Book Review for The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

The comparisons to Daisy Jones & The Six are inevitable. While the oral history format, set in the 70's music scene are commonalities, that's about where it ends. While Daisy was a lot of fun, it was lacking in deeper social commentary, Opal and Nev are more richly drawn and memorable characters, and even Opal's sister Pearl and best friend Virgil, and I have a feeling they will all stay with me for a long time - I miss them already. While Dawnie Walton is an experienced writer and editor, the fact that this is her first novel is impressive, and clearly she wrote what she knows, so I will be curious to see what's next for her.

Being really picky, a small critique, the use of footnotes throughout was random and perplexing - ranging from a reference to Virgil's partner that seems could have been easily woven into context, and on the other end of the spectrum, one about Watergate? Was unsure of the purpose or whose benefit these were for?
Would have liked to have hear more about the ensuing years between Opal's Paris jaunt and the Final Revival, though perhaps a personal preference that was a good call on the author's part, may have bloated the novel too much.

However, the weaving in the most perfect modern day cultural figures and musical artists, designer Stephen Burrows interviews into the narrative to illustrate Opal's cult influence was genius. Nev's appearance on CBS Sunday Morning was particularly fitting for an aging rock-turned-pop star.

Every character, even secondary, were well-developed, and left the reader wanting to know more about them too, plus Sunny herself. The last 1/4 of the novel and without spoiling, the consequences to Sunny taking on this story were sadly realistic. I want a sequel!!! The author creates a fresh yet familiar universe surrounding Opal and Nev, and makes one wish they, and their music, really exist. While early in the year, confident this will be one of this reader and critics alike will name top reads of the year - I cannot stop recommending or thinking about it since finishing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked how the author set up this book - a mix of interviews and regular story lines. It took me a while to figure out that all the interviews were conducted by the same person, Sunny, but once I got that figured out, it was easier to follow. While Sunny was an important character ( just because of who her father was), I didn't think she necessarily needed to be the focus of the book. Also, because I read a Kindle version, the footnotes weren't as easy to follow. I didn't skip ahead to read them as they occurred in the story, and more than once I just skipped them all together once I got to the end of the chapter. I'm sure I would have liked them better in a physical book. This book has been compared to "Daisy Jones," but I'm afraid it suffers by comparison. I'm not sure exactly why. Part of the problem for me was the inclusion of real-life events and people. Sometimes that works for me in a book, but in this case it didn't. Also, there was so much talk about how the music industry works, and that didn't advance the story; I'd rather the author spent more time on the characters. And while Nev went on to have a fairly successful career (despite not being terribly talented), Opal didn't. She was popular among her fans but was famous mostly for her antics at the 70s era show with the Bonds band. Yet when it came time for the final concert, where she and Nev were finally reunited, the crowd went wild. That didn't really ring true for me. Speaking for myself (of course), the first part of the book was the best. Somewhere around the halfway point, it seemed to stall, and I found myself checking often to see how much was left. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster, Dawnie Walton,and NetGalley for the ARC of this book

I so wanted to love this. Loved the idea and the format (mostly) and especially the topics of music and examples and exploration of racism and the deep dive into history and present, but the story really dragged through a lot of the book and I didn’t particularly look forward to reading it each day because of it. The end was great, though, and brought it up from 2 stars to 3 for me.

This is definitely one of my top books of the year so far! I was instantly drawn to this book because of the description, but this is so much more than a story of a musical duo! Opal was such a cool character to read about and the soundtrack for this book would absolutely SLAP!

On top of the interesting bits about what it’s like being a rock duo in the 70s, this book shows the bad parts of the time as well. This book makes great points about white privilege, performative allyship, sexism, and racism. By taking us through the years, we actually see how little progress we’ve made.

I’ve seen a lot of people compare this book to Daisy Jones and the Six for the format and the fact that they are both about music groups of the 70s. No shade to Daisy because I love her too, but this book just brought so much more to the table! I would definitely recommend checking this one out!

Hold my heart. This book is phenomenal. I could not put this down. The writing is beautifully laid out. Surely this will be a favorite of 2021 for me.

This was a super engaging story that highlights what it was like to be a Black musician in the 60s and 70s and the disparities in experiences between white and Black musicians. I tend to struggle with writing styles that are purely in "interview form" and also felt there were a lot of long descriptive paragraphs that tended to lose me. Overall though I definitely recommend this book for fans of books like Daisy Jones and the Six and the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev looks back, through transcribed interviews and other epistolary elements, at the lives and careers of a pair of 1970s musicians.

Young Black journalist S. Sunny Shelton. Sunny is the new editor of Aural magazine and, as both the first woman and first African-American editor of the magazine, feels like she has a lot to prove. Sunny has a personal connection to Opal's story, one that unfolds through the course of the book. The story consists of Sunny’s interviews with Opal and Nev, and with executives at their record label. She also includes commentary from and interviews with musical contemporaries, fans, friends, and even real musicians (like Janelle Monáe and Questlove) and celebrities (like Gloria Steinem, Quentin Tarantino, and Jane Fonda.)

To me, all epistolary stories have their pros and cons. It’s a great format for a book with a lot of characters. It’s great for historical fiction. But in my opinion as a reader, epistolary books just don’t pack the same emotional punch. As a reader, I always feel kept at a distance to some extent.

Opal’s story is about so much more than just her relationship with Nev. But the book uses the two of them to contrast the way each is treated in the music industry and in the United States in general. Opal has try to build a career and make music on her own terms in an industry run by white men, and reading about her struggles was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Her relationship with Nev takes a turn, one that I didn’t see coming but should have. It was also fascinating to compare Sunny’s career struggles in the 2010s with Opal’s, and to watch their relationship develop.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev wasn’t a fast read. It’s rich with detail and beautifully written, a book that you’ll want to take your time with. I highly recommend it!

This book has been compared to TJR’s Daisy Jones and the Six by practically everyone who mentions it, but I think that comparison is a bit reductive considering the topics of this book are more hard-hitting and far less romantic.

there are definite similarities, but there are also pretty striking similarities between the format/narrators involvement in Opal & Nev and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Walton did a great job of evoking the sound of Opal and Nev, I loved the costume descriptions and Opals relationship with Virgil, and the book felt very timely.

If you enjoy the oral history format and hearing from multiple characters, you’ll likely enjoy the format of this book. It felt slow at times and took a while to get to the meat of the story but I couldn’t put it down once I started it and finished it in one and a half sittings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed it and recommend it once it hits the shelves.

A truly memorable story about larger-than-life Opal and Nev, and our fearless narrator Sunny; THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV is a captivating oral history that feels all too important given the current social climate.

Comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six feel natural, but this story, to me, was more believable, heartfelt, and timely. Walton creates a world so realistic I kept wanting to search for pictures of Opal’s outfits, or listen to Opal & Nev’s songs. I rooted for Sunny and Opal, for their story of rock n roll, of music and adventure and redemption and so much more. I would highly recommend this novel- one that will stay with me.

I kindly received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six but with more heft. An unlikely twenty someting duo, a powerful, unapologetic black woman named Opal Jewel and a red headed, British singer songwriter named Nev hit the 1970's music scene. Their rise and fall happen quickly. The story takes us through their lives together and apart. It is told from many points of view in an interview format reminding me of Rolling Stone magazine.

Since I particpated in the 1970s music scene, this book had everything I could want and I couldn't put it down. Music = check. Sex = check. Tragedy = check. Success = check. Falling from Grace = check.

This isn't your typical novel--written in oral history formal, similar to Daisy Jones & the Six, with editors notes and historical footnotes.

Centering around Opal Jewel and Nev Charles, a fictional rock & roll duo who rose to fame in the 70s, the journalist who set out to write about the reunion has a very personal connection to the history of these two.

I thought the author Dawnie Walton did a fantastic job crafting her main characters and their evolution. I really enjoyed the real-life references throughout as well. This one definitely doesn't feel like fiction and worth the read if you're looking for something different to add to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley, 37Ink and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was such a magnetic book! I was hooked from page one. The writing style is unorthodox (narrated as an interview) and so vivid (as embarrassing as it is to admit, it also proves how well this story was written --yes, I believed Opal and Nev were real-life characters..), it does reflect Opal's characters and physique: unique, unforgettable, gutsy, eccentric, fun, lively, and the ending was so satisfying. What did I enjoy the most? Opal Jewel, for sure; this young lady is proud to be who she is and I admired her unapologetic and strong personality. She knew who she was and she knew what she wanted, without being obnoxious.

The story between Sunny and Opal had nuance and depth and was not easy to digest but, man, was it a beautiful story! If you are looking for a story including strong Black female figures, you need to grab yourself a copy of TFROO&N! There are a lot of current and important subjects to be discussed on a buddy read or book club.

Much respect for Ms. Dawnie Walton; I will sure follow her work for many years to come. She blew me away.

I can say that this book will be on my top 10 list for 2021.

Thank you Net Galley and 37 Ink for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you loved Daisy Jones and the Six you will like this one too! I did feel like the story dragged at parts but then there were parts where i was on the absolute edge of my seat! I wish Opal and Nev were real and I'm actually quite bummed I can't stream their songs right now and that I missed their reunion show. Also!! People aren't talking about how much Sunny rocks. She was such a complex and great character!

This is hands down one of my favorite books of the year. I just had a wonderful time reading it and found it compulsively readable. By far and away my favorite character was Virgil and the complicated relationship that we got to see between him and Opal. It might not have been the most important part of the book in terms of the larger plot or the beats that happened, but it was the one that connected to me the most. I also really liked the way that Nev's character was relayed to the reader. I think that there were plenty of moments even before he and Opal became intertwined that allowed the reader to feel that something was off with him before anything happened with Jimmy Curtis, or even the ultimate revival.

I did have some doubt that after I read the first 50% that the concluding half might not have been able to live up to the enjoyment that I had. But I think I really appreciated that the prose started to play with the second half, and how a lot of that remained with Sunny doing some more introspective moments. It worked for me that doesn't always when pacing starts to slow down.

The way that blame and the truth was played with in the narrative was really interesting to me. Even how Opal and Nev's relationship played out after the riot through to the present. I'm a character driven reader and so getting to see the dynamic between all of the players and the unresolved quality that seemed to hang over the ending definitely worked for me. It added to the feeling that these could actual people in a story that could have existed and made the inclusion of real people not feel like something that was taking me out of the story but instead adding to the richness of it.

Great concept! Well written. Interesting format. Timely, important story. Too drawn out. And I felt like the author threw everything and the kitchen sink at it. Narrowing the focus, the narrative would’ve greatly benefited. But I’ll definitely be following this author!

This was so excellent. I loved meeting Opal and Nev and love how this author didn't shy away from any of the hard stuff in music or history. Great job, Dawnie Walton!

Oh how I wanted to love this one. The interview format having been compared to Daisy Jones I even waited to get my hands on the audio so I could fully experience the story. Unfortunately this was just too slow moving for me. I would loose interest more often than not and while I was intrigued by Opal it just didn’t hook me. The hype also may have set this one up for too high of expectations.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

This book is so amazing that after reading it, I had to remind myself that it isn't based on real people. The characters were very well developed and the author did a great job of creating a character who is telling a story based on interviews and interactions with other characters for the development of a book. The pacing was really good and so the story easily flowed. I had to deduct a star for how the book ended because it felt like the story wasn't truly concluded and just ended abruptly. I was hoping for more of an interaction or resolution between Opal and Nev because it felt like he got away with something. Other than that, this book was phenomenal and I would recommend it it to others.

I liked the way it was told thru multiple perspectives and how it told the story of struggling and overcoming racism. I felt like some of the story was disjointed, the editors notes weren’t cohesive. Towards the last half of the book I was struggling to finish it, it just was not keeping my interest.