I very much liked this novel! Reid has this knack for creating interesting scenarios that don’t involve thrillers or fantasy or anything much beyond the ordinary, and for me she does a great job doing so.
This book is written entirely in the form of interviews–sometimes by the author, sometimes in the form of faux clippings from other magazines (or TV shows?) but always engaging. Someone called it out as “all tell, no show” but I disagree.
The in-depth interview is a time honored tradition in reporting that has fallen a bit by the wayside with the advent of Instagram/TikTok(??)/other forms of direct communication between celebrities and fans. I’m not saying it’s fully a bad thing, and a lot of the mythical pieces of old are between white dude journalists and white men. But there’s something about a well crafted piece of journalism with a snazzy title that sums up the ride you’re about to embark upon–“Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” or “Strange Love.” These pieces had power to change narratives, cause tragedies, completely revamp the image that a singer or actor portrayed to the world.
Reid pulls some of that magnetism into Daisy Jones, who remains the center of this book despite the fact that it’s a story of a collaboration between Daisy Jones and the separate band The Six. It’s a deliberate choice by Reid, I think, to make you think that the titular band is “Daisy Jones & The Six,” setting up your confusion as to whose story is being told by whom and why. I also saw someone note that this story is similar to “A Star is Born,” but with a more forceful female lead. Maybe? I definitely think that this story is a stronger take on the whole “they were in love and it didn’t work out.”
Do you know what I actually think that this arc reminds me of? One of the worst finales in TV history done right. [I’m referring to How I Met Your Mother, and the whole conceit that Ted was into Robin all along and his kids are finally giving him the go ahead to pursue her. Here is how it’s actually done, kiddos–with a mother (Camila) who is magnetic and present, a Ted (Billy) who is flawed in an interesting way, and a Robin (Daisy Jones) who gets to be the center around which her own life revolves even while she’s in the orbit of Billy/Ted.]