“I had no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”

— Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & the Six pg. 16

If you weren’t already dying to be a ‘70s rockstar kid, you’re crazy. Putting personal fantasies aside, “Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid will have you ready to quit school and move to the Sunset Strip with nothing but some bell bottoms and a good pair of hoop earrings. 

Set in Los Angeles during the late ‘70s, this uniquely written transcript-style book tells the story of fictional rock band, Daisy Jones and the Six, on their rise to fame. This book is about far more than music. It’s a story about complex relationships, filled with drama, drugs and debauchery. Reid introduces you to Daisy Jones, the young and beautiful it-girl of the ‘70s partying her way through California barefoot and blazed. As Simone, her best-friend, likes to say, “If the rest of the world was silver, Daisy was gold.” 

Daisy is the heart of this story. She’s crazy tall and crazy gorgeous with copper-red hair, cheekbones so defined that they almost seem swollen, and eyes so blue that a color-contact company actually created a shade called Daisy Blue. She can’t help but be the first thing people notice when they walk into a room, but like most young women, she wants people to see her for talent, not just her looks. She’s vulnerable, naive, and desperately wants to connect. Her battle with drug addiction and self confidence causes her to chase her nightmares the way other people chase dreams, and when you look past her beauty and iconic reputation like she hopes you will, you’ll realize that Daisy Jones is more relatable than you might think. Like all of us, she doesn’t want to be anything except herself. In her own words: “I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”

Then there’s her counterpart, the rough and husky Billy Dunne who’s styled in  denim everything, trying to make a name for himself and enjoying all the highs and lows of tour life. Their complex and captivating relationship is said to be inspired by rumors surrounding Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, the lead singer and guitarist of Fleetwood Mac, a British-American rock band from the ‘70s. Daisy and Billy’s story is a classic tale of two tortured artists and their struggle to navigate the price that comes with fame and fortune. Reid captures the soul of this story when she says, “The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle.”

The book’s style takes some getting used to, but you quickly learn to love the interview format. By jumping from character to character, you see the story told from multiple points of view which provides some unbiased clarification to what really happened behind the scenes in L.A. The novel reads like you’re in the green room with the band while they’re taking pulls of Hennessy and telling you about their latest rock ‘n roll affair. You feel like you’re a part of the conversation instead of an outsider looking in. You may even convince yourself you’re in the guest house with Billy and Daisy arguing over lyrics or where to get lunch.

You’ll find yourself cackling about how each character perceives a conversation or event, that is, if anyone there was sober enough to remember. When describing members of the band, Billy Dunne says, “Karren was just a great musician. That was all there was to it. I always say I don’t care if you’re a man, woman, white, black, gay, straight, or anything in between - if you play well, you play well. Music is a great equalizer in that way.” Flip to Karren who says, “Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people.”

If I could make this book last forever, I would. This crew will become your fictional family in the realest of ways, and good thing Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, is turning this book into a thirteen part television series with the help of Amazon Studios so we can meet them all over again. Riley Keough will be starring as Daisy Jones while Sam Claffin will take on the role of Billy Dunne. Honestly if Sam Claffin is going to be playing the lead singer of a rock band, I don’t know how you haven’t already started reading this book.

The ending of the novel elicits some mixed feelings. Without giving away any spoilers, you may love the vague-ness of what happens next or find yourself craving more. But Daisy Jones won’t leave you disappointed. She’ll leave you mesmerized, inspired, and a little bit more in love with the 70s. This book is an exciting escape into the world of rock n’ roll and all that comes with it. So go pull out your mom’s bell bottom jeans, give it a read, and watch Daisy and Billy’s stories unfold for yourself.