i liked it . it is told in a oral historical sort of way. This is an impressive debut novel This book also has tough topics in the book like racism. Racism is shown in the book in subtle and not so subtle ways. This book delves more into Opal and Sunny's story than it does Nev's. I wish you got more info about Nev. i like how the story is set in the 1970s but the story continues on to 2016.. Opal is fierce even with all that she faced . This is similar but also not similar to Daisy jones and the six. The musicians are fictional for anyone not realizing it.

I loved this book! It had feels of Daisy Jones but a completely different spin. I enjoyed the journalist style writing and the characters were so dynamic! I could picture each one in my mind while reading their stories!

Easily a five-star read for me.

Opal & Nev were a 1970s Afro-Punk duo that ascended to fame after a fateful concert gone awry. Decades later, as Opal & Nev prepare for a reunion show, journalist S. Sunny Shelton prepares an oral history of their short-lived musical partnership. Sunny recently became the first Black woman promoted to editor of a popular music magazine, and she has her own personal connections to Opal that serve as the driving force in many of their interactions.

This one garnered some obvious comparisons to <i>Daisy Jones & The Six</i> (another book I loved), since they're both fictional oral histories following a music group from the 1970s. Just like with <i>Daisy Jones</i>, I found myself completely immersed in the world of these music icons to the point where I often forgot Opal Jewel and Nev Charles weren't actual celebrities. Opal is a powerful, unforgettable character who remains true to who she is in the face of racism, tragedy, and betrayal from those closest to her. While the first half of the book focuses primarily on the duo's origins and ascent to fame, the second half focuses more on Opal and Sunny's relationship, which I really enjoyed. Also, no spoilers, but there are also some genuinely surprising twists throughout the book that force you to reframe how you think about certain characters.

Loved this one and sad it's over. I hope it gets adapted for TV/film someday (I want to hear the MUSIC!), and I'll read whatever Dawnie Walton writes next!

As I was reading this book, I kept wondering if this was non-fiction. What I liked about this novel was that it read like a Rolling Stone interview. This is understandable as the author, Daniel Walton is a former editor for Essence Magazine.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is an interesting debut novel that is getting major hand-claps & finger-snaps, but it took me awhile to get into it. This story of a musical odd couple-Opal Robinson from Detroit who sang afropunk before it had a name & British rocker and songwriter, Nev Charles and their incredulous almost rise to fame.

This story is about race, class, gender, and music. This story is about how one sees themselves and how others see you. And, it's about the shakiness of the music industry in the 1970s and how when things go wrong the black woman suffers and the white guys always end up on top (think Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake). I felt like Nev's character annoyed me because he was so whiny & needed to check his privilege and Opal at times was exhausting because she had to always be battle-ready. However, Opal's sister Pearl was my favorite- always ready with a prayer and Jesus... I'll!

"Oh, I'll never forget it, the first time I saw her. She looked so gorgeous you wouldn't believe. Like a page from Vogue Magazine come to life...she finally, finally came to me...she looked sharp and majestic and, sha!, rather compelling. And so my eyes are dancing all over this getup, and finally get to her head...shaved to the skin. Facing well done! Facing well done."

Besides the music, this is a love story that never was. By piecing together the stories of bandmates, the record label, executives, and friends and family, the broken pieces are put together to tell a story of rock & roll.

While often compared to Daisy Jones & The Six, I actually found this book to be much more reminiscent of one of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s other novels, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Both focused on a journalist writing a biography about a famous, beloved but controversial figure, where the journalist has a connection to the famous person and the secrets uncovered have personal effects on both parties. But what made The Final Revival of Opal & Nev stand out to me was how instead of having the main character trying to hide what made her different (Evelyn has a secret lesbian relationship), the whole of this story was about Opal’s Blackness, her womanhood, her rage and her activism; and ultimately that made me enjoy this book much more than I did The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (and Daisy Jones and the Six, for that matter). This was an impressive debut from a rising talent, and I can’t wait to read Walton‘s next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of this amazing debut novel by Dawnie Walton - 4.5 stars rounded up!

It's 2016 and Sunny Shelton, new editor of a music magazine, is writing an oral history of a 1970s duo who are rumored to do a come-back tour. Sunny has ties to the duo's past but as she does her interviews, she discovers things she never knew. In the 1970s, we meet Opal who grew up in Detroit and wants to be a star. When British songwriter, Nev, discovers her singing in a bar, he knows she is the one he wants to pair with. Nev's label, Rivington Records, is small town and desperate for a hit and the pair moves to NYC to become part of the music scene there, What happens at a promotional concert when Opal and Nev are scheduled to perform along with another Rivington band will change everyone's lives.

This is written in a style very similar to Daisy Jones and the Six - the story is told by way of Sunny's interviews with all the main and many small characters who had a part in the story. But this book tackles even more difficult topics. Taking place in the 1970s, we see through Opal's eyes all the racism that went on then and is still so relevant in the 2016 time period of the book. These characters are completely real - you can see them while you are reading this book. You will feel the injustice, the hurt, and be transported back in time. Bravo for an amazing debut that will definitely become part of today's conversation into racism, sexism, white privilege, and so much more.

I was so excited to get this as an Arc because it has a similar format to Daisy Jones and is about the music industry. However, I ended up DNFing at 36%. Something about this book wasn’t capturing my attention and I found myself getting bored halfway through every chapter. I liked the aspect of a Black woman and White man duo in the 70s and that was the reason I kept going but somewhere along the way I realized it felt like a chore for me to read this book so I decided to allow myself to not finish it.

I got totally caught up in this story of two fictional rock stars of the 1970's. The writing is exceptional and the powerful backdrop of race relations from the sixties to the present make this a very worthwhile read. It wa so compelling that I felt like it all actually happened. Highly recommended.

The Final Revival Of Opal and Nev is a novel about a fictional singing duo from the early 70’s. Similar in style to Daisy Jones & the Six this is from the POV Sunny, a journalist that has direct ties to the duo and is created from her observations and interviews and plus past media coverage. Now over 40 years later Opal and Nev are considering reuniting and Sunny is in the middle of it all. But what she discovers as she delves into Opal and Nev’s shared history could blow everything up and have consequences for her both personally and professionally.

Like the aforementioned Daisy Jones and the Six the music this novel blurred the line between the real and imagined so much that I found myself wanting to reach for Google to have a look or listen. Dawnie Walton did an incredible job weaving in the duo into the 70’s music and fashion scene by creating fictional interviews with everyone from Gloria Steinem to Quentin Tarantino to Questlove. She also showed great skill at creating a rich origin story for each character. Nev, the son of a chip shop owner and beautiful aspiring actress who showed an early gift at music. And Opal, the daughter of a Detroit cafeteria worker who never knew her father and found herself out of step with her more religious sister. Opal is also small, dark in complexion, suffering from hair loss due to Alopecia and searching for a way to turn that into the bigger than life person she feels like inside. When these two find each other in a Detroit bar both of their lives will never be the same.

Walton also uses these two characters to explore the subjects of race in the 60’s, 70’s and beyond. By contrasting their 70’s era showcase that exploded into violence with the present-day tense performance at an outdoor music festival we see how far we have to go. Both Nev and Opal are complicated, ambitious and selfish. The most gut wrenching scenes are Sunny having to navigate interviews that showed how unconcerned Opal was with the heartbreak her affair with a married man would have on his family. And Nev would prove to be a difficult man to interview about the past as he used his power, privilege, publicist and memory loss to cover up his culpability in the deadly night of the showcase.

I highly recommend The Final Revival of Opal and Nev for music fans and readers looking to explore the subjects of race, feminism and the power that a single image can have. I know I’ll be thinking about this novel for years to come (plus I’m already casting the movie in my head).

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My copy of The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton was provided by NetGalley and the publisher for review purposes

I enjoyed this book. It is told through interviews and author/narrator notes. It paints a picture of race in the past and the present. Very thought provoking and emotional.

This rocking and provocative read certainly had comparable vibes to Daisy Jones & The Six as both used the fresh oral history and retelling of a bands past approach but this story takes on a whole new meaning and message.

It dives headfirst into the politics of the music industry and general culture of the 1970s as it explores systemic racism and sexism.

I enjoyed that Sunny chose to interview so many different characters to get stories from so many contrasting aspects of Opal & Nev’s lives.

While this was definitely a slower read that took me a decent amount of time to get into it, I was still so intriguing and found it incredibly thought provoking!

3.5 stars rounded up


Opal and Nev were a very unlikely pair; Nev a British singer/songwriter, and Opal a bald Black woman from Detroit. They come together to form something fresh in 1970’s rock n roll in New York.

In a promotional concert, the headlining band flaunts a Confederate flag. Opal makes a bold statement during their set, and the violence that follows changes everything. Opal and Nev go their separate ways, until there’s talk of reuniting for a 2016 reunion concert.
There were definitely some Daisy Jones vibes as it’s written in interview format, told in several perspectives, and that of journalist Sunny Shelton who has a unique connection to the band.

A bit of a slow burn, but It did all come together at the reunion concert, which is the most important part of the book. I didn’t feel very connected to any of the characters, or really get a sense of Opal and Nev’s connection or musical journey together.

However, I loved the issues it brought up regarding racism, violence and injustice against POC, which is very relevant today.

This book recounts the events leading to the day of the final revival of the two rock singers Opal and Nev. It takes us through the life of both main characters along with others that play a role in their lives.
And their story was fascinating!!
The author did a great job with the characters in this story, especially Opal, this strong (badass) black woman. (I wished she was real!!)
And even though the book was full of characters, it is not confusing at all. With the writing style that was great. (interview style) Getting the point of view of different characters and having them tell their stories too was gripping.
Although the beginning was a bit slow-paced, and it took me a while to get into the book, but then I was not able to stop reading. And let us not forget about the ending which was really great ( in my opinion!!)
All in all this book is truly amazing and I would highly recommend reading it!!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheFinalRevivalofOpalNev #NetGalley

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is like Daisy Jones and the Six that addresses social issues. Nev is a singer/songwriter from the UK, who comes to New York for a his big break. While he gets signed on a label, they set out to find a woman to be his counterpart, and boy do they find him a counterpart. Skinny, bald-headed black woman with a bigger attitude than her voice, Opal Jewel becomes his partner. But in their rise to fame and commitment to speaking out against social issues, Opal is reminded she pays a much higher price as an outspoken black woman. The struggles and consequences have repercussions for years to come.

I really loved how quickly the Final Revival of Opal and Nev sucked you in. I was so fascinated by the childhood of both perspectives - Nev with his devoted mother encouraging him to pursue his talents, and Opal with her mom, poor but supportive, and her sister constantly trying to proselytize. The storylines felt unique and genuine but included enough details that it was believable.

My favorite part of the book was the voice of each character - each character’s voice is so unique; even if I hadn’t read the character names above each paragraph to know who was speaking, I still would’ve been able to figure that out. Even though it was the same author writing all their parts throughout the book, it felt like a light switch between each person. This really added to the story.

I also really liked that this book addresses social issues that are still ongoing today, despite lots of anger and protests that it’s not. It’s an important message that still needs to be shared. I also loved the real-life references throughout the book, such as MAGA hats hahaha, and a few orange man references.

The only thing is I wish there would’ve been a bit more of an epilogue or wrap-up. Ending it where it did, with a bit of confusion and unresolved issues is frustrating after quite a bit of the book was focused on the issue being questioned and (attempted to) explore, but never answered.

ARC was provided by published via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Dawnie Walton and Simon&Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before publishing! The opinions in this review are my own, and spoiler alert, they’re all good.

Opal and Nev are a punk rock duo from the 70s, a British white man and American Black woman from Detroit. They make an unlikely pair and are struggling to find success before a horrible tragedy unfolds involving the death of a Black man, and later, a frightening allegation that threatens to tear apart the very basis of the pairs friendship and future.

Dawnie Walton wrote something so amazing and so REAL with this story. Opal absolutely came to life on the page, and so did Sunny. The themes (anti racism, feminism, police brutality, white supremacy, symbols and dog whistling, etc) are incredibly relevant and timely, and the reader got to follow the trajectory of many of these issues over multiple decades of Opal’s life. There’s no perfect character, they all are realistically flawed and prone to mistakes, even our two heroine’s of this tale. If you have the opportunity to read this book, certainly do so. It’s completely captivating and illuminating. I will recommend this to others frequently from here on out.

Sunny, a journalist and editor-in-chief for music magazine Aural, has been intrigued with Opal Jewel since she first found out about the relationship between Opal and Sunny’s late father, Jimmy. As part of the duo Opal & Nev, Opal Jewel was a powerhouse performer whose “big break” seemed to continuously evade her in one way or another. After the duo splits, Opal’s success appears marginal when compared with Nev’s, and as Sunny tells Opal’s story, she shows us some hard truths about the impact of systemic racism.

Though fictional, Walton tells some difficult and uncomfortable truths in this novel. If you finish this book and you aren’t angry, you didn’t read it well enough. Go back and do it again. And again. And again. Until you hear everything Walton is telling us. The book is excellent. Well-written. And heartbreakingly accurate. I won’t claim to understand because I absolutely do not and cannot understand, but I promise to pay attention. To see you. And to commit to always doing better.

Thank you so much to Dawnie Walton, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This book is definitely for fans of daisy jones and the six. However, instead of a fleetwood mac twist, i ended up with the ramones vibes due to the afropunk. The characters were so good! The plot was gripping. I hope this book gets a ton of hype. It's well deserved

It took me a while to figure out how I feel about this book. Overall, I liked it,  though at times I thought it went way too in depth and I got a little bored. It was hard to connect with any character, but the writing style and format was fantastic. I give this ⭐⭐⭐💫 If you're like me and wanted this to be the next Daisy Jones & The Six, you might be a little dissapointed

For fans of Daisy Jones & the Six, we have a new up and coming book you will love! The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is of the same oral history format, but turned up a notch. Based in the 70s, but a book relatable to this age as well. It was a good book and I enjoyed the historical and the musical aspect of it. I also enjoyed the protagonist and how she tied in to everything.

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

'The Final Revival of Opal And Nev' by Dawnie Walton tells the story of rock duo Opal and Nev.

The story is told as an oral history which allows us to piece the story together from various perspectives. From very different backgrounds the pair come together as Nev discovers Opal in a bar singing with her sister. Their story and rise to fame pivots on a performance which puts them on the same bill as a band using the confederate flag as a symbol of their own history. Opal's protest against everything the flag represents results in a riot and the death of her lover and her actions define the route of their lives thereafter. The oral history is gathered years later as a revival tour is being considered and it brings forth allegations which change the events as they were reported by witnesses at the time.

This book delivers powerful messages about racism and sexism and the impact of those who are complicit in or turn away from systematic discrimination. It's message on these issues is as relevant today as it would have been in the 1970's when much of the story takes place. I also felt it had much to say on ambition, success and integrity.

Opal's character carried the story. She is a strong Black woman making her way in an industry and society which oppresses her. Despite the challenges she faces and the insecurities these bring she is larger than life, fiercely independent, honest and real. The writing brings the story to life in such a way I felt like I was reading the biography of a real woman and band rather than a fictional account. The heavy themes of the story make uncomfortable reading at times but ultimately the story is enjoyable, hugely readable and absorbing.

I had been planning to pre-order this book for it's UK release on the 20th April but was luckily able to access an advance copy thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbook. It did not disappoint and I will be purchasing it on it's release.