Wow wow wow. What a beautiful book. I can already tell this will be in my top 10 for 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to preview it. I will certainly be seeking out anything Dawnie Walton writes in the future!
In The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, Dawnie Walton has created incredibly rich characters through interview snippets and editor's notes. It is a creative way to tell the story from different perspectives and get to know them in their own words. All the while, we are also learning about the interviewer through her editorial comments interspersed throughout. The book's structure kept things fresh and never felt like it was jumping around too much.
Overall, Opal & Nev is a beautiful, sad, triumphant story of black love, black joy, and black pain in America. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Told in the form of interviews for a book, this story follows Opal Jewel and Nev Charles and their music careers. They are a unlikely pair, Nev being a white Englishman and Opal being a Black woman from Detroit. The story is told from the point of view of them playing a reunion show in 2016 after not having worked together since the 70’s.

I enjoyed this book, it was a little slow at some parts but it kept me intrigued. The pacing felt slightly unbalanced. It would have a lot happen and then nothing really happen for 50 pages or so. I appreciated how I felt that I truly got to know each character. Overall a good book that discusses some very relevant and important topics including racism and police brutality.

It's no real secret that Daisy Jones & The Six is one of my favourite books of all time. So, it comes with a strong recommendation that you absolutely need to pick this book up if you loved the aforementioned book. Primarily, the oral history format was done very well and works for the non-fiction narrative it is trying to replicate. In my opinion, Walton's writing really added to the novel because I feel as though the characters really leaped out of the page - not to mention how their voices and personalities matched the time period they were in. Because of this, I really felt as though I was with them and even found myself wanting to Google them on several occasions - which is exactly how I felt reading Daisy Jones. Everything felt like an interview with real people and I loved how we stepped between Opal & Nev's backstories and careers, while also learning about Sunny's life and backstory. Something I think it does better than Daisy Jones is how intersectional it is. The novel, much like Daisy Jones discusses sexism in the industry as well as drug addiction, but it also discusses classism and racism that I think was lacking from the former. Additionally, I think the relationship between the narrator and the rock duo was a bit more interesting and I enjoy that it was revealed at the beginning of the novel, adding a nice sense of tension to the interviews that I think was really engaging. All in all, this was fantastic novel that I believe everyone needs to read if you enjoy the oral history format and the 60s/70s rock period.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a fantastic debut by Dawnie Walton. I was drawn to the similar style of Daisy Jones and the Six and this book did not disappoint. Told through oral history narration, the novel introduces us to the unlikely duo of Opal and Nev and explores what it meant to be Black in the music industry in the 70’s. Definitely a thought provoking novel, one that I highly recommend!

Thank you to #netgalley, Dawnie Walton, and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this ARC of #thefinalrevivalofopalnev

If you loved “Daisy Jones and the Six,” you’ll almost certainly love “The Last Revival of Opal and Nev” even more, as it’s told in a similar oral history format.

Journalist S. Sunny Shelton is writing a book about Opal and Nev, who helmed an up and coming band in the 1960s. The twist: Sunny’s father was the drummer and had a torrid affair with Opal while Sunny’s mother was pregnant with her. Her father before she was born.

This book was not for me, tho I desperately wanted it to be. I loved Sunny and Opal, but the Nev parts were just not as engaging for me. My favorite scene was when Sunny shares her perspective of pitching the story to her white publisher and colleagues.

I really enjoyed the book. Very different from my usual reads.

The book focuses on much more than just the history of Opal and Nev's rock and roll duo. It is filled with many characters, each unique in their own way, I enjoyed the history of Detroit, and the religious sister, the manager and promoter, the other record artists, the family connection, and the behind the scenes look at the music industry.

This book addresses many topics culturally relevant today through the voice of a reporter with a personal connection to the characters and events of their story. I give this book a solid 3.5 stars and would recommened to those who enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six.

Dawnie Walton’s novel The Final Revival of Opal and Nev tells the story of a 70’s “Afro-Punk” duo and the trials on their way to fame. For me, I think the fact that it “tells” the story is one of the key issues with the book. I want my novels to show me—not tell me.

The novel uses a journalistic style—Sunny is a journalist writing a biography of Opal and Nev. We are reading that “biography.” I’m not a big fan of this style of writing. It’s very reminiscent of 2019’s Daisy Jones and the Six, which was another 3⭐️ read for me.

The Revival of Opal and Nev was an okay book. While the idea of the title characters was intriguing—the characters lacked development. I know what happened, but I didn’t feel it—I didn’t get excited by it. The idea of Afro-Punk is exciting, but beyond clothing and forceful vocals, I have no idea what makes this band “Afro-Punk.”

Opal had so much potential—I’d like to read a novel from just her perspective—I’d like to live with her for a while, instead of just hearing her talk about her life. In the end, this is not a poorly written novel; it just want for me.

My thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this book.

I don't think it would be fair to say that this book was entirely a reaction to the Trump presidency, because that would be reductive...but it was certainly influenced by the growing tensions of the Black Lives Matter Movement, the fallout from #45 and the continued attempts and failures of the American people to find racial equity. What The Final Revival of Opal & Nev shows is that this has been going on for decades, which of course we all know, but Walton depicts it in an era that I at least had never considered, the 70s.

Told in an oral history, the novel follows Sunny, a recently appointed editor-in-chief to a big music magazine, as she traces the history of Opal & Nev, a musical duo who had just a brief moment in the spotlight and perhaps more importantly in the annals of the history of the fight for equality in the 70s. But Sunny has a very personal connection to the story and she's made it her mission to dig up the truth, no matter what it costs her.

Overall, where I thought I would be distracted by the format of the novel, I wasn't. Though it was helped along by generous 'editor's notes' that help to carry much of the plot forward from the past right into the present day, which I think Walton does quite cleverly, where the story (and the book within the book) finally culminates at a Coachella-like music festival where Opal & Nev take to the stage for the first time in over 40 years. I enjoyed the snippets of 'real' music history thrown in throughout, I found that it really anchored the book in reality and I almost found myself flipping through it to find a photo archive at the back of the book, as you would with a nonfiction book of the same ilk.

A captivating and very engrossing novel about the mythical duo Opal & Nev. Dawnie Walton offers a wonderful piece of 70s Americana and an engaging look at the musical world and its darker sides. Fiercely honest, well plotted and written with a very honest and controversial look at the racism prevalent at the time. A must for anyone interested in the popular music and American social history of the 70s.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel prior to its release date

yes yes yes, we’ve all heard it: this sounds like daisy jones and the six!

yes. exactly like that but not like that at all.

though the two books are formatted in the same way, the stories are very different. one way it differed from DJatS was that a lot of the story was set in “present day” (2016), as opposed to just the history of the band. i will say, i don’t think this “oral history” format is my favorite (though i loved both books), but i like how the “author” of the book put in a lot of her own thoughts/narrative, as we got to see her journey—when she learned new things, when things surprised her, etc.

i loved this book. this is a debut novel, but author dawnie walton did an amazing job at writing for so many people. each character’s dialogue felt very real and different from each other. it was funny and heartbreaking and thought-provoking all in one. walton did a wonderful job at showing just how much the nation has *not* progressed when it comes to race relations.

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the digital ARC

📚Book Review: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

Synopsis: A poignant fictional oral history of the beloved rock 'n' roll duo who shot to fame in the 1970s New York, and the dark, fraught secret that lies at the peak of their stardom. Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed.

Review: I put the book down and started to write my review immediately, because I am just amazed that this book was able to do what it wanted to do. With high expectations going in based on the description, I wasn’t let down with the newest “interview fiction” narrative to hit the shelves — hard to get out of your head during the times you can’t read, and the first thing you want as soon as you have a moment to relax. The Final Revival of Opal and Nev spans decades of a duo from the before to the after with the clarity of a narrator whose own tale is entrenched in the pages within. A few different plot twists happen that will have you waiting - and cheering, hopefully - at the end.

Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC on NetGalley. Yet another disclosure: I had picked it as a Book of the Month book pick until I received my ARC!

Book #21 of the year. ⭐️ 5/5

#dawniewalton #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #alwaysreading #books #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #reads #readallthebooks #booksaremagic #idratherbereading #momswhoread #bookofthemonth #botm #bookofthemonthclub #blackauthorsmatter #thefinalrevivalofopalandnev #tiedye

If you enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six, you will love The Final Revival of Opal and Nev. It is written in the same style, but takes it to a whole new level. There is music aplenty, but the heart of the story is about racism and sexism. Opal Jewel is an amazing character who defies the accepted views of the 1970s and refuses to be anybody but herself. This was a great read!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review !

Brilliant work! This is now my number one of 2021! The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is raw, timely, and he music between the lines is loud and clear. Dawnie Walton is a master at what can often be an awkward literary device of telling a story from the POV of many characters.

There’s so much here — romance, systemic racism and sexism (explored with clear sight and depth), a real feel for the culture of several pivotal decades, intrigue, mystery, and powerfully alive characters.

I absolutely loved it and will be recommending to everyone I know!!

It is incredible to tackle racism and sexism and still serve plenty of artist poise.
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. I was thrilled to get to read a fictional oral history about a black woman and her British male collaborator and their journey through the 70’s, as told by them and assembled by another equally talented and just as invested in their history black woman.
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was so rich with culture-the fashion, the music, the history- and characters that felt like they were almost telling me their stories out loud. I will make sure that I listen to the audiobook version in the future at some point. I want to keep Opal and Sunny in my head for as long as I possibly can, because after all this time I spent reading their stories, I would happily watch a television or movie adaptation of this book over and over. In the meantime, I’ll gladly give the audiobook a shot, and probably soon, because I loved this book.
I confess that the beginning of this book did not hook me like I had hoped it would. Given the timeline of the story events it almost feels intentional that the earlier interviews did not grip me. The comparisons to Daisy Jones & the Six are justified, but primarily in format. Opal’s story is as markedly unique as it should be, because the story of a black woman in rock ‘n roll is shaped by the black experience. People can claim they do not see color, sure, but our entire society is built on race. This book deals with black women in the workplace, and the line they must toe to be never viewed as threatening but near perfect at their jobs. You could build an entire book club conversation on the work talk, as well as the allies talk, as we watch Opal and Sunny in the past and present deal with allies who only support them when they are immediately impacted.
Like the best stories, the world is fully imagined and even the worst people in this book provide something special to it. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is the rock n’ roll story I needed as the only thing I wish from this book would be Opal’s music to accompany it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

This was sadly a DNF for me. After a week of trying to get into this book I decided to put it down. This is definitely a ME, not the book situation. I think I have come to the conclusion that book written in this interview style with loads of characters is just not for me. I did not like Daisy Jones and the Six but I thought I would give this a try because this sounded amazing! The writing is very good and I know so many people will love this story. I'm honestly gutted that I couldn't get into this one.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster as well as Netgalley for my advanced copy of this incredible book. This one is out 3/30!

This is a very impressive debut. What Taylor Jenkins Reid showed us with Daisy Jones and the Six, Dawnie Walton perfected with taking it even farther. I absolutely adored this story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book showed us not only the background of these fictional celebrities, but also a look into the editor and her past and it’s all wrapped up together so seamlessly. Opal, Nev and all the incredible characters in this book came to life for me and I feel like they should be real. The history and the scandal, how fiction is intertwined with truth is absolutely perfect.

This is such a cool book. I couldn’t put it down!Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the advanced copy.
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The book is written in an oral history style. It’s fiction but it blends so seamlessly with pop culture references that the reader totally believes it. The story chronicles the unlikely punk duo of Opal—a young black woman from Detroit and Nev—a young white man from England. The book follows their development into artists from their childhoods in the 1960’s to their duo’s short-lived run in the early 70’s. The pairing of these two is quite unexpected and they make an arresting combination. Opal is not inhibited and has no problem calling out the racial injustices she encounters in outrageous ways. While it attracts attention to their music it eventually leads to a riot at a concert. The consequences forever changes their lives.
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The book spans from the 1960’s to 2016. It deals with a lot of the same issues of racial injustice that we are seeing today. You like the characters even though they are flawed. Well, maybe *minor spoiler alert* not Nev. He turns out not to be quite who he professes to be. It’s also an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the music business.
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Anyway, I very much enjoyed the book. It’s interesting, fast-paced, historically significant, and contemporarily relevant.

Ok, I'll be honest here. I did not like Daisy Jones & the Six. I know everybody else loved it. I did not. Mostly because of the interview-VHI-Behind the Music style. I was not happy to discover that this book is written in the same style. Again, we have an author using interview-type responses to tell the story. The interesting thing is, in this case, it worked for the story. I am a HUGE fan of this debut novel. I enjoyed the plot, the writing, the characters and the themes. I thought all areas explored were well done, and so much so, that I had to keep reminding myself that this a debut. The writing feels like Walton has been writing for her whole life, and maybe she has and this is just the first published work. This novel also addressed important issues that still come up in our society today, including why the Confederate Flag has such a terrible history and why people are passionate about the removal of monuments and anger toward those who decide to do it casually. I live in the South and I personally appreciated the way the history was written and utilized in the book. This novel will probably make certain people uncomfortable, Good. It's an excellent piece in pushing against racism and sexism. Five Stars all the way. Loved THIS.

I’m not sure I can truly convey just how great this book was. The oral history format and rock and roll storyline are what remind so many of Daisy Jones and the Six, but this is much more than a story of a musical duo. This is a poignant story of race relations from the 1970’s up through current times. Discussing these very real and difficult issues evoked deep emotions in me and gave me a deeper appreciation for just how far we still have to go as a society to fully deal with these important issues.

Walton effortlessly weaves details together—particularly the outfits that Virgil creates for Opal and the vivid descriptions of each new location the reader is shown through the book. I especially appreciated the unique perspectives as each individual experienced the same moment in time.

There are so many good things about this book and the only con I found was that I wasn’t immediately drawn into this story. Once I was though, it wasn’t easy to put down. There was even a chapter that was so intense I held my breath (or felt like I was) until I finished the last word.

I’m giving this wonderfully written book⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Available March 30

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I honestly don't know even know where to start with this novel. It was just SO GOOD. Dawnie Walton's writing is fantastic and the characters really come to life. In fact, you might even start Googling Opal & Nev as their story fits so seamlessly into the annals of rock.
The oral history format works so well when speaking about music and artists. And that's really where the Daisy Jones and The Six comparisons should end. This book tackles difficult political subjects and harsh truths. Opal Jewel is one of the finest main characters I've come across in a long time. Neville Charles is deeply charming and yet...there's something....not quite right. His relationship with Opal is complicated to say the least.
I'm not going to rehash the plot of this book. The publisher does a great job of telling you what you need to know about it. Just know it should be read. It will be enjoyed. And you'll be wishing there were actually Opal & Nev albums to listen to.

*Special thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC.*