Daisy Jones and the Six: Your Next Obsession

Daisy Jones and the Six is one of the most popular books on BookTok, a subsection of TikTok that highlights books and authors. Often the books that are hyped up are the ones we see on the New York Times bestsellers lists, so I figured I’d give it a shot. 

I’ve seen this book be pushed as a love story, but that is not the case. This story is about a rock band in the seventies, so of course, there is “love”, but it is not a love story. I think it’s important to differentiate because one of the main topics of the story is dealing with heartbreak and fallout. Although it is cliché, the story does an amazing job of making you feel like you’re growing and failing alongside these characters. 

This book takes you through the creation of a small brother band, to an up and coming rock group, The Six, to one of the world’s most well-known groups in the country. The seven members of the band all have their individual stories, but the overarching story centers around the band. The Six started as the Dunne Brothers, Graham, and Billy, and grew from there. However, it was clear from the start that it was Billy’s band. Billy, one of the main characters, faces many struggles through the book, most stemming from the drug addiction he develops early in the band’s career. He struggles not having a father figure in his life, and how it affects his future. He grapples with being a husband and dad while balancing the life of a rockstar. 

Daisy Jones is the “it-girl.” When we first meet Daisy, she is only 14, first entering the world of drugs and music. Her home life was less than stellar, and she wanted a sense of belonging. 

 It was common for older musicians to prey on younger girls at the time, and Daisy was known for her beauty. In her later teen years, after being surrounded by music and having a natural knack for performance, she decided she has a voice and wants it to be heard. She later meets The Six and the rest is history. However, drugs also play a big role in her life. 

Throughout the book, Daisy’s want for acceptance and her skewed perception of self-worth oddly shape her character. She is an icon for young girls and was seen as taking charge of her body/femininity. All of this is true, she refused to put up with men talking down to her and didn’t do things she didn’t want to do; in this sense, she was ahead of her time, especially in the music industry. However, her inflated sense of self-confidence paired with her deflated self-worth made for a whirlwind of emotions. 

I am a bit sad that we did not see some of the characters more developed. We learn about the childhood of Daisy and Billy, seeing as they are the main characters, and a bit of background of how the band members came to join the band, but other than that, the other characters don’t get the same backstory. It’s understandable seeing as there are seven members of the group that would have to be divulged in a 400-page novel, but as the side characters make decisions and act in ways that directly move the plot, it would be interesting to see how they came to be the way they are. It would also be nice considering the side characters were my favorites. 

One of the coolest parts of the book is how it’s written. Reid decided to write the story in oral history format, where the characters are being interviewed and it is spliced together to tell the story. The way the story is told shows how different each perspective is. Multiple members were on drugs at various times, so it is interesting to see how they firstly remember the story, and secondly, explain their side. The format flows easily and makes the book hard to put down. Finally, it allows for the characterization of the characters in a more intimate way. Instead of reading second-hand how the characters made mistakes and grew, we hear directly from them. 

I would recommend reading this book while listening to Fleetwood Mac. Reid has stated in multiple interviews that her inspiration was based on the band, and their album, Rumors. She even went as far as to write songs that are featured in and at the end of the book that fit the theme. Although they are not necessarily written to be sung, they are written to push the theme and give readers a different perspective on the character’s feelings. The book is being adapted into a show, set to stream on Amazon Prime. It is co-produced by Reese Witherspoon; a full-circle moment, seeing as part of the reason the book rose to popularity was that it was a Reese’s Book Club pick in early 2019. I am interested to see how the songs written in the book will be translated to the show. 

Overall, I give this book 5/5 stars. Books with character-based plots are often hard to make appealing, especially to fiction readers. However, the story and the characters make the book unputdownable. It tells the story of many in the seventies, with the story feeling as if it could be real life. The author does an amazing job pushing her vision and creating a book that will continue to be talked about.