I loved this book and how it was in interview format! Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. Touches on important topics while still being a great story filled with drama and romance.

In the vein of Daisy Jones & the Six, but with an element of social justice and cultural commentary that gives it an element of depth and impact Daisy Jones did not possess., This is the story of rock and roll from the POV of the culture that created it, and the people who were so often passed over. It is not just about this one band, but about the world that created them in the 1970s -- the world of racism and injustice -- and the world that they still live in , in the present day, where so little has changed, despite our wishes to the contrary. I know this book did not get the attention of Daisy Jones. I liked Daisy Jones. But I liked this much more.

Was I expecting something similar to Daisy Jones? Yes. Was this book close to that one? No! IT WAS BETTER. I think Walton did an amazing job with the formation of characters, and the writing was pretty top notch. I felt like I was really a part of the book, and that's because Walton knows how to write. Read this one if you are looking to be a part of a concert, reunion and a in a recording studio.

This book left me shook. It reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six, but it was so much more. The racism, the politics, the drama, the angst. I could not put this book down.

Opal is a black woman who wants to make music. She meets Nev, a British singer/songwriter, and they join together to make make Opal's dream come true. But it is the 1970's, so racism reigns.

Opal and Nev reunite in 2016, and a reporter's digging uncovers some hidden secrets. This story is a whirlwind and gives the reader a glimpse into the life of rock stars. Opal is a force to be reckoned with.

I had high hopes for this book because of loved Daisy Jones and the Six and the interview style. I understand they are not meant to be compared. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev did not seem to capture my attention. I tried to read the book, listen to the audio, and do a combination of reading and listening at the same time. The author did a great job with all the details she added to this fictional story. I kept having to remind myself this story was fiction. I gave this book three stars for the amount of detail the author wrote into this book. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

Thank you for this gifted copy for my honest review.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a masterful retelling of fiction events and people that is visceral and poignant. Walton explores them of sexism and racism both as a whole and in the niche of the entertainment industry. It explores how the different genders are treated in entertainment by both the fans and the industry professionals. It does all this while creating a beautiful and soulful tale of two people, vastly different in personality, who create wonderful music together and left a lasting impact on the world of music, culture, race, and feminism.

This book is perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six, especially those who want a more BIPOC storyline.

This was such a fun book- I imagine this being amazing with a full cast audiobook. This was very reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with how it was told through the perspective of a journalist.

I loved everything that this explored from racism to gaining fame and notoriety in the music business. I felt it gave a great well rounded perspective of Opal and Nev. This was a very cool book. I liked Opal and Nev but I thought the supporting characters being interviewed really added the most. It’s hard to believe sometimes that this is entirely a work of fiction.

I would definitely encourage anyone that is a music lover, a history lover, or a lover of unique story lay out to check this out!

I appreciated the opportunity to get to read an advanced galley.

I found this to be similar to Daisy Jones and the Six but much more interesting to me. At times it dragged but I loved how the story unfolded and had to actually google to double check if it was fiction or non fiction!

Opal is a young Black woman who just knows there’s more to life than punching a clock in Detroit. Nev Charles is a talented and aspiring white musician who comes across Opal at an open mic night and convinces her to team up with him and make music together. After a rival rock band pulls out a Confederate flag at a gig, she decides to take a stand against the racism and sexism that she’s experienced throughout her career and life. In 2016 Nev has asked Opal to do a reunion show with her and a journalist (and huge fan) uses this opportunity to tell the untold story of this cult phenomenon.

This book is hard for me to review. I thought I would love it. I love the idea of it. I love the format of it. But honestly, once the book got going, I felt like I was just being yelled at the entire time.

I felt zero connection to any of the characters. The editors notes felt jumbled and out of place. A lot of the characters input took away from the core of the story; even Sunny’s role felt out of place at times.

The thing that I did enjoy the most is how real it felt. To the point that I actually did google to see if Opal and Nev were real people or if this were based on a real interracial duo from the 70’s.

There was potential, but it just did not come together right for me.

First off, I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an Arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is an impressive debut novel. It follows the story of Opal Jewel and Neville Charles and weaves in several important themes along with the setting of the 1970’s punk rock scene. It’s told in interview format and this, along with a few different things, make it similar to Daisy Jones and the Six. This one isn’t as light-hearted and involves strong messages about racism and the horrors that POC face, but I rated it two stars lower than daisy jones just because I feel like the characters were not as developed as they could be. Also, my biggest complaint is that it dragged a bit in some areas.

Despite a few flaws, this still remains a powerful novel and a good debut from Dawnie Walton. I recommend it to fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and the music scene - especially that of the seventies. Thank you once again Netgalley for the Arc and be sure to check it out on march 30th if it sounds like something you’d like. 3.5/5 stars

Ugh. I really liked the premise of this book -- and it was utterly charming as an audiobook -- but the plot moves so incredibly slowing that it ended up as a DNF for me. I wanted to love it but the story just dragged way too much in the beginning for me to hang in there.

This book explores music, relationships, and how the two intersect in the lives of Opal and Nev. it was a fun ride.

Unfortunately fell flat for me. I was super excited for it, but the format affected my ability to really “get into” it. I didn’t like the narrator, Sunny. I wish we got more from Opals perspective. At times it felt like it was very long and drawn out.

Loved loved loved this book!

I know everyone thinks it's like Daisy Jones, but honestly it's more than that. It has the pop sensation of Daisy but real historical value as well. Enjoyed!

The oral history format is really working for me lately, and hands down this one is meant to be listened to via audiobook, which is done by a full cast, including Bahni Turpen. There were so many great voices on this one, I absolutely enjoyed the audiobook.

I loved that the author not only covered the characters of Opal & Nev so well, but also covered the time period in great detail. Walton covered the topics of racism and inequality between men and women so well. I thought the overall writing was great, and loved that there were a couple of twists baked in here that I did not see coming.

This was a one-sitting read for me that I just devoured, and cannot wait to read what Walton writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital copy to review.

It wasn’t until around chapter four, after several unsuccessful Google images searches, that I realized this book was a work of fiction! It reads like a legitimate and highly possible true story. The characters feel very real. The author has a serious talent for creative imagery.

I want to start by saying that this one took a back burner for me for a few months, then I started it again with the audiobook, and that made it easier to get back into for sure! I love when audiobooks use different narrators for all the people. And with this one kind of being an interview style storyline, it was easier to follow. While I enjoyed the story, dealing with the struggles with an oddball singing duo, one POC and one Brit, and the fact this was being “written” by the daughter of the drummer that had an affair with Opal, made it interesting for sure. But, I found there was just too much unnecessary info, and it was kind of all over the place. I found myself thinking, okay, who cares about “blah blah blah”, let’s get on with the story. But I will say the main gist of the book had what it needed. Great background of the main characters, a build up to a big event, the description of said event and then the fallout afterwards. A lot of people enjoyed this one, but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's with a really heavy heart that I say that The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was a disappointment for me. While the writing from Dawnie Walton was gorgeous - I'll definitely read her next novel - I found myself not caring what happened to any of the characters besides Sunny, Opal, and hearing the resulting of the story about Sunny's father.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev will be a favorite for someone, but it just wasn't mine. There are plenty of five star reviews so please know that I am the odd one out.

I started off reading this galley on my Kindle, but I just couldn't get into it. Therefore, I waited until I could get the audio from my library. If you're looking to pick this one up, I do highly recommend the audio. The audio queen Bahni Turpin herself being apart of the full ensemble audio should be reason enough to listen to it on audio, if you like audiobooks. So S/O to my library and Libby for having this on audio.

I loved Daisy Jones and the Six and was really looking forward to another fictional biographical take on a music act. Hear me out, Walton was very successful in taking on the biographical nature of Opal and Nev's story. However, between the executives at the music label, Nev, Nev's agent, and Chet the confederate flag waving, Trump supporting musician - I got tired of being annoyed at the 'woe is me' celebrity problems.

I LOVED following along Sunny's mission on taking on this biography and tackling the industry as an editor-in-chief. However, the point where Nev's agent decides to royally screw her over about took me over the edge - but I guess every store needs a 2/3 act issue that will be resolved. I do like how the issue was resolved, just hated the issue.

We need more badass when in the journalism industry that don't take 'no' for an answer from celebrities, thanks Dawnie for giving us a glimpse of that.

I adored Daisy Jones and the Six, so I was interested in this one when I heard it was similar. And while there are similarities, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is as good as Daisy Jones and more. Both books are documentary/aural style reads of a musician group from yonder year of the '60s/'70s. The interview style is such an interesting style to tell these stories. Opal and Nev told more stories of the racial tensions of the time and within the characters and there's also a bit of a built in mystery which captivated me even more. I think that those who enjoyed Daisy Jones would enjoy this one as well. This is a must read!

This is the story of musicians Opal Jewel and Nev Charles, who met in the early ‘70s and collaborated on 2 albums of Afro-Punk style music. This was an unlikely pairing, as Opal Jewel was a American black woman and Nev was a British white man. However, Opal Jewel didn’t just sing; she performed and had intricate costumes designed by her friend and neighbor, Virgil. The story is told in a series of interviews and editorials. Most of the book leads up to an incident at a festival, where racial tensions exploded with devastating results. I really enjoyed the interview style of the book, as it helped make the chapters fly by. My only critique is that the pacing sometimes slowed towards the end of the book.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review.