At first I wasn't sure what to make of this book, which is structured as both an oral history and a book within the book. I was wondering if the meta aspects of it would keep me at arm's length. But ultimately, they didn't. I dove down and felt the story deeply, at times near tears and at times laughing at its biting sense of humor. And Opal is one of those characters I'll never forget.

It's incredible how Walton captures so many different characters' voices. This story of rock-n-roll, wrapped up in race issues, unfolds powerfully--and clear connections are drawn between what was going on in the 70s with what's going on in the world today.

Favorite quote: "Many things can be true at once, and we must find inspiration in the materials we have."

Second favorite quote [ spoken by a fan of Opal's referring to her black-punk musical aesthetic]: "Yeah, a lot of her shit is challenging to listen to...but that shit is vibrating high on some other frequency, right? When you talk about challenging to absorb, so is Bob Dylan's whiny ass, in my opinion, and that fucking 'Ulysses' book I had to read in college... But aren't we supposed to be better and smarter because of the challenging art that makes us uncomfortable?"

Now that I think about it, both of these quotes apply to this novel.

Thanks, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book, which comes out in April 2021.

For lover's of "Daisy Jones & The Six," "The Final Revival of Opal & Nev" also uses the technique of oral history to tell the story of the rise of the unlikely rock & roll duo, the fateful night that catapulted them to relative fame, their potential reunion years later - and the ugly secret at the center of it all. Walton's characters are both real and complex, striking a perfect balance of human and celebrity. She builds the tension of the story in a way that leaves you holding your breath while you wait for the other shoe to drop, and the revelations of what really happened the night of the Rivington Showcase do not disappoint.
Especially poignant during this time of racial reckoning, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev explores what it meant to be Black in the music industry of the '70s, and the relative place of power one gained from being white. Walton does not shy away from this reality, facing it head on and shining light on the inequality and racism that Black musicians faced. A must read that you will be thinking about long after you turn the final page.

A double edged sword of a Netgalley book: I'm very glad I got a chance to read it early, and annoyed I can't tell all my friends to go read it right now. A book very reminiscent of Daisy Jones & the Six without being a retread, it tackles a very different kind of musician and a very different world than Daisy Jones inhabited. The two novels together create a fantastic genre of fictional bands that could stand up with the real acts from that era. A must-read for anyone who likes the crazy world of 70s music, and definitely recommended to anyone else who wants to meet a flashy, flamboyant, angry female artist who doesn't take any shit from anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC! Loved the history behind Opal and Nev. Learned a lot about Opal and Nev, never heard of the two before now. Would recommend this to others.