If you’re an avid reader and managed to avoid this book then I commend your strength because I could not escape the virtual and in reality influencing. With the TV adaption on the way, I was eager to read the hyped Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid before seeing it play out on the small screen. I didn’t love much about this book, but I could see the potential for a show (despite already knowing it is about to be released).
Since it appeared to be universally loved, my only expectation was for it to be a compelling romance novel. Ultimately, I was disappointed. Before I get into spoiler territory and negative criticism, there were some things I enjoyed.
I enjoyed the interview format! Granted I haven’t read many books as of yet, but this style is new to me and presented an interesting way to tell the story. The premise was interesting even if it was familiar because what’s another band drama to girl who is/was obsessed with Destiny’s Child, One Direction and Little Mix (never forget March 25th and December 14th). It was an easy enough read and I could at least get through it even if I probably won’t read it again. The potential of the story was exciting to me and, as I mentioned, I could imagine this story better as a tv show. The stolen looks and heated tension could work better on camera rather than from first person accounts of people who are (apparently) too scared to admit they have feelings for each other.
Here are my 3 main issues with the novel with major spoilers ahead.
1. I didn’t believe they were in love.
Maybe it was the perspective of the story or just subtleties that flew over my head, but I didn’t believe the two leads had been yearning for each other. There was a lot of reading between the lines that was necessary to believe Daisy & Billy were in love. By the end, the connection I wanted to know more about was the band's keyboardist and guitarist, Karen and Graham. Personally, I felt that this book suffered from telling not showing which I understand is hard when the characters narrating the story are possibly in denial and aren’t being held accountable. I yearn for romance, which I didn’t get in this book.
2. Pivotal moments didn’t feel epic.
Daisy potentially overdosed, but she’s our only reporter of the incident so we don’t get many details and what feels like a pivotal moment is over almost as soon as it happens. Billy is about to relapse in-between scenes of his wife telling Daisy that Billy loves her, which potentially could have a bigger impact if you believed in the Billy-Daisy love dynamic. Billy’s daughter is revealed to be the author in a scene that didn’t require her interference and felt like a ploy for a dramatic reveal more than being to the necessary plot. At the conclusion it’s revealed that Daisy’s best friend, Simone, is a lesbian. Given how close they were supposed to be and how necessary they were to each other, was it possible that she love Daisy more than a friend? The potential was there and, again, wasted on shock factor. These are just a few moments that felt like they deserved more attention than they were given.
3. I couldn’t hear the songs.
This is definitely on me, but I couldn’t imagine what the songs sounded like and the lyrics were mismatched in my head. As a story about a band apparently creating some of the best music of the time, this felt like an unfortunate aspect to be missing out on and partially ruined the novel for me.
After considering the issues I had with the book, I can understand better why I felt the tv show has more potential to better fill in the blanks and right the parts I didn’t enjoy. The first trailer seems promising so I’ll be eagerly waiting for March 3 to hopefully become a fan of Daisy Jones & the Six.
★★☆☆☆
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