Book Review: Daisy Jones & The Six - NF

By Gabriel Morley

Right on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock comes a rock and roll novel that supercharges the life-altering music of the 70s.

Author Taylor Jenkins Reids Daisy Jones and The Six tells the story of the burgeoning rock scene in Los Angeles in the 1970s through the eyes of Daisy Jones, a young woman infatuated with singing and living the rock and roll lifestyle. When Jones gets mixed up with The Six, one of the hottest bands of the time, the chemistry is remarkable.

Although the book is fiction, it is written as though it were the memoir of an aging rock star looking back over a raucous career. The blended narrative makes for an intimate read similar to a documentary.

Daisy Jones and The Six go on to become one of the biggest bands of the 70s, but thats not necessarily the story that drives this book. Its the characters. The characters come to life and really make the novel standout. They are fragile, broken, and triumphant. Jones is particularly interesting as the female lead, who is unabashed and never allows anyone to overshadow her.

To no ones surprise, the novel is suffused with many of the hallmarks of the 70s and serves to create an authentic atmosphere for the story to unfold. The author has said she wanted readers to feel immersed in the story as if they were there.

This is a perfect book to make the transition into fall before some of the new big books of the year hit the shelves.