Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and the documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom. Engaging and exciting.

If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six this book is for you! This read like a Behind the scenes music show along with interviews. I really enjoy this style of writing and it made the book fly by!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC! I listened to <i>The White Album</i> while reading this, and I want to state, for the record that it made my reading experience that much better. <i>Opal and Nev</i> was a fast enough read, and a good enough one.

I have an affinity towards any kind of non-linear storytelling, so the almost epistolary form of the book was a big win for me. It was essentially like reading a book within a book, and that much was very well done. The small nuances that indicated the change in voice and tone of the various characters was also very well done--I remember being blown away a little by the use of the word "cross" to denote frustration, a very British expression from a very British character.

So why the four stars? Dawnie Walton is a very good writer, but that this is her debut is evident. I used to be a journalist, and one of the things that I retain from my journalism days, although it doesn't show in my long, rambling reviews, is editorialising. There were definitely parts of the book that could have been made tighter, strengthening the narrative thus. Having said that, I would also like to mention that it should not be compared to <i>Daisy Jones</i>. Are there obvious similarities? Yes. However, <i>Opal and Nev</i> is an excellent book in its own right, and I believe readers should appreciate it on those merits, rather than the comparison with <i>Daisy Jones</i>

As I am wont to do, however, I will be adding to this review when I feel like I have more to say, which I usually do.

I recommend this bool to anyone who enjoyed Daisy Jones.& The Six or music/ rock n' roll. I truly enjoyed this book! It is well-written and a unique story. I loved the character Opal - so iconic! I have no doubt this book will end up on best seller lists for 2021.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

I thought The Final Revival of Opal and Nev would be a love story. It is, but not the one I expected. Opal and Nev aren’t romantically involved, but rather partners in a famous, fictional rock duo.

So where’s the love? It’s between readers and music, the 1970s, the fight against racism, and author Dawnie Walton’s skillful words.

The structure of Walton’s novel is, well… novel. The duo’s story is revealed through a series of interviews and articles rather than as a linear narrative. It’s almost like a transcript of a lengthy “Behind the Music” episode, which will work for many readers but might feel choppy to others.

Given the oral history technique, audiobook listeners will want to take note. Those who choose the audio format will be treated to a full cast of narrators that bring the documentary-style story to life.

Want to immerse yourself in the world of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll for a few hours? This Opal is a gem.

My thanks to Dawnie Walton and Simon and Schuster for the gifted review copy via NetGalley.

With the oral history/interview format and the 70’s rock n’ roll subject matter, people will naturally discuss the comparisons to Daisy Jones & the Six. The stories and characters are so different though. As much as I adore Daisy, I think I loved this even more!?

This story was ADDICTING, and had so much flavor! The characters were so fascinating and flawed and complex. They genuinely felt real. The settings and scenes were described in a way that wasn’t overly done, but I felt like I was there. The discussions and commentary surrounding racism and white privilege during the 70’s and today were real and heart wrenching and anger inducing and uncomfortable.. which was the point. It was also an interesting viewpoint into the behind the scenes greed of the music industry and how the media pushes certain narratives. The steady pacing along with the format had me flying through pages! This was such a compelling read and a really impressive debut!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I loved it so much, I knew I had to have a physical copy! 🥰

I rarely give five-star reviews. Out of around 50 (and counting!) reviews I've published here, I think only one has a five-star rating. But The Final Revival of Opal & Nev deserves all five, easily. This story completely immerses you as the reader into the story of Opal, a black woman who dreams of becoming a music star, and Nev, a British man who becomes her music partner. They get signed to a record deal and it seems like nothing can stop them, until one day another band they are touring with decides to fly a Confederate flag, which leads to a protest that turns violent very quickly. Years later, an intrepid journalist who thought of Opal and Nev as her idols, wants to interview them before a reunion/comeback tour. Out come so many stories that show how Opal suffered and was vilified for daring to be a black woman with grievances and opinions. The stories Opal tells happened in the 1970s, and yet you would believe these same stories if they happened in the present day. We feel Opal's pain and anger and unfortunately, too many women of color can still relate all these years later. That is part of what makes this book so good and so infuriating all at once. But the fact that Opal finally gets to speak her truth decades later is intensely satisfying, even if reading those stories forces us to own up to the fact that we have a looong way to go still.

Probably will be one of my faves of the year. Loved the charismatic characters and the rock n’ roll atmosphere. I’ll be thinking about Opal and Nev for many years to come.

The Final Revival Of Opal & Nev was a great book and surpassed my expectations. I loved the way it was written journalist-interview style (like Daisy Jones), and I just loved Opal’s fierce and strong character. She speaks out and stands up for equality especially after her friend/lover was beaten and killed at one of their shows. This friend also happens to be the father of the journalist conducting the interviews. The journalist uncovers truths and omitted lies as she interviews all of those connected with Opal and Nev.

The writing style made the story feel true. I really enjoyed this book and loved its depth. Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and anyone that loves 70s era historical fiction.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I picked up The Final Revival of Opal and Nev because of the comparisons to Daisy and the Six and the oral interview style of writing for the story. And while it is similar in the fact that it tells about a band and slowly reveals some hidden secrets along the way, it is very distinct from Daisy.

Stylistically, it is much longer and less back-and-forth conversation - instead you get full storytelling by different characters, interspersed by editors notes from journalist Sunny Shelton, who has her own personal connection to the story. For me, it made the story richer, and the middle of the book clarifies who the protagonist is and shifts the focus in a really powerful way.

However, it is also longer and bogged down a bit by history that reaches into Nev and Opal’s childhoods without necessarily needing to. It also digs into the music industry itself to identify the racism and sexism that is rampant and dictating the monetary success and fame that Opal and Nev experience in their careers. Some of the quotes are clearly taken from real life white politicians and conservatives, which lends to the realness of the setting and time period.

Walton does an excellent job of making Opal and Nev flawed humans who both have intentions that are not always transparent, which keeps you wondering how they worked together and why they would ever do so again. If you want to try a fictional music history, this is a great book to do it with! Pick up the audiobook for a full cast, immersive experience.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

I loved this book. For fans of Daisy Jones, this book involves an interview style with the music industry. However it differs in the racial and historical elements. You will fall in love with Opal Jewel and be completely immersed in this world, so much so that you won't be able to believe that it's fiction. Highly recommend!

"Of course you wish you could do something more for every single one of them. Maybe something different, if you’d had the good sense to know what that was. But at the time the best I could do was be Opal Jewel, because that seemed to mean a lot to them."

I have to three star this because it took me two months to get through it despite being one of my most highly anticipated books (hello yes DAISY is one of my favourite all time books.)

That last scene got to me so badly. I have been on the barricade so many times. I've been on that barricade for Foals at a festival--I could have been at that one. I have jumped and screamed and accidentally elbowed people. Hell, I've had a man tell me off because my ponytail was too bouncy when I was on the barricade. I've battled for that spot and I've respected the people there that have made their way there and appreciate how close they are to the artist, who cry and sing and dance their hearts out with me, and I've taken many an elbow and many a bruising for it...but that's the price and it's an okay price. And then you think about the Pearl Jam Roskilde situation and how they stopped playing because they got word of the situation and Vedder asked everyone to step back. But you also think of how easily they could have dismissed the concern if it had come from someone they didn't respect, and if the lives at stake were Black lives. Not that I think they would have, Pearl Jam seem like decent dudes. But all to say yeah, that final scene got to me maybe a bit more than it was supposed to.

The Janelle Monae and Tom Morello parts were gold. But alas, otherwise I just wasn't super captivated by this one! It's well plotted and well told but I just never got super sucked in

The Final Revival of Opal And Nev is a fictional oral history of the musical duo Opal and Nev. Similar to Daisy Jones and the Six, the author chose an interview format to move the story along.

Set in 1970, we follow the rise and then separation of Opal and Neville. The duo had all the makings of being a good musical act but had not yet made their big break. Until a racially triggered fight broke out leading to a bandmembers death, and the duo becoming household names.

Now it is 2016, in the time of Trump getting elected for president and the Black Live Matter movement increasing. The origin story of Opal and Nev is all that much more relevant to the political climate.

Sunny Shelton is the daughter of the killed band member and works as an editor for Aural magazine. She is tasked to write the story of how this unlikely pairing came to be, in time for the Opal and Nev reunion concert. Neville is an awkward dedicated English musician and Opal is a blunt and theatrical Black woman from Detroit. Somehow this combination worked for the music scene of the 1970s and there are still fans in 2016 hoping to see it again.

However, in getting to know these people from her father’s life, Sunny struggles to remain unbiased in everything she hears.

This story elegantly weaved racial dynamics into the setting. I loved how the second part of the book really opened up the story. It completely changed how I had built up Nev’s persona in my mind. Turning someone who seemed to fight for people’s rights, into something a lot more questionable.

I also loved how powerful Opal’s character is. She was so unashamedly herself and how she managed the trajectory of her career. I liked how her character brought in so many feminist themes. She was not a damsel in distress, she had agency and power in how she chose to live her life.

“How in the world did a woman so black and so ugly manage to believe she could be somebody?” - Opal Jewel

Her friend, Virgil LaFleur was my favourite character. He is the friend that any person needs in their life with his loyalty and ability to think outside the box. How else would they manage to dress Opal so fabulously with such a small budget?

Adding in real-world events perfectly set the tone and feel for the book’s setting. Knowing which hit songs had been released at each stage of the book were really fun tidbits and showed what music was like at the time of Opal and Nev’s debut.

I do wish that there was a bit of a stronger ending. After the high impact of the second part, the ending felt lacklustre in comparison, even if I did enjoy the cyclical nature of it. The pacing of the book felt unbalanced, but the characters made it worth it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book.

4 stars! This book read like it was a true story. If Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo were to have a book child, Opal & Nev would be it.

First and foremost thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and 37 Ink for the eARC in exchange for an honest review of <i>The Final Revival of Opal & Nev</i> by Dawnie Walton because from the moment I read the blurb, I knew it was something that I would fall in love with. The 1970s American rock scene is the stuff of legends and if you tell me that the main character is a dark skinned Black woman who is subversive by nature, an Afropunk pioneer, and that it’s based in New York City surrounding an infamous split, I’m sold.

There are certain aspects of this book that you would simply have to be able to relate to in order to understand the significance. Through Opal, I felt so seen and that is a big reason why I was able to relate to this book. S. Sunny Shelton (formerly SarahLena Curtis) is the daughter of drummer Jimmy Curtis, the Black man that was beaten to death at a race riot at one of Opal & Nev’s showcases. Sunny is drawn to this story and this legendary duo obviously from a personal standpoint but also because her father had an affair with Opal while Sunny’s mother was pregnant. Sunny starts writing a book about this and interviews several people involved with making Opal & Nev a big sensation.

Opal Jewel (formerly Opal Robinson) comes from a single mother household with an older sister in Detroit and as someone who was raised by a single mother with a younger sister, I was able to immediately relate to this. Detroit was in a big swing with Motown and the motor industry making it a flash place. Neville “Nev” Charles was born in Birmingham, England and had dreams of becoming a musician. I don’t want to go too deep into this but essentially he sees Opal and immediately is drawn to this woman while she is not necessarily one of the pretty and easygoing Black women that his label wants him to get with. The book is told in a mix of interview format and editor’s notes where we get glimpses of Sunny’s history and personality.

The first half of the book sets us up with what led to the night of the riot. We learn about Opal and Nev’s backgrounds and are introduced to the major cast and characters in this book; Virgil LaFleur is Opal’s closest friend and stylist, Howie Kelly runs the label, Pearl is Opal’s sister, Bob Hize was the producer for Opal & Nev, Rosemary Sanducci was a close friend of them, and there are many others who appear depending on the importance. One of the most offending perspectives is of a Trump supporter named Chet Bond who was a member of a southern rock band at the time who had heavy themes of the confederate flag with a volatile but loyal fanbase. The introduction to this band is when things go south and Chet drops a bombshell on Sunny in present day about what led to that fateful night that got her father killed. From there Sunny grapples with how she will reveal this secret and uncover the truth.

For people who keep up with rock music and the whole lore surrounding it, we all know the stories about meteoric rises to fame and the fallout. I think it’s part of the fun of the classic rock bands from back in the day and it’s part of the fun in this book. One of the things that immediately stood out to me was the author’s choice to write about Opal’s childhood struggles with alopecia as roughly 50% of Black women will struggle with some form of hairloss and the most common is Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia. I felt like that’s an issue that is so common but it’s not talked about a lot and to feature it in this book was an excellent touch.

Naturally for a book that is written in our contemporary setting despite this being a historical novel, Opal is ahead of her time. Some might think she’s too woke but I think that given real life trailblazers from the 60s and 70s, she is appropriately informed. There are so many parallels between Black American life in 2021 and back in the early 70s. I found this book to be tender and wrenching. While there are some heavy themes at play, I was not interested in reading a book about a Black woman beaten and broken down mentally or physically and I’m happy to say that this book isn’t like that. Opal goes through her issues but it’s not Black woman trauma porn, through it Opal remains empowered without coming off like an inhumane strong Black woman trope.

Above all, I like that the characters are incredibly flawed. The issue at hand and how Nev and Opal break apart is heartbreaking, especially since the author does a great job of making us build sympathy for them. I gasped at the reveal about Nev’s part in Jimmy’s death and I spent the rest of the book hoping for an explanation. In the end, it wraps in a way that I think is impactful and will leave the audience wanting more. For a book that is primarily dialogue centric, it covers a lot of ground and it is able to convey deep emotions and rich settings for the readers to transport themselves into this story. I was immersed immediately within the opening pages and found myself wanting more.

While I didn’t read this book yet, I imagine that those who enjoyed <i>Daisy Jones & The Six</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid would enjoy this because of it being in the same time period and as I said, rock & roll in the 70s is the stuff of legends. Even people who complained about the whiteness in <i>Daisy Jones</i> would love this book. Honestly, I just won’t accept negative responses to this book. I need the miniseries adaptation and the spinoff about Virgil LaFleur being a fabulous designer in New York City.

Excellent book and concept. I had not read anything in advance of opening this one up and beginning to read the prologue. I was confused for a bit, originally thinking this was fiction and then changing my mind and questioning my sanity when this seemed to be non-fiction. I love music, grew up in the 70's, and thought I knew a lot of about the times, so I was disappointed in myself for never hearing of these artists. A quick trip down the google rabbit hole made me realize that this was fiction, this author was brilliant and I couldn't wait to keep reading!
The most original piece of prose I've read in a very long time, and I think this will be nominated for many bookish awards. This is Walton's first book too! Wow!

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev imagines the reunion show of famed, but aged, couple of rock stars whose partnership was short, but explosive. SarahLena, newly appointed editor of Aural magazine is going to do a feature on their reunion. She has a greater stake than most as her father Curtis was murdered at the Opal & Nev concert that turned into a riot and amplified their career. Opal was having an affair with him and after his death, she paid for SarahLena’s education.

The book’s conceit is that it is her book about the singing duo’s reunion concert and tour. She narrates short explanatory notes between direct interview quotes with the principals and their friends and colleagues. In the course of her interviews, she interviews the man accused of murdering Curtis and learns something that casts the tragedy in an entirely different light.



I think Dawnie Walton had a good story but made several style decisions that interfered with the story of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. Think about the last biography you read. Was it a series of verbatim selections from various interviews? No, it was a narrative supported by quotes from interviews. Most interviews are completely paraphrased and not quoted. This affectation annoyed me no end. It is a quality of the story itself that kept me reading despite such a completely intrusive and clunky way of presenting the story.

I hope Dawnie Walton writes more books. I hope she never writes it in interview format again.

I received an e-galley of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev from the publisher through NetGalley

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev at Simon & Schuster | 37 Ink
Dawnie Walton interview at Book Page

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a fictional oral history of a rock 'n' roll duo from the 1970s. Opal is a Black woman from Detroit while Nev is a white British man; they met when Nev saw her singing with her sister at an open-mic hour. They're about to reunite for a 2016 tour, and journalist S. Sunny Shelton takes on their story, interviewing everyone from Opal's brother-in-law to the record label's receptionist in the '70s.

These characters felt fully realized to me - I was impressed by the way author Dawnie Walton brought so many characters to life. I wanted to live in the book alongside them. I liked the way she used oral history to organize/deliver different details, and thought the judicious use of editor's notes (from Sunny) added to the book.

I struggled with the pacing at times; it almost felt like the front end, chapters on Rivington Showcase, and back end were three distinct books when I wanted them to feel more cohesive. But that also has me excited about whatever Walton writes next: I think she has the chops to deliver a 500+ page masterpiece of a book.

I have been enthralled by this novel since reading the first pages. This oral history of music performers Opal and Nev traces their history from their early days (hers in Detroit, his in England) to the titled 2016 reunion. Our eyes for this trip? Sunny Shelton, daughter of their early drummer who died in an infamous incident in an early concert in 1973, before Sunny was even born. Now she is writing a book about those times and these people—she is a music writer after all!

Over the course of these interviews, we watch and learn about Opal’s wish to get away and have a different life from that she has in Detroit. While she loves her family, she is not like them, knows her aims are different. She likes to sing but even more to perform. Decides on New York. Nev also wants something different. Is going nowhere with his dream of music so takes off for a new country and city, New York. And they happen to meet; the tall thin red-headed Englishman and the small, dark, black, bald and bold woman. They tentatively form a partnership and the rest is a complex music history.

There are many wonderful voices in this history; Opal’s gospel singing sister and her mother; her fabulous designer and friend, Virgil; other band members and other musicians and performers; record company producers, and many more. They are all here.

Dawnie Walton gives us all this and she gives us Sunny who is a great presence too, tying everything together. But Opal is the star. A black woman who knows she wants to be different but also be as true to herself as she can be.

What an amazing book. Recommended for anyone who has ever enjoyed music.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I received a free ebook of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Opal and Nev are polar opposites in so many ways. Opal, a young black woman with an extraordinary voice, unconventional looks, and an in-your-face attitude, knows she is destined to be a star. But, to get there, she is uncompromising even when her future and that of others is endangered. Nev, a talented British songwriter also wants to make it big and it is he who first recognizes Opal's unique talents. As a duo, they struggle to stake their place in music. Their initial albums and concerts measure mediocre sales and it is determined that they, along with other performers contracted to Riverton, will perform at a showcase sponsored by their record company. But one of the other acts, perhaps best described as good ol' boy racists, sets up a conflict with Opal that leads to violence and death. And the consequences for a black woman who dared to challenge the status quo are severe.

The aftereffects of that one concert last for decades and impact Opal, Nev, and so many others. The violence of that one night not only affects Opal's career but also demonstrates how little has changed for black Americans in a white-controlled world. This novel is designed as a series of interviews, decades later, with the interviewer the child of Opal's lover, a talented drummer in the band. This is a gritty view of the music industry that reflects the ugly truth of America in the 1970s and beyond. Perhaps the harshest part is the realization that those you might count on and have counted on for years, are not what you expect.