read half of the book in one sitting!

The book shows the stresses and strains of living and working with band mates. It highlights the infighting, the envy, the jealousy but also the commradary and friendships that are built.

It is difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away, for me what made this book were the characters and in particular, the women; Karen, Daisy and Camila. While the Male characters were certainly interesting; Billy the tortured artist, battling demons and keeping the band together, Teddy the brains behind the outfit, Eddie, the jealous and insecure member of the band who is also looking to get one over on Billy, for me, the women outshone them all and this was their story.

From the off Karen was my favourite, she reminded me of Alison Mosshart from the bands The Kills and The Dead Weather. She is just so cool. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to stand up for that, as we see within her story arc, which I found was a really interesting one and I enjoyed where Taylor Jenkins Reid took it.

Camila, what a woman she was! At first I will admit I didn't warm to her, but as the book progresses and you see the sacrifices and struggles which she has had to endure to keep things together, I couldn't help but fall in love with her. The last few chapters, in particular highlighted her strength and courage.

Daisy Jones, the picture I have of her in my mind is a cross between Nico and Edie Segdewick with the voice of Florence Welsh. Daisy, was a strong uncompromising character, who knew she had flaws and recognised these but didn't allow anyone else to take advantage of them. Daisy also recognised that in the male dominated music industry of the 1970's she had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, but not to the detriment of herself. She stayed true to never making excuses or apologising for her behaviours.

Once again, Taylor Jenkins Reid proves that she is able to explore a wide range of themes - love, jealously, marriage, friendship, loyalty, sacrifices, family and friendships. She also hones in on women, exploring what it is to be a woman in a male dominated industry in the 1970's, the expectations, the knock backs and the exploitation.

The women in this book, I couldnt help but be drawn too. They are all examples of strong women, women who are supportive of one another, who recognized one anothers talents and who didn't tear each other apart in order to get where they wanted to be.

This book is pretty special and Taylor Jenkins Reid is amazing at her craft. In the same way as when I finished reading Evelyn Hugo, I wanted to go and watch her films and read about her life, I now want to listen to Daisy and the Six's music, watch their music videos and read everything I can about them.

Thank you to NetGalley & Cornerstone for the review copy!

"It's like some of us are chasing after our nightmares the way other people chase dreams."

I was a little wary going into this one for a couple of reasons -
1. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favourite authors (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an actual MASTERPIECE.)
And 2. A lot of my blogging and booktubing friends who had already read the ARC had either DNF'd it or rated it poorly, so I was very anxious about reading it . . .

. . . But I was pleasantly surprised! I can TOTALLY understand why some people might not enjoy this book. It's written entirely in interview answers (we only find out who is asking the questions at the very end of the book), and this writing style may not appeal to everyone, but I thought it was really cool! The way the author pieced together these pieces of interview answers into a coherent story outlining how this famous band got together and how they ultimately broke up was really effective in my opinion. It seemed far more real to me (and I know TJR has a way of making fictional characters feel so real that people try to google them after reading her books lmao) and more plausible that this is the way a band's story would be told - through interviews! I didn't find it took anything away from the story and if anything, I was even more engaged than I might have been reading this in first person! We got to hear from all sorts of characters within the narrative, and hear their side of the story!

Another reason that some people might not get along with in this book, is that the story focuses HEAVILY on music (songwriting, recording, producing, touring) and it goes into DETAIL on how the band went through all of these processes and to some, it might seem a little tedious to get through, but for me, I REALLY LOVED THIS PART OF IT (I have a background in music and could connect to so many of these elements).

I think the way that this book also examines a lot of important issues like addiction, cheating, family issues and death was done really well. Taylor Jenkins Reid REALLY knows how to be respectful while also not holding back, guys.

One thing that I didn't really like about this book however, was the fact that there could have been way more intrigue and tension added in regards to who was ultimately interviewing everyone to write this 'book'. If there had been some build up that made me think "ooooooo i wonder who's interviewing them, i wonder how they know these people, etc", the reveal of who it actually WAS would have been way more effective, but instead, it just kinda came out of nowhere.

Overall, if you're a music lover who doesn't mind a different kind of writing style, I think you'll really enjoy this! But don't expect it to pack as much of a punch as Evelyn Hugo.

TW - drug use, alcohol use, addiction, cheating, death caused by war, death caused by heart attack, death caused by complications from having lupus, abortion.

This is a really fun novel, telling the fictional story of a band, which reminds you more than a little of Fleetwood Mac. I remember reading – and loving - another novel about a fictional band, “The Thrill of it All,” by Joseph O’Connor. However, that fictional band begun in Luton, which is not, perhaps, quite as romantically placed as this novel, which is mostly based in sunny California.

We know from the beginning that the band in this novel split on tour in the 1970’s. They begin as The Six, formed by brothers Billy and Graham Dunne. Daisy Jones is the daughter of a British artist and French model; beautiful, lost and pretty much ignored by her parents, she grows from a groupie to a songwriter. When she is introduced to The Six she is, at first, resented by Billy, who relishes the control of what he sees as, ‘his’ band. However, Daisy Jones brings something special to the music, while changing the group dynamic.

During this novel we have all the ups and downs, not only of a band, but of all the individual members of that band. The romances, affairs, power struggles, jealousies, creativity, drugs, parties, alcohol and general excess, and over indulgence of the music industry. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a band which feels real and characters that you can sympathise with. A fun and enjoyable summer read. This would be ideal by the pool on holiday this summer. I received a copy of this from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.