Daisy Jones and the Six is a standalone book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, that is being turned into a television show by Amazon Prime Video. The New York Times bestselling novel is set in the 70s, and stars a group of young people who are in a band together. Daisy Jones is the star of the book, and the story mainly revolves around her and her part in why the band eventually broke up at the height of their popularity. It shows inside the glamorous lives of rockstars in the 70’s and the dark side that comes along with fame. 

This book stood out to me as Taylor Jenkins Reid has a unique way of telling stories that grip the reader in such a way that you feel compelled to finish the book in one sitting. I read this novel sitting on a beach, the sun glaring in my eyes as I tried to comprehend the words on the page. I remember feeling a lot of emotions toward this book, especially toward the characters. 

I sometimes found it hard to feel bad for the main characters when they were doing such terrible things, and hurting other people in their life. I know that this is the point of the book, but it was still a difficult pill to swallow. Some of Daisy’s actions genuinely upset me, as did her love interest Billy. He was the leader of the band, and I absolutely hated him. I know he was supposed to be a sympathetic character, but to me he was just a terrible husband, friend, and person all around. 

While the storytelling was good, as was the plot, I couldn’t find it in myself to like the characters. When reading, I value character interactions and how they grow. That’s why I found it hard to enjoy this book, as even though the characters spurred emotion in me, it wasn’t a good emotion. They made me angry, sad, and all around confused. I wondered how a man could love his wife so much, and hurt her at the same time.

I know this story resonates with a lot of people, and some might find themselves within the pages of this novel. For me, I found it hard to find reason in their actions and thoughts, and that’s why this isn’t one of my favorite novels by this author. I’m excited for the TV show to come out, and how they tackle these complex and frustrating characters on the screen.