Daisy Jones & The Six

4 stars • audiobook • recommend the audiobook!

If I had chosen to read this as physical book, I would have been given it a lower rating. Probably like a 3 star at best...but the audiobook!

Oh wow. It just elevates this story. The performances are top-notch, not just read aloud, but performed, acted. The way the book is written makes a strong transition into audio format. Daisy Jones & The Six is written in an oral story format, a set of interviews with different characters, spliced together to form a fictional documentary about the band of the same name.

No surprise, this format works better in audio. And I enjoyed it a lot! The characters are realistic. This is fictional history, but done so well, that I needed to remind myself that Daisy Jones & The Six were not a real band. I also loved the 70s rock and roll culture, the messy drama, and the rawness of the characters recounting the past. Another thing I liked was the usage of unreliable narrator. The book's format with the different characters perspective brought to light the unreliability of some of the perspectives.

There were a few things I disliked. I didn't really believe Daisy and Billy were in love. It felt so fake and one-dimensional? We are told they are amazing musicians and gorgeous people. But I didn't feel the chemistry. Also, this book is so full of infidelity and addiction. Most of the characters are, to some extent, unlikeable because of this. Despite that, still an enjoyable read, especially liked the ending. The final Daisy and Camila interactions felt really moving and impactful.

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