A review by renegadegrocerycart
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Easy to read, but not much substance there. Essentially the story of two self-destructive artists with substance abuse issues told by themselves and the people around them. The interview format is interesting, and the character voices are enjoyable (especially Warren and Karen).
Unfortunately, it suffers from the Taylor Jenkins Reid signature issues of cheap plot twists and poor writing of women of color. The reveal of the interviewer being Julia wasn’t particularly interesting, and Camila and Simone existing basically to serve Billy and Daisy’s needs and tell their stories was disappointing, considering they’re the only women of color in the book.
That said, Daisy and Karen are interesting, and I connected with Karen’s parts. There was a lot of thought there to make her distinct and to depict a woman who doesn’t want kids and knows that.
Overall, the show is an example of how some writers are best when tempered by other contributors. The changes to the show, not least the addition of Bernie and Camila’s role as photographer/early manager, make this a much stronger story. Reading it after watching the show made it feel underbaked.
Unfortunately, it suffers from the Taylor Jenkins Reid signature issues of cheap plot twists and poor writing of women of color. The reveal of the interviewer being Julia wasn’t particularly interesting, and Camila and Simone existing basically to serve Billy and Daisy’s needs and tell their stories was disappointing, considering they’re the only women of color in the book.
That said, Daisy and Karen are interesting, and I connected with Karen’s parts. There was a lot of thought there to make her distinct and to depict a woman who doesn’t want kids and knows that.
Overall, the show is an example of how some writers are best when tempered by other contributors. The changes to the show, not least the addition of Bernie and Camila’s role as photographer/early manager, make this a much stronger story. Reading it after watching the show made it feel underbaked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Sexual assault
Addiction and infidelity are major themes in this book, discussed specifically and at length. There is a non-graphic abortion scene and discussion of the emotional fallout between a couple. There is an allusion to sexual assault/sexual coercion at the very beginning, but it isn’t explicit.