Daisy Jones and the Six is the oral history of a 70s rock supergroup. The band starts as two brothers, Billy and Graham, and their friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As the band sees success, they move to California. They record a single with Daisy Jones, an up-and-coming singer and local “it” girl. Daisy and Billy instantly hate one another because they see the parts of themselves they hate in each other.
The book chronicles their rise to stardom. Billy and Daisy are the stars of the book, just like in the band. We see Billy struggle with addiction and trying to be the kind of husband and father he wants to be. We also hear how Daisy floats through life like a leaf on a river, sometimes gently gliding on the surface and other times crashing on the rocks. She’s also an addict, but with no one to anchor her like Billy has with his wife, kids, and brother. Billy’s friends and family act like a buffer, whereas almost all of Daisy’s are parasites.
I didn’t think I would like this book, so I was shocked when I fell in love with it. The story itself is fine, it’s the writing that makes it spectacular. The dialogue feels very real, like we’re overhearing actual conversations. I’ve always been sympathetic to addicts but I’ve never understood addiction. The way the characters describe addiction helped me understand how someone could become an addict. The romances also felt real to me; the longing, the heartache, the solace, and comfort. The author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, is extremely talented. I’m so happy to have discovered her work.