I saw a lot of comparisons of this book to Daisy Jones, and while they are both written as oral histories of fictional musicians, I would say they are very different types of books. The oral history format is definitely something that intrigued me originally because I enjoyed it so much in Daisy Jones, but the execution in Opal & Nev didn’t work quite as well for me.

I did really enjoy the general concept of the book being written from the perspective of Jimmy’s daughter and exploring her varied and complicated feelings about Opal. I also really loved Opal and Virgil as characters and the dynamics of their friendship over the years.

I came for the music and stayed for Opal. This book was so much more than just the music and the beginnings and ends of Opal and Nev. It was History in a way that we haven’t seen, it was social justice issues and family and everything. This book had me crying because my heart hurt for all the injustice in the world. This book is a must-read.

The writing was incredible, the storytelling was incredible, the characters were brilliant, you could really feel what they were trying to get you to feel. This was definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I don’t really know how else to describe how incredible this book was, I was deeply moved and I think this story will make a great impact on everyone who reads it. It’s a must-read.

This felt a totally refreshing story-line and will leave a sure impact due to it being so unforgettable. Having very limited exposure to iconic 70s rock music, this opened up a new world that kept me engaged. The life of rock-stars has always been complicated and filled with drama, with added racism angle discussed it felt very relevant. Behind the glamour of the rockstar world, there is so much so much sexism and racism in the 70s and hope it is better now or getting there.

This is the Debut you need to make sure you read this year!

Walton has written an incredible story that will make you wonder if what you are reading is really historical fiction. This novel is written in an interview/editorial style and I believe would make an excellent audio book.

We are reading from Sunny's point of view mostly as she is the Editor and is putting together/writing this book about the rise and fall of punk duo Opal and Nev. As the book goes along Sunny dives into a more personal matter when she gets to the heart of the fact that her Dad, the Drummer for Opal and Nev, was Opal's lover and was also died suddenly in a mysterious chaotic event.

I highly recommend this book to all readers.

This novel felt fresh, original . I kept wanting to look up information about Opal and Nev, as though they were real people. I enjoyed the mystery and documentary elements the writer employed, which contributed to a wholly engaging narrative. It's a genre bending book, that actually could be shelved in many categories. Most of all, it was fun to read that kept me interested and rooting for Opal the entire time.

„An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic 1970s rock duo, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite for one last tour.

Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.“

The novel is written as an oral history piece compiled of many many “fictional” (easy to forget, it all seems so very real) interviews that the journalist gathers to put together a book but we get as readers get the raw material and it is brilliant. One of the novel's many pleasures is eavesdropping on these many voices compiled - such a cast of colorful characters !
Race and what it means out in the world and specifically in the music business in the 70s and today (or at least 2016) is the big all-encompassing topic but the author handles it gloriously light and the novel will enthrall anyone.

I don’t even know where to begin. This book is electric. This book is timeless. This book is feel-it-deep-in-your bones good. This is my first fictional oral history (is this a genre?? Where can I find more?) and it’s such a powerful way to tell a story. Walton has crafted vivid characters with singular voices to piece together a narrative of the rise and fall of an Afro-pink interracial duo in the 1970s. That narrative is patchy and biased and unfinished just as with any real oral history. And also just like any real history, we see Opal and Nev’s careers and lives inextricably intertwined and influence by the racism, sexism, and really capitalism that surrounds them. Reading this coming from Soraya Chemaly’s Rage Becomes Her was so important. The juxtaposition between Opal and Nev and the consequences Opal faces for her rage and the response of the people and society around her to that rage is so stark it’s jarring. I didn’t devour this book. In fact, after a culminating moment in the middle, I set it down for a while. I can’t quite decide if there was a lull or if it was just too much and I needed to step away. But if you get that same feeling, push through because it’s worth it. I would not be shocked if this became my favorite book of 2021. This is a must read!

Wow. I loved reading this book. It is written so well that one would think it was the true life story of Opal Jewel. I wish I was able to listen to this one on audio, as I did with Daisy Jones and the Six, if only to have a voice to go with the characters. If you are into the history of a band along with their part in a resistance movement, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and 37ink for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The more things change, the more things stay the same" couldn't more perfectly sum up this cinematic and timely novel. I did feel that certain parts of the story dragged and that having the editor/author telling the story (although I know she was personally invested) took away from some of the character development of Nev & Opal. But the story line was incredible, entertaining, and relevant.
Sidebar: I can't be alone here...Virgil Lafleur was by far my favorite character!

A interesting take on a journalistic style. At first I thought they may have been an actual musical group. Interview style was interesting. Slow character development.

David Bowie, is that you?

At least, that's who I kept picturing as we meet Nev Charles, the quirky Brit who writes quirky music featuring quirky characters in the 60's and 70's. Later, our flame-haired superstar writes more mainstream 80's ballads, but not before we go through his entire history with Opal.

To deliver this narrative, the reader is introduced to SarahLena Shelton, editor of Aural (Spin/Rolling Stone/etc) - and the daughter of Jimmy Shelton, a premiere drummer in the 1970's. Jimmy dies at a showcase at Rivington Records, a showcase which featured Opal + Nev - and a band brandishing the confederate flag. An adult SarahLena "Sunny" Shelton decides to write a book as the world anticipates a possible revival of our featured duo.

Through a series of interviews, articles, notes and recollections, Sunny takes us through Opal's beginnings. Opal describes growing up Black in Detroit in the 60's, and how thrilled she was when Nev picked her to be his duet partner. A record deal and a move to NYC quickly followed. Opal started an affair with Jimmy, Opal + Nev put out an album, and Rivington booked a showcase.

The events that led to Jimmy's violent end and the aftermath are thoroughly explored in the rest of the book, including new information that comes to light. Who's telling the truth, and who has carefully crafted his or her own image?

Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 60's and 70's and all that followed, this is the story of Opal + Nev.

Thanks to Netgalley for this preview!

Wow this book is absolutely spectacular. Written mostly in oral-interview format, it is reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It's historical fiction, but addresses contemporary issues head-on. I got to what I thought was the climax of the book, only to realize that I still had over half of the book to go. The story and characters are profoundly written. Absolutely loved.

This is a new author for me, but I couldn't help requesting it due to my love of all things music!

I will say that this book is written in the same style as Daisy Jones & The Six , in that it uses interview-type responses to tell the story rather than narrative. It’s an interesting choice and I’ll admit at first I felt it was a little too copycat for me, but ultimately it worked for the story.

However, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev tackles the more sinister topic of racism, so while they shared certain themes, this isn’t quite as lightly entertaining, although it is thoroughly engaging - if horrifyingly relevant.

Missing concerts? Get front row tix for this Afro-punk 70’s duo. Available today, please welcome to the stage, Opal & Nev!

🎸Opal & Nev has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six. Sure, they both have an interview format and a rock and roll theme and secrets. That is where I see the similarities end. I actually googled this band because it’s history reads like an accounting of real events (it’s fiction that thrilled me even when a few parts had a slower pace.)

🎸Black women have always been in rock and roll. In *this* story, a Black woman gets a voice in the conversation. Young and soulful, Opal is a misfit performer always donned in a riot of colorful bold ensembles (I would love to see these couture costumes in real life!) She is a champion for the marginalized and the bullied. Nev is her red headed British bandmate and this duo reaches brief stardom at a cost. The social activism and energizing music (listen to the Spotify playlist the author curated) magnetized me to the page. This is a story about humanity and mistakes and perseverance and forgiveness. It is a reckoning. It tells the truth and I am here for it. Get 👏a 👏copy!👏 (Please consider purchasing from a Black-owned indie bookseller.)

A fictional oral history that tells the story of an unlikely rock and roll duo in 1970s New York. Opal and Nev are planning a reunion show and reporter Sunny is doing interviews of them and the people involved in their career for a feature. The characters are great! I loved Opal and she seemed like a real artist. She was fierce, confident and entertaining. I loved hearing from her best friend, Virgil, and the crazy outfits he made for her during her career. I enjoy the interview style and thought it was a well done debut. It deals with racism and sexism and how things are always harder for a woman, especially a black woman, who speaks her truth.

Wow! This book takes the reader on such a wild and emotional journey! Initially I was comparing this book to Daisy Jones and the Six, but by the end of the story, I decided it is both more and less than Daisy (which I also loved.)
Opal’s story starts out as an interview story but the historical and racial elements add an extra punch to the read that sometimes feels like an actual punch to the gut. While many events take place fifty years back in time, it is relevant to today as well.
I did feel my interest wane a bit in the middle of the story, as it seemed to meander a bit during Opal and Nev’s time apart- it just felt like it lost its way for a while. Fortunately it didn’t last long and the book ended with me excited to read the next efforts by this author as well.
Bottom line- I recommend The Finsl Revival of Opal and Nev!

Daisy Jones & The Six is one of my favorite books of all time so I dove right in on this one. Unfortunately, I never got immersed in the story like I thought I would. It got to the point where it was a struggle to finish it. All that said, it was still an impressive debut novel by the author. Maybe my expectations were too high going in? Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Dawnie Walton's debut novel, the Final Revival of Opal and Nev is written in an unusual format. She uses the interview format of a journalist chronicaling her subjects. In this case, the journalist is Sunny, a woman who has a complex relationship with one of the main characters, Opal. The story documents the rise of Opal and Nev and how they came to be a cultural icon. As Sunny tries to understand her relationship with her father, and her father's relationship with Opal, we follow the journey of Opal and Nev to fame and ultimately to the violent event that Sunny has tried to understand. Issues of race, class, and misogeny are all raised in the novel. The author really brings all of the characters and the time period to life. You can really envision that these were true events. While this is a strength of the novel, its also a weakness. At times, there is too much detail making the novel feel more like a non-fiction biography. There are definitely parts that drag and are overly detailed. However, the novel was fascinating, the characters compeling, and the author's writing was terrific. I think this format will lend itself really well to an audiobook format, where different voices can really bring this book to life. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Reviewing as LAJ9 on BN and amazon.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 'The Final Revival of Opal & Nev' is my first 5 star read this year. I love a "rockumentary" even if it's a fictional one. However, this book has so much more depth than that. This book illustrates how racism and sexism has stifled the voices, the art and the freedom of Black people and particularly Black women. I really do hope we're not living in a GIF, or a loop as Opal describes where "a bunch of somebodies...want me to get back on their stage" just for her to be silenced or ignored again. Thank you @simonandschuster and @netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This vibrant book tells the story of famous rock’n’roll duo who shot to fame in 1970s New York City. Through love, loss, riots, racism, sexism, and more, we learn the story of Opal and Nev through this interesting oral history format. Despite this taking me nearly 3 weeks to read, I really enjoyed this one!

I’ve never read a book like this before, and I loved it! I enjoyed the settings and reading about the music industry during this era. Parts of this were so heavy to read and really makes you sad.

Throughout reading this, I was dreaming of the imaginary soundtrack. It would be so killer. I would love to see this turned into a movie or series and hear the music come to life.