Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a must-read book based on a fictional rock ‘n’ roll band from the 70s. The book does a great job of taking the readers back in time making you feel like a real fan. The author Taylor Jenkins Reid did such a realistic depiction of this fictional band that it makes this book appear as a thrilling retelling of the band’s achievements and history. The band starts out with Billy Dunne, the lead singer, his brother Graham, and their friends Pete, Warren, and Eddie. Camilla, Billy’s long-term girlfriend and eventual wife is also along for the ride. Karen Sirko joins shortly after they discover her before one of their small gigs. They go from performing at dive bars on the Sunset Strip in LA to their final performance, a sold-out show at Soldier Field in Chicago in July 1979.
Real success for the band begins when rising star Daisy Jones and lead singer Billy Dunne collaborate and write the hit song “Look at Us Now”. Their fame shoots up after the song is released and quickly climbs up the Top 100 Billboard Charts. Daisy is added to the band permanently after that. The band was then renamed, “Daisy Jones & The Six”. They write their one hit album Aurora with Daisy in 1978 and go on their world tour from 1978 to 1979. But that’s just what their fans knew about the band from the outside perspective.
As readers, the real story we get to experience within this book is the story of Billy and Daisy’s relationship. You could describe them as having a “love-hate relationship,” but you could also describe it as a right person, wrong time relationship. Everyone in the band knew it. Even Camilla, Billy’s wife, knew that they were meant for each other. The book focuses on their relationship during the making of the album and while on tour. Not only does it show how their physical attraction towards each other changed, but also how their mental attraction changes. As readers, at the end, we get to use our imagination to figure out Billy and Daisy’s ending after the band splits up.
Overall, this book was a such a well written book that it was surprising to see it is a fiction rather than a non-fiction biography. I recommend this book to music lovers and those who enjoy a good love story with twists. If you enjoyed the Daisy Jones and the Six Amazon television series, this book takes a much deeper dive into Billy and Daisy’s relationship and is a must read.
