Look, I'm just gonna say it: I listened to the last hour of this book sitting in my car in the garage, and when my husband texted asking if I was coming inside, I told him I was "on a work call." No regrets. Zero. This book earned that lie.
I'd been hearing about Daisy Jones & The Six for years, and honestly, I'd been putting it off because I thought it was going to be one of those books that requires you to care deeply about 1970s rock music. (I do not. My music knowledge peaked at knowing all the words to "MMMBop" in 1997.) But then a friend told me the audiobook was basically like listening to a documentary, and since I'm a sucker for anything that feels like a really good podcast, I finally hit play during school drop-off.
This Is How You Do Full Cast
Okay, so here's the thing about full cast audiobooks - they can go really right or really wrong. Like, sometimes you get jarring voice switches that make you feel like you're channel surfing. But this? This is the gold standard. Twenty narrators. TWENTY. And somehow it works.
The format is oral history - basically everyone who was there telling their side of the story, documentary style. Jennifer Beals as Daisy is magnetic. She's got this husky, lived-in quality that makes you believe Daisy has actually done all the things she's done. Pablo Schreiber as Billy brings this intensity that you can practically feel through your earbuds. And Judy Greer as Karen Karen (yes, that's her name, and honestly, icon) delivers every line with this dry wit that had me laughing at red lights.
The casting is so good that by the end, I couldn't imagine these characters any other way. When Daisy and Billy are going back and forth about the same event with completely different memories? Chef's kiss. The tension comes through in their voices alone.
Survived 47 Pauses and Still Made Sense
This is the highest praise I can give a book: I paused it approximately one million times - for Sophie's tantrums, for Lucas needing help finding his shoes (they were on his feet, by the way), for Emma's Very Important Questions about whether fish have feelings - and every single time I came back, I knew exactly where I was and what was happening.
The interview format is perfect for interrupted listening. Each character gets their say in digestible chunks. You're never stuck in the middle of a complicated scene trying to remember what happened before the yogurt incident. It's like the book was designed for people whose brains are running on four hours of sleep and cold coffee.
Now, I did notice what some people complain about - there are a few sections where Julia Whelan (who narrates the connecting bits) takes over for longer stretches, and the switch from full cast to single narrator can feel a little jarring. It happened maybe twice and pulled me out of the story for a minute. But honestly? Minor complaint. The overall production is so polished that these moments barely register.
The Story Behind the Voices
I should mention - this book made me cry at school pickup. Worth it though.
Because here's what Taylor Jenkins Reid does so well: she makes you care about these messy, complicated people. Daisy is a disaster and a genius and deeply broken. Billy is infuriating and sympathetic and trying so hard. Camila - Billy's wife - might be my favorite character, and her narrator January LaVoy brings this quiet strength that just wrecks you by the end.
The book deals with addiction, love, ambition, and what it costs to be great at something. It's not groundbreaking in its themes, but sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. Sometimes you need a story that's told so well it feels like you're living it. The 70s rock scene comes alive - the sex, the drugs, the ridiculous outfits - but it never feels like a history lesson. It feels like gossip from people who were actually there.
And that ending? I won't spoil it, but I will say I sat in my car for an extra fifteen minutes after it finished, just... processing. My book club will love this (if I ever have time for book club again).
Who Should Listen
Perfect for multitasking moms. Seriously. The format is ideal for fragmented listening, the cast keeps you engaged even when you're half-distracted, and it's under 10 hours - which means you can actually finish it in a reasonable timeframe.
If you hate multiple narrators or need your books to have a single consistent voice, maybe sample first. And if you're expecting actual music - like, songs you can listen to - the audiobook includes a PDF of lyrics, but you're not getting a soundtrack here. (The TV show apparently has that covered.)
But if you want something that feels like binge-watching a prestige documentary while folding laundry? This is it. Car time approved. Nap time approved. Hiding-in-the-bathroom-for-five-minutes approved.
Satisfying ending - exactly what I needed. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go pretend I haven't been emotionally compromised by fictional rock stars from the 1970s.
