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liv_lovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Super fast read and I had a blast reading it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Drug use
kyrajg's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This one is a difficult book for me to review. I absolutely tore through it and couldn't put it down. But I felt there were some major issues with pacing and a few of the plot points felt really rushed/characters weren't fully flushed out. I also wish the epilogue had given a bit more closure as I still had a lot of questions. It's not as well put together as Daisy Jones and the Six, but if you liked that book you'll probably enjoy this one too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexism, and Mental illness
emmlxxi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
the characters are lovable with the exception of Jesse. Idc that he had his character developement, he still gives me the ick✊🏻
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Drug use, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Abandonment
jessy_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the experience of reading this book a lot, but I believe the author has more growing to do in their writing. Important events were not described in action but only after the fact, and some events were vague and only became clear later. This made the themes not come across as clearly as they could have. That is a shame, as I really liked the message this book wanted to bring across, about women in music and how much a womans reputation depends on her relationship, as well as dealing with mental health, describing schizophrenia and addiction. On top of that a healthy dose of music that i could feel vibrating through the pages, and this book came alive before my eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Addiction
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Car accident
mommarex1221's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Perfect for those riding the 70s fictional rock roller coaster that is Daisy Jones and perfect for those who wanted to like Daisy but struggled with the interview format. But it's so much more than that! Ursa Major branches off in unexpected ways and ended most in a satisfying manner. I truly enjoyed this debut and look forward to her next book, whatever it may be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Drug abuse
janae_reads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I won’t lie, I mainly picked this up to fill the Daisy Jones & The Six-shaped hole in my heart. I’m also just a huge fan of 60s/70s music and culture, so I’m usually always ready and raring to consume any sort of period piece that takes place during this time. So this book checked off a lot of boxes: another story about musicians who fall for each other and also set in the late 60s.
But, to my disappointment, this book was just…okay. I want to make it clear: I was not comparing this book to DJATS while reading. They’re two separate books and it wouldn’t be fair to compare them. With that being said though, I just couldn’t find myself liking these characters. Jane and Jesse were both fairly unlikeable, and every other character was simply forgettable. The plot was also, I mean, it was just alright; really nothing to write home about.
I’ll be honest, the main thing this story had going for it was its lyrics which I enjoyed reading. Aside from that, a few of the character interactions were nice and funny at times but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t re-read it.
But, to my disappointment, this book was just…okay. I want to make it clear: I was not comparing this book to DJATS while reading. They’re two separate books and it wouldn’t be fair to compare them. With that being said though, I just couldn’t find myself liking these characters. Jane and Jesse were both fairly unlikeable, and every other character was simply forgettable. The plot was also, I mean, it was just alright; really nothing to write home about.
I’ll be honest, the main thing this story had going for it was its lyrics which I enjoyed reading. Aside from that, a few of the character interactions were nice and funny at times but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t re-read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Suicidal thoughts
eviecheesepuff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Let’s set the scene ✨it’s 1969✨ you're in a Jesse Reid concert…but a band you’ve never heard of comes on stage. You’re upset and about to leave. Then the singer opens her mouth and…well, now you’re glad you're here to witness the birth of a legend. That is Jane Quinn and she doesn’t know yet, but this won’t be the last time her fate and Jesse Reid’s gets intertwined.
Look 👀 the blurb says that this is a love story. It's so much more. Don’t get me wrong! There is a love story in here but a very bittersweet and turbulent one. So if you’re looking for a sweet rom-com this is NOT it fam! 😭
Our mc Jane is a firecracker with no filter. This makes it hard for her to navigate the music world of sexism she’s thrown into. That was definitely my favorite theme in here👩🎤
Mental illness was a very big part of the story. I really liked how the author portrayed dealing with addiction and the boundaries you must set in order to heal from it. It was written in a really kind and understanding manner, which was lovely to see.
We also have some LGBTQ+ representation. We stand!
A lot of people are comparing this book to Daisy Jones and the Six and tbh the vibe is definitely matched but there are differences.
DJATS is a beautifully knitted story. The characters...I didn’t really like as people... but I was drawn to them by their flaws and personalities throughout the interviews.
Songs In Ursa Major is the opposite, I like the characters and I want them to thrive but the storytelling is not as impactful.
The songs however…are amazing. I need these songs to be recorded in real life so I can listen to them ❤️
Lessons learned
- Be more like Jane and do not lower your standards because society thinks you should. You know what you want, go out there and get it.
-Appreciate the family that stays instead of dwelling on those who left.
notes
- Inspired by the affair between Joni Mitchell & James Taylor BUT in my head ✨ Harry Styles & Victoria De Angelis ✨ were cast as the mcs. Not even sorry…
Look 👀 the blurb says that this is a love story. It's so much more. Don’t get me wrong! There is a love story in here but a very bittersweet and turbulent one. So if you’re looking for a sweet rom-com this is NOT it fam! 😭
Our mc Jane is a firecracker with no filter. This makes it hard for her to navigate the music world of sexism she’s thrown into. That was definitely my favorite theme in here👩🎤
Mental illness was a very big part of the story. I really liked how the author portrayed dealing with addiction and the boundaries you must set in order to heal from it. It was written in a really kind and understanding manner, which was lovely to see.
We also have some LGBTQ+ representation. We stand!
A lot of people are comparing this book to Daisy Jones and the Six and tbh the vibe is definitely matched but there are differences.
DJATS is a beautifully knitted story. The characters...I didn’t really like as people... but I was drawn to them by their flaws and personalities throughout the interviews.
Songs In Ursa Major is the opposite, I like the characters and I want them to thrive but the storytelling is not as impactful.
The songs however…are amazing. I need these songs to be recorded in real life so I can listen to them ❤️
Lessons learned
- Be more like Jane and do not lower your standards because society thinks you should. You know what you want, go out there and get it.
-Appreciate the family that stays instead of dwelling on those who left.
notes
- Inspired by the affair between Joni Mitchell & James Taylor BUT in my head ✨ Harry Styles & Victoria De Angelis ✨ were cast as the mcs. Not even sorry…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Addiction, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, and Mental illness
sundayray's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Sexism, Grief, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting
bxcvi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Abandonment, and Medical content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Suicide attempt
zo__ish's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In the beginning you can feel that this book as a debut, but then Brodie hits her stride and you take a step back and go “Oh my god this is a debut?!” I could not put the book down!
While I had some scruples with the chemistry between Jesse and Jane, their moments together are written well and I found myself rooting for them! I usually am not a big romance fan, the love interests sometimes feel too forced for me, so this was a good surprise :)
The best part of this novel was the music! Often music based stories don’t mesh well for me in the poetry/lyric department, but I was taken aback by how inspired I felt to write poetry!
Janie Q is a great female protagonist, and while some parts of her and her talent felt similar to that of Daisy Jones and The Six, I would say the two protagonists are different in their own right and so is are the plot lines! Brodie and Taylor Jenkins Reid definitely have different writing styles, character chemistry, and honed in on different aspects of the 70s. While similar, one is not the knock off of the other!
While I had some scruples with the chemistry between Jesse and Jane, their moments together are written well and I found myself rooting for them! I usually am not a big romance fan, the love interests sometimes feel too forced for me, so this was a good surprise :)
The best part of this novel was the music! Often music based stories don’t mesh well for me in the poetry/lyric department, but I was taken aback by how inspired I felt to write poetry!
Janie Q is a great female protagonist, and while some parts of her and her talent felt similar to that of Daisy Jones and The Six, I would say the two protagonists are different in their own right and so is are the plot lines! Brodie and Taylor Jenkins Reid definitely have different writing styles, character chemistry, and honed in on different aspects of the 70s. While similar, one is not the knock off of the other!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction