Book Review: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

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Introduction

Some books are good. Some books are great. And some books only fully come alive when you listen to them. Daisy Jones & The Six is firmly in that last category. The audiobook doesn’t just enhance the story — it is the story.

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Quick Facts

• Release: 2019
• Read: July 2025
• Reading Time: Fast listen, emotionally immersive
• Pages: 368 (print)
• Format Recommendation: Audiobook is essential. The full cast narration transforms the oral-history format into something that feels real, raw, and immediate.
• Perfect for: Readers who love music-driven stories, character studies, and messy, complicated creative relationships.

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Genre and Writing Style

• Genre: Historical Fiction / Music Fiction
• Writing Style: Oral history / interview format
• Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
• Trigger Level: 💀💀💀 (addiction, emotional manipulation, grief)

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Summary: A Brief Overview (Without Major Spoilers)

From Goodreads: Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

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.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

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Book Details

The interview-style structure allows readers (or listeners) to piece together the narrative through conflicting perspectives. This format shines most in audio, where tone, pauses, and emotion give each character a distinct voice and personality. It feels less like a novel and more like a real VH1 Behind the Music documentary.

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What Worked for Me

• The audiobook cast: This cannot be overstated. The performances elevate the text into a fully realized experience. You don’t just hear the story — you believe it.
• Character dynamics: Daisy and Billy are frustrating, magnetic, and deeply human. Their chemistry is palpable even when it’s destructive.
• Unreliable narration: The contradictions between perspectives add depth and realism rather than confusion.
• Atmosphere: The sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll vibe feels lived-in, not romanticized.

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What Didn’t Work for Me: Trigger Warnings and Criticisms

Very little — but in print, this book may feel emotionally distant or fragmented for some readers. Without the audiobook’s performances, the interview format can come across as flat or repetitive.

Trigger Warnings Include:

• Substance abuse and addiction
• Emotional manipulation
• Infidelity
• Grief and loss

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Final Thoughts

Daisy Jones & The Six is a perfect example of a story where format matters. The audiobook doesn’t just support the narrative — it defines it. The characters feel real, the music feels real, and the emotional fallout lingers long after the final track fades out.

An easy five stars — but only if you listen.

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📚 Study Guide

Tips for Readers

Choose the audiobook. If you’re someone who struggles to connect with experimental formats in print, audio will completely change your experience.

Discussion Questions

• How does the interview format affect your trust in each character’s version of events?
• Is Daisy empowered by her chaos, or trapped by it?
• Could the band have survived without sacrificing someone?
• Does the ending feel like closure — or compromise?