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.

I am very interested in classic rock history, and very invested in anti-racism work. “The Final Revival of Opal and Nev” is a stunning book, told in an oral history format with plenty of fourth wall-breaking moments. While it will inevitably be compared to “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I found “Opal and Nev” much more engrossing and timely. And the latter’s protagonists are much more believable than the perfect Daisy Jones.

Now that that’s out of the way…

Opal is a misfit Black woman from Detroit. Nev is a misfit redhead from England. Yet somehow as a rock/punk duo, they fit together. Through the oral history format, and Sunny’s first-person editorial notes (she’s writing a book about the duo for reasons that become clear early on), we learn about Opal and Nev’s backgrounds and how they came to know one another. The novel slowly builds up to the concert-slash-protest that changes all of their lives forever, and new allegations come to light in some of Sunny’s subsequent interviews, which forces Sunny to question everything.

Walton doesn’t shy away from race and how moving through the world as Black women affected both Opal and Sunny. Each character has such a distinct voice—I was partial to Opal’s stylist, Virgil—yet the novel flows beautifully. Walton’s prose is lovely, and several passages made me wish I could look up the fictional Opal and Nev duo on YouTube! As a former journalist, she also nails the rock-n-roll history of the late ’60s/early ’70s.

I tend to not love an oral history-type novel because I often feel they violate the “show, don’t tell” rule of writing, but that absolutely wasn’t the case here. Highly recommend!

TL;DR: A fictional rock-n-roll oral history with a fresh lens on systemic racism. Your heart will go out to narrator Sunny as she explores the history of the rock duo that changed her life, and root for Opal as she breaks down barriers and fights for her freedom of expression.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book deserves so much praise! A great reminder of why fiction can be so powerful.

A poignant fictional oral history of the beloved rock ‘n’ roll duo who shot to fame in the 1970’s New York and the dark, fraught secret that lies at the peak of their stardom.

I have seen a lot of people comparing this one to Daisy Jones & The Six, however, I cannot compare the two as I have not read Daisy Jones, although I plan to. The only comparison I will give them right now is that I have heard they are written similarly, in an oral history type format, and that they share a common theme of music/musicians.

This story was not only a story about a man and woman trying to make it big in the music world, but the story of a black woman facing racism and discrimination, while her white band mate was working towards the same goals.

This was the very first book I’ve read that was written as an oral history/interview type format. I found it easy to read (although sometimes hard to digest, regarding the content) and I really enjoyed the written format. It was a big change from what I've been reading recently.

I am not going to lie.. I found myself grabbing my phone to google Opal & Nev (multiple times)while reading this one, I honestly kept forgetting that this was a fictional book. It feels so real!!

I think this is an absolute must read!

Thank you to @netgalley & @simonandschuster for my ARC copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Opal Jewel was “Nev Charles’s onetime partner-in-strange: the ebony-skinned provocateur, the fashion rebel, the singer/screecher/Afro—punk ancestor, the unapologetically Black feminist resurrected via GIFs and Instagram quotes for these intense political times.”

Opal and Nev were a musical duo for only a few years, and 2 albums, in the 1970s. During a collective showcase for the Rivington recording artists there was a violent clash over a Confederate flag between a motorcycle gang and the performers. The description of the riot and what led up to it was very colorful and intense. Opal’s married lover, the drummer Jimmy Curtis, was killed during the riot. Opal and Nev split up soon after this. Nev overcame addiction to become an extremely successful musical artist. While Opal’s musical career faltered, she became better known for her political activism. In 2016 a reunion is now being contemplated and Jimmy’s daughter S. Sunny Curtis is the writer Opal chooses to tell the story.

This book is written in the form of a series of interviews, and editorial asides, with Opal, Nev, Rivington executives, Opal’s sister Pearl, other recording artists, Opal’s friend and stylist Virgil and others. In format and theme this book is obviously similar to “Daisy Jones and the Six”, however I liked this book much more. I thought Daisy was somewhat trivial, while this book looks at more serious and important issues including sexism and racism in the recording industry and society. It’s also a very entertaining book and the audiobook was particularly enjoyable. There were many narrators and I am not certain who did which character, but the voices of Opal, Nev and Virgil were especially good. This is an excellent first book and I would like to read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This book completely transported me into a 1970’s NYC, where Opal and Nev first cross paths at a performance by Opal at a bar’s amateur night. Soon after, they are signed on as a rock duo with Rivington Records and their success begins there.

The author introduces you to a cast of characters using an interview-style format which I loved, and it was fun hearing family member’s and friends tell stories and recount memories of Opal and Nev’s lives before they were famous. I was particularly fascinated with Opal from the beginning.

While some major plot points were incredibly dramatic and intense, I still felt the pace of the book was very slow in parts, (for example, some of the interview perspectives really dragged on, but this may be because I listened to the audio for most of it). I did, however, forget at times that this story was fictional, which truly demonstrates how captivating this story was overall.

While I can see why this book is gaining so many rave reviews, my only wish was for more music to be included! However, I definitely recommend it and believe this book would appeal to almost anyone.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic novel, a fictionalized oral history that felt so real I sometimes had to remind myself that Opal & Nev were just characters and not actual people. The oral historian/editor/sometimes narrator is Sunny, whose father was killed before she was born in a riot caused by a performance by the infamous, cult favorite rock duo Opal and Nev. She reveals right away in an editor’s note that her father had an affair with Opal, that she has a personal stake in the story, and that Opal had long had an impact on Sunny’s life by paying for her education. Sunny has just been promoted to editor of Aural, a major music magazine, and she wants to prove herself to her colleagues. She decides to pursue the oral history of Opal and Nev as part of the magazine’s “Aural Histories” series. As she learns more about the events that led to the tragic murder of her father, and all that followed, so does the reader.

Opal and Nev were a small time duo that rose to national attention in the 70s when Opal, during a show that was part of their record label’s showcase, destroys a Confederate flag on stage during the performance. The flag belonged to the leader of a southern rock band that was also on the label and set to perform. Opal, a young, striking, bald black woman from Detroit, tears up the flag, which sets off a chain of events that ended in, among other things, the brutal murder of Opal and Nev’s drummer - Sunny’s father and Opal’s lover, Jimmy,

As the story of the past unfolds, in the present Opal and Nev are preparing for a reunion, which kicks off with them headlining a major music festival. A great mix of history, human drama, music, exploration of the racist history of our society as a whole and the music industry as a microcosm of it, amazing character development, and badass activism. I would recommend it to fans of Daisy Jones & the Six (similar time period and musical focus) and Dana Spiotta’s Eat the Document (similar time period, parallel past and present storylines, activism).

I really enjoy this interview format in books, and believe this one would be even better on audio. It reads like the biography of an actual person, which is always fun - especially when real life actors/musicians/etc are sprinkled throughout. I did feel that the pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but once it really got going, I was invested.

Opal Jewel is a badass - she’s strong and unapologetic and loud, but what I really enjoyed about her character is that she is also flawed. In fact, the author makes no attempt to hide all of the characters’ flaws - Opal, Nev. Sunny, Jimmy. Not only does it make the story more interesting, but also more believable.

But this book is about more than just music and a fictional musical duo in the 70s. It focuses on race, politics, sexuality, sexism, and more. It is poignant and heartbreaking and infuriating and hopeful all in one. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I did not think that Daisy Jones and the Six could be topped. Boy was I wrong. The writing style of this book was very similar to Daisy Jones, but Walton was able to take this story just a little deeper in a way that really worked for me. Opal is nothing like Daisy, but I was transported in time to the 70s for this story just like I was with Daisy's story. I really need to stop referring to Daisy, but man if you loved it, then prepare to love this even more. This oral retelling of Opal & Nev is just amazing. You feel like you are there with the characters living out the story. I wish I could reread it for the first time, but I will just have to reread it knowing what is happening.

In the manner of "Daisy Jones and the Six" this is a novel that reads like a biography of a rock band, It is comprised of "interviews' with the band members, their families, and entourages. The story begins with the implosion the band and the racial tensions that pervade. We are then taken back, interview by interview, to the childhoods and inception of the musicans' connections with each other. Of course, recording issues, personal and romantic involvements, betrayals and forgiveness are all part of the story.

I haven't had a 5-star read in a while and this book quickly shot to the top of my favorite books I've read recently.

Set in the 70's era of glamorous rock and roll Walton gives us two characters, Opal & Nev, who rise to fame with their unlikely pairing, eccentric fashion choices, and bold music. A tragedy strikes at their first industry showcase and their paths begin to diverge – one of them eventually shooting to mega fame and the other struggling to find a place in the industry. Walton highlights just how much the music industry, and our society as a whole, punishes Black women and rewards white men.

Told as a fictional oral history, this story was so immersive and I often found myself forgetting that it was a fictional story. I found myself wanting to be able to google images of Opal & Nev and listen to their music. Even though that's not possible, Walton does a really great job of painting a complete and vivid picture for the reader.

I could go on and on about this book! I urge you to add it to your TBR if you haven't already.

This is an explosive, enveloping debut that explores themes of race, sexuality, and feminism, against the backdrop of music stardom. This is a fun, unputdownable book that reads like an original biography. The narrative flips between the 1970’s and present day carefully weaving characters, times, and places telling the story of Opal and Nev. There are even references and quotes from living legends that aid in selling the story. This novel is crafted so well, I often reminded myself this is a work of fiction. I absolutely enjoyed this raw and emotional story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I spent so much of this book feeling totally confused about whether Opal and Nev were real people (I mean, I knew they weren't, but still. They weren't, right??), and also feeling really confused about whether historical events mentioned in it (and so many of them! And so many supporting characters, even) had really happened. That was distracting 😭 but not the author's fault.

Really only got into it when I got to Part Two, and then after that I was determined to finish it. But I never really liked the characters 😭 Again, not the author's fault. Opal turned into something of an antihero for me.

But, a good long read, and I admire the craft. So, basically, come for the craft, and stay for the craft. Beyond that, I dunno, really.

Plenty of people are comparing this book to "Daisy Jones & The Six" (a book I loved) but I think that this format reminds me of "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk" that I find a seminal book in telling a story using different voices and interviews.
That said I loved this book, engrossing and fascinating, and the well developed characters.
The different POVs make this sorry sound "realistic" and I loved how they described the characters, their story and the background.
An excellent story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Synopsis:

Told in an interview style format, readers learn the rise and fall of the 1970s genre defying duo. Nev comes from England, his mother seeing his talent, pushes him into music lessons at a young age. Opal is from Detroit, learning how to sing at church. Their chance meeting creates an unlikely partnership, pushing both boundaries of race and sexism in the heavily misogynistc music industry. A race driven riot at one of their performances, results in the death of one of their bandmates. Can the duo ever successfully reunite?

The author captures all of the characters so vividly that at times you forget that it is fiction. While the interview format at times feels choppy, the differing perspectives give a more clear explanation of events.

Though The Final Revival of Opal and Nev wasn’t a home-run for me, Opal was a grand slam. She’s the best part of this entire book. She is amazing. And flawed. And quirky. And hilarious. I loved her.

I would be interested in trying an audiobook of this book as I think it would capture the essence of the story better!