Told in the style of an oral history or Behind The Music special, Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six gives us the story of a band who create a legendary album...and break up right in the middle of the tour, never to perform together again. Daisy is an LA girl who mostly raises herself, and rises above her It Girl beginnings through the strength of her talent as a singer and songwriter. The Six are a band rooted in the collaboration between the two Dunne brothers (Billy the lead singer, Graham the guitarist), with the remaining four drawn into their orbit over time. After some initial minor success leads Billy down the road of partying, sex, and drugs, his wife Camila helps him get clean for her and their new baby daughter. The band seems destined to work steadily but never really break out until their shared label puts Daisy on a single with The Six. It's such a hit that a joint record seems the only logical next step.

It's the writing and recording of that record, Aurora, which forms the core of the narrative. The tensions between Daisy and the already established The Six (who have internal fissures of their own) roil, over who will be writing the songs and how the album will be put together. And Daisy's own drug use, already established but increasing as things progress, adds another layer of complications. And most problematic of all, the chemistry that makes Daisy and Billy compelling co-writers and duet partners isn't just in the recording booth. Once it all comes together, the album is an undeniable smash, but a confrontation tears it all apart.

This book was optioned for a series adaptation before it was even released to shelves, and it's not hard to see why: there are vivid characters, plenty of storylines, and real drama. I was at first put off a bit by the lack of actual narrative structure (the entire book consists of snippets of interviews laced together), but the style wound up suiting the story, for me. It gives the reader the chance to get to know characters through both their own perspectives and the perspectives of others, and it keeps things moving along quickly. It's easy to devour large portions of the book in one sitting, easy to convince yourself that it won't take too long to read 10 more pages, which becomes 20, and then 50. I got so emotionally invested in the characters that even though the actual plot varied quite little from where I thought it would go, I wanted to see how it all played out.

Though it was a fantastically enjoyable book, it wasn't without flaws for me. For one thing, Daisy's slim frame, acknowledged to be at least in part owed to her addiction issues, is fetishized in a way that felt weird. And it didn't quite stick the landing...the reveal of the person behind the interviews felt inorganic, and the actual closing note also rang false. But mostly, I thought it was textured, layered, and enormously entertaining and compelling. I really loved it and would highly recommend it to all readers! ( )

Basically a married dude with kids is in a band with a chick and they both pine for each other through their songs ( )

Phenomenal! ( )

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is designed to read like an oral history as the ex-members of a popular rock group are interviewed thirty years after their heyday. It is set during the 1970’s rock music scene, and if you have ever been curious about the lives of Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Patti Smith or Grace Slick, this book gives the reader a clear angle into what the life of a female rock n’roll musician from that era was like.

Daisy Jones was the “it” girl of the 1970’s with a unique look and a voice designed for belting out rock tunes. She was just getting herself known when the record company decided to put her together with an up and coming rock band entitled The Six. History was made when Daisy and the lead singer of The Six, Billy Dunne got together. Sparks were flying but Billy was married to a woman that he genuinely loved, he was battling his addictions and trying to stay sober. Daisy was a wild child and thought nothing of indulging in alcohol and whatever drugs were available. Billy knew she was trouble and although they were magic together on stage and off, he tried to avoid her.

Beyond Daisy and Billy, the author has built a believable rock band and peopled the book with realistic characters. Each band member is unique and has their own point of view and although the outcome is a little cliched this was a great read. Daisy Jones & the Six is a homage to the seventies and it’s he-said-she-said style is layered, entertaining and addictive. ( )

Daisy Jones and the Six is a truly powerful book. It's an oral history of a made-up band in the 1970s, and is almost entirely character-driven. And what characters! Daisy, the talented and beautiful singer with serious drug and alcohol issues; Billy, the self-proclaimed leader of the band, trying so hard not to abuse alcohol again, trying never to cheat on his wife again, resisting temptation, chasing his dreams. All of the other characters are strongly drawn, especially Eddie, who whined for the entire book, and whom nothing could satisfy.

I didn't think I'd like the book because I don't listen to music much, but it was honestly an education: I learned quite a bit about old-fashioned sound mixing, how songs are written, and how music management and producing work. You don't need to be a music-lover to enjoy every page of this novel. I'll be keeping this book around for a second read sometime down the road. ( )