** spoiler alert ** Daisy Jones & The Six.
This is what happens when a book has EVERYTHING going for it, but in the last 5% throw in a stupid plot device and ruin it for me.

But before we get to that...
Daisy Jones & The Six is an interview style history of a (fictional) band from the 1970s. Think...VH1's Behind The Music, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick... etc. With various points of view, all collected in a storytelling style, this story follows the rise and very quick fall of one of 'America's' hottest bands.

Clearly influenced by the turmoil of Fleetwood Mac, we meet Daisy, Billy...and everyone else. We see the tension between Billy and Daisy. Dugs, sex, rock and roll, money, drugs, and drugs, and drugs. The story is compelling and I was DYING to hear the 'songs' so I was listening to Fleetwood Mac a LOT during this time. It helped put me in the mindset I needed.

And here's the bad [spoiler alert]
The plot device of Julia being the interviewer took me out of the book. It DID explain the lack of details from Billy and how much Billy stressed he was in love with Camilla but still. I needed something from this. I needed more of a resolution.

STILL - I am really looking forward to the upcoming series based on this book.

Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I started and finished Daisy Jones and The Six last night. This book is the definition of addictive. I enjoyed the roller coaster of a story, and had to find out what exactly happened. The format of the book is really unique and made for a very quick read. I definitely didn’t agree with all the characters’ choices but I loved how each of them had a voice that developed over the course of the story. A very entertaining read that comes out March 5th!
*
Thank you @netgalley for my free copy!

Reading a book like this reminds me as to why I love reading. This book reached deep into my soul and settled there as I feverishly read as fast as I could. It's very easily one of my favorite books of 2019. Pre order this book because I can guarantee that this book is going to be a huge hit. It's a combination of the story, of Billy and Daisy and all the other people who jump off the page. Happy reading!

I'm heartbroken that Daisy Jones and the Six were not a real band because all I want to do is listen to their music... This book could have gone wrong in so many ways... from the way it's set up in interview format with no "he said she said" to mashing a fictional band into the hardcore world of 70's and 80's rock n roll. Reid pulls it off though. Successfully. I'm fully invested... where do I sign up to be a Six Groupie?? Feels like I'm reading about Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac and I loved every second of it. Ready to purchase it... already pre-ordered it!

I'm a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, so when I heard that her next book was based in music journalism history, I was ecstatic. This novel is told as a narration - members of bands Daisy was affiliated with, as well as Daisy herself, tell a love story, a band biography, and paints the 1960's rock landscape so perfectly you'll think you were there.

This book has such a unique style! Written as an interview of band members from the 1970s, I love how the story and conflict in this story unravels! As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid totally delivered!

Growing up music has always been an important part of my life. I remember listening to music with my mom and aunt so Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and all those 70’s rock groups have always had a place in my heart. So when I heard Taylor Jenkins Reid was coming out with a new book about a rock group in the ’70s my heart was happy and I couldn't wait to read it.

We meet Daisy Jones who was known to hang out within the rock scene. She was the IT girl when it came to that, she was a rich girl who didn't matter to her parents so she found her family with the rock stars who gave her attention if it was only for one night or to party. She soon discovers she wants more and thinks she has a gift when it came to singing and writing songs and in time she puts her energy in that.

The Six is a band on the rise lead by Billy who is the Six, he writes all the music and decides everything when it comes to them. He soon meets the love of his life in Camilla a headstrong girl who sees Billy’s potential and will do anything for Billy to make it there. She wants him to do what she knows he can and when she ends up pregnant and he turns into an alcoholic she makes him chose...it’s either her or the booze...he chooses her. She knows life on the road is hard and temptations are everywhere but Billy keeps his word and stays clear of the alcohol and the women but his biggest test is when he meets Daisy.

Its a thing of fate that brings Daisy and Billy together their hatred of each is so strong you know there is definitely something more there. While they fight and bicker when they come together and make music it's... magical. Daisy is soon asked to be a part of The Six and that's when the real story begins, while Daisy and Billy fight more the songs that come out of them makes the best album of that era. You see this passion between them but Billy made a promise to his wife and he is determined to keep it and that just makes Daisy fall deeper into her vices. Billy sees her potential but steers clear of her because he knows if he doesn't Daisy will be his downfall in more ways than one.

I loved how this story was told in an interview formed. You get everyone’s side of the story and as the saying goes there are three sides to every story, yours mines, and the truth. So to hear how everyone could see things entirely differently is interesting, to say the least. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between Billy and Daisy, they have this love/hate relationship but you know there are so many more layers to them. You see this push and pull between them that you want them together but you also want Billy to stay true to his wife but at the same time, you also want to cheer for Daisy. Daisy is someone you root for you want her to be happy and get help because all she wants is love. A true love, someone who wants her simply for her and not for who she is and Billy could be that guy. Plus Daisy gave me serious Stevie Nicks vibes whom I LOVE! This is another winner from TJR who constantly give us great characters and storylines we get consumed by. She hits a high note with this one, and the fact she made me believe this was an actual group blows my mind. Plus the little twist in the end as to who was the interviewer it was a great touch. So do yourself a favor and dive into the musical journey of Daisy Jones and The Six where the real story starts when the music ends.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a 2019 Ballantine Books publication.

Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll! I mean, that’s what the seventies were all about, man!! Right?

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done an admirable job of creating the atmosphere and mindset of the seventies and the rock bands that catapulted to success beyond their wildest dreams.

From their humble incarnation to their mega-stardom, to their slide down into relative obscurity, the author takes us on a journey back to the days when the music meant everything, the bands were serious about their art, and rock and roll lifestyle either made you or it broke you.

To tell the band’s storied history, the author employs a documentary style format, which is an interesting approach. It works in some ways, but it falls flat in others. As other reviewers have pointed out, the fictional band featured in this story is a thinly veiled Fleetwood Mac prototype.

Again, this works to some extent because many people are familiar with the outrageous dramas within the band and it feels a bit familiar, and therefore plausible. But, at the same time, I did wish this fictional band had not borne such a close resemblance to an actual group. I thought it took something away from the story, as it was less imaginative than it could have been. However, this might be what made the book appealing to some readers.

That said, as the story progresses, and the band follows an all too familiar and cliched path, riddled with pitfalls, drugs, relationship woes, and all manner of inner turmoil and temptation, the story makes an ever so subtle shift into something a little more substantial than the typical ‘Behind the Music’ ‘Rockumentary’ type of story.

Although the characters’ personas are very recognizable, they are also very well constructed and unique in their own way. They do prompt emotions, but are still enigmas, in the same way the rock stars of the seventies often were, adding to, and maintaining their mystique. The downside to that gamble is that one may not feel a deep connection with them.

While those thoughts were whirling around in my head, the realization that I'd finally become invested in the welfare of the band snuck up on me. I did, finally, find myself wrapped up in the drama, and was torn by the difficult choices that the characters made, questioning some, understanding others, but ultimately making peace with the way everything came together in the end.

I will confess I was very much looking forward to this book and with all the rave reviews I was confident this one would blow me away. But, as much as I love this author and wanted to love this book, it didn't rock my world- so to speak.

Don't get me wrong, I did like the book, but it didn’t come close to packing the emotional punch of Evelyn Hugo, and I thought it had the potential to do so. However, the big reveal in this case, which was centered around the group's final performance, was anticlimactic, in my opinion.

Still, this is one many will find compulsively readable, and some will enjoy the feelings of nostalgia the story evokes. In some ways the story feels like an alternate reality for the real rock band the story is so obviously based on, which is also a thought provoking and interesting concept.

Overall, although this one didn't have the impact on me, I'd hoped, I still enjoyed it for the most part. Due to the style and format, it is a very easy read, and many will be able to finish it off in one day or even in one sitting.

A little Fleetwood Mac playing in the background will make some nice mood music to go along with the saga of Daisy Jones and the Six.

3.5 rounded up.

This was so utterly readable and fascinating. Of course, it is so tragically cliche - guys who just want to make music come from nowhere and suddenly get their break. Fame brings the crazy lifestyle - drugs, sex, partying, money, temptations coming from every which way. People are bound to cheat and go off the rails and develop addictions and lose their freaking minds. Some are more grounded than others and survive. Others just struggle so painfully. And it is so compelling to watch it all unfold. This is mostly the story of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, the unofficial leader of The Six. But, you get to see the story unfold from everyone's viewpoint - all the members of the band, Billy, Daisy, managers, producers, Billy's wife. Oh, I so loved Billy's wife. This story is told in short blurbs from each of the people involved, which made it all the more fascinating. There are truly three sides to every story - mine, yours, and somewhere in the middle is the truth. That was never more true than within this story.

I am a huge fan of rock and roll and with this book Taylor Jenkins Reid throws the reader right in the middle of being in a 70s rock band. Was the author in a band?? Sure it was a little over the top and the topics (addiction) were a bit "heavy" but it was fun and fast read - just like an amazing album,

I'm pretty sure that anyone who's read Taylor Jenkins Reid loves her books. They're both fun and clever, and perfect for any other occasion. The book before this one, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, is probably my favorite (old Hollywood! family secrets!) but this is a very close second.

It's written like an oral history and it really does feel that way. Like with Evelyn Hugo, most readers will feel like these are legitimately famous people, ones that we grew up watching or, in this case, singing along with on the radio.

Parts of this story are actually devastating. It's not always easy or fun to read, and many of the people within its pages are self-destructive in heartbreaking ways. That obviously only adds to the realism factor; we've all seen this story play out a dozen different times on those VH1 and MTV documentary series (or in the pages of checkout stand magazines). 

This book is amazing and you should read it and you should make every actively literate friend you have read it.

Overall I liked the book. I think the format is where I struggled. While I liked the idea of interview format, and I liked the differing views of the same event/time period, I felt it left a lot to be desired for the secondary characters. The main characters I really got to know, but unfortunately with the secondary characters I was half way through and still trying to figure out who was who. Despite that Daisy Jones & the Six kept me reading.

In this novelized version of VH1's "Behind the Music", we get a peek at a rock phenomenon -- a best-selling rock and roll band. The storyline and characterizations were so real, I had to take a closer look to realize it was a novel, not a biography.

Told in an interview format, alternating voices of Daisy and the rest of the band members, readers get a look inside life in the early to mid 1970s in LA, Hollywood, and Laurel Canyon which was a breeding ground for the "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" culture. Although it's pretty clear that Daisy and the band will implode at some point, the well constructed storyline (revealed in brief comments from the participants) is so captivating and so carefully and slowly uncovered I could not put it down.

A fun book for teen and young adult readers who want to learn something about the rock & roll culture and for older readers who remember The Doors and Janis Joplin and want to relive those "glory days". Well-written and intriguing. Very enjoyable.

BTW: I was amazed that despite the topic and time period there was not more profanity and sexual content. It's not glossed over, just not over the top. This would certainly be suitable for teens and YA readers.

Couldn't put this book down. Read it in two days. Characters bright me into the seventies. Fell in love with daisy. Almost a love story

I think this book will be hugely appealing for a lot of people-I have friends who follow bands and I think this book will be a huge hit with them. That said, I am not a huge music fan and this book just didn't capture my interest. I loved her previous work about the fictional actress Evelyn Hugo, and the writing is just as sharp in this book but I just wasn't that interested in Daisy Jones and her band. The format of the book, told in interviews, was very clever.

"It was about drugs and sex and love and denial and a whole mess of stuff." That line describes a song in the book, but it's also a pretty accurate description of the book itself. While there were parts I found very interesting (the producing of the album and how it's changed from recording to editing), I, unfortunately, did not feel a connection with any of the characters.

Because, I absolutely loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I will continue picking up whatever Taylor Jenkins Reid writes.

This is simply a book not to be missed. I started Daisy Jones and The Six expecting another solid read, as a long time fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. My expectations were blown out of the water!

The story chronicles the rise to fame for The Six, a rock band in the 1970's. Already making a name in the music scene, the band partners with singer/songwriter Daisy Jones and rockets to the top of the charts. Beyond the music, there are parties, trysts, drugs and feuds. All the makings of a truly excellent tabloid material.

This is the most original work of fiction I have read in years. Written in a journalistic style, interviewing band members and other parties, I had to keep reminding myself this wasn't based on a real band.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to review an early copy of this spectacular novel. All opinions are my own.

I was unable to finish this title and thus will not be posting a full review on my blog. This book did not suck me in and was very difficult to read. I'm sure that the method in which this was written via interview/oral history will work for some but it just bored me and felt insubstantial. Thanks for considering me for review of this title.

Is there anyone in their 60s or older that doesn’t see the cover for this book, read the summary and doesn’t immediately think of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac?

Reid does a great job capturing that sense of stardom; the sex, drugs and rock n roll.

I love how this book is written, as if it is a history of an actual band, as if it’s a compilation of interviews with everyone involved. It was wild to see how different things said or done were misinterpreted or remembered differently by others. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t based on a real group, the characters just seemed that real. It will be fascinating to see how the mini-series, being produced by Reese Witherspoon for Amazon plays out.

This is a super fast read and an engrossing one. I enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I really loved this. Billy’s comment “Drinking, drugging, sleeping around, it’s all the same thing, you have this line you won’t cross. But then you cross them. And suddenly you possess the very dangerous information that you can break the rule and the world won’t instantly come to an end.” Reid really made me feel the different addiction problems that first Billy and then Daisy faced, including the fight to stay sober.

It also took me back to the sexual discrimination that was just accepted back in the day. We all felt we just had to deal with it. I loved that Daisy didn’t; how she was able to ignore the “rules”.

“I am not a muse.

I am a somebody.

End of fucking story.”

And yes, I realize I’m gushing, but… when Reid is writing about how Daisy and Billy wrote their songs together, it made me think of all the great songwriting duos, like McCartney and Lennon. And the dynamics of the band brought back to mind all the stories of band breakups from my youth. Reid really captured the egos and the tensions rubbing against the desire to be famous and rich. And kudos, TJR, for actually writing complete songs and including them in the back of the book.

Trust me, this is one you want to read. It’s going to be one of the most talked about books of the spring.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.



My Thoughts: There was something serendipitous about the joining of Billy Dunne and his band together with Daisy Jones, a Hollywood girl who seems undisciplined, but who has the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll coming out of her pores.

Mixing these two performers had its problems…they each wanted to do everything their own way. How they managed to make it all work was interesting. But would they keep going indefinitely, or would their basic differences split them apart?

Reading the tale of how the band came together, and how they made it all work—for a while—was fascinating, but also a little challenging, as the writing style of a series of interviews felt more like a play and I had to keep checking to see whose narrative I was reading. The flow felt awkward, but I kept going because the story was one I wanted to follow. I love the 70s and the music from that time.

Toward the end of Daisy Jones and the Six, the story smoothed out for me and I enjoyed discovering what happened to the band and its members. 4.0 stars.***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.