Read 11/20/19 – 11/21/19
This is one of the most popular books I chose to read for Buzzwordathon 5.0, and you can read more about why I choose Daisy Jones there! Daisy Jones was a very enjoyable book. They style is immersive and easy to follow. It reads (or listens) like a podcast or audible version of a documentary. The story of Daisy Jones and her comrades is an interesting one, but I struggled to find the same love for the novel that so many others did.
I love a good character driven story, and this seems like it ought to be just that. However, the more I think about it, a lot of the characters feel like caricatures in some ways. They each seem to fit a particular niche that we might expect in a band, at least Daisy and Billy do. This isn’t so extreme that it’s a distraction. I followed along and enjoyed the ride. What I didn’t do was feel a real connection (most of the time) with the characters. I understood them. However, my understanding didn’t do much to make me care. There were a few moments, ever so brief, where I did feel the emotions they might be feeling, particularly with Camilla.
As I said, Billy is not a very interesting character. It’s how those around him deal with him that I found most interesting. This is a story about fame and about how people react to it, but what I find more interesting is just how people deal with problems in life. Fame is, as booksandlala puts it, just not that interesting (to me!).
Don’t get me wrong, this is a very enjoyable book. I am listening to Reid’s older novel (Evelyn Hugo) now, and it seems interesting, but I do so with caution and the recognition that I may not love it. It will be fun at the very least. Fun is good. I don’t want to seem like I’m disregarding their love for the book. I love that others love it and get more from it. If anything, universal praise is a promise of something likable about it, even if it isn’t entirely for me. 3.75/5 stars
For the Love of Science 