Told in the style of an oral history of the formation and dissolution of a fictional proto-punk band breaking ground in New York City in the early 1970s, “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev” deploys exquisite detail and a menagerie of narrational voices to relate a story that feels topical, timely, vivid, and almost too believable.

Opal & Nev are formed by impressionable white British transplant Neville Charles and electric, exciting, opinionated, iconic African-American Opal Jewel, a unexpected pairing whose brash new music caught fire in a cultural moment drawn taut with racial tension. Their rise to fame is chronicled in their own voices as well as the words of their colleagues and friends, strung together through the editorial voice and choices of S. Sunny Curtis, a music magazine editor with a personal connection to their tale.

The structure of the book is tight and well laid out, with momentum building in the past as revelations unfold in the present. The energy of the New York music scene and the alchemy of Opal & Nev’s partnership feels visceral and exciting, your heart pounding along with theirs as the music finds its wings and takes flight in the studio. The baggage of tangled personal relationships gains weight in the intervening 40 years, spilling open in the story’s present.

Walton sure-handedly focuses the narrative on the characters with the most to say: Opal, a force of nature who pulls focus with her presentation and uses the attention to fiercely tell her truth; and Sunny, the emotional ground and the cultural observer with the most perspective. Walton has an equal gift for spectacle (huge concert setpieces) and for small, observed details that situate the narrative in our hearts and eyes (“that time of the afternoon when the sun is strong coming in through the curtains – a million specks of dust exposed and floating in the light, telling stories on you”).

Past history and present drama ramp up in tandem, leading to a climax that brings the stories together with a sharp clap. As Opal says, “That’s just time working like the thing on your phone. What’s that you called it? …A GIF, yeah. Looping around and around…” “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev” is an immersive and necessary debut that offers as much to think about as there is to enjoy. As much as we’ll wish to hear Opal Jewel’s next album, we will eagerly await what Dawnie Walton has to say next.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC.

THIS BOOK!!! This historical fiction debut novel was told in an interview format following a famous rock ‘n’ roll duo from the 1970s. On the night of their biggest performance to date, the rival band from their record refuses to play without their beloved Confederate flag and Opal stands up against them and 45 years later one editor wants to get to the bottom of what happened as Opal & Nev are on the verge of a reunion tour.

If I could choose one word to describe this book it would be transportive. The descriptions just felt so real and I felt like I could picture the concerts and the outfits and the album covers and I just felt like I was there at a concert or reading about a real band. The social commentary in this book was really powerful and extremely relevant. Also it was a debut (!!!!) like I will read anything this author writes!! I really want to listen to this on audio because I think it would be so so good!!

You know it’s a great book when you’re so so angry at the end that you can’t go and google the band and the people to see everything and listen to the music. It just felt that real!

This was a good read. It is reminiscent of “Daisy Jones and the Six” (which I also enjoyed), but it focuses on a punk, interracial music duo throughout the backdrop of various parts of American history. While it has some slow moments, telling the story through interviews and articles allowed the story to be shared from various viewpoints, which I think enhanced the story. I enjoyed the plot and how politics and race weave their way into their music and the industry workings. I just could not really find much support in the book for a true connection between Opal and Nev that would have allowed their group to function for the time that it did. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this and rate it at 4 stars ⭐️. I could see this translating well into a mini series. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Dawnie Walton’s The Final Revival of Opal & Nev draws the reader into a completely unique and immersive experience. The story is seamlessly woven through many different characters’ voices across cultures and continents. Opal is the heroine you’ve always wanted, searching for love while finding herself and her voice. There is something for every reader in this book and it‘s unlike any book to come before it. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a must-read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster / 37 Ink for an advance copy of this ebook. I loved it so much I ordered my own hardcover copy already!

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is the Behind the Music episode of your dreams. Told as the fictional oral history of proto-Afro-punk legend Opal Jewell and British singer-songwriter Neville Charles, the book has lots of satisfying, page-turning show-biz drama, but also lots of honest-to-goodness heart, and wow, does its politics ever feel timely in this year of racial reckoning.

The ubiquitous point of comparison is Taylor Jenkins Reid, both for Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. This makes sense: like Evelyn Hugo, Opal and Nev is a showbiz story narrated by a journalist with a personal stake in the events. (If you like Reid’s work, this is a no brainer, you should read this book now!)

Without giving too much away, Opal and Nev’s fledgling musical partnership gets tested when violence erupts at a turning-point performance, forcing everyone to make decisions about who they are and what they stand for. Decades later, surprising truths about those decisions emerge in the lead-up to a big Coachella-like festival reunion performance, revealing the trade-offs everyone considered making when the dramatic events pitted the promise of fame against human decency.

I particularly loved the book's real musical and cultural touchpoints, several of which sent me scrambling to Google to learn more. I’d not heard of Max’s Kansas City, for instance, or Josephine Baker’s performance at the Battle of Versaille, or the unrest at the Altamont Free Concert; I enjoyed the Wikipedia rabbit holes this book sent me down. These cultural and political touchstones make the book feels like it lives in the real world, but the hippest possible version of that world.

(On the flip side of this, there’s a brief section of the book where real people are fictionally quoted, and that section did not really work for me; hearing, for instance, Quentin Tarantino talk about the importance of the fictional music took me out of the story a bit, because it felt jarring to have real people saying made up things-- since so much of what I liked about the book was the way it lives in the real world.)

The other extremely minor quibble is that the editor’s notes--footnotes, too!--could briefly sandbag the book’s considerable pageturner momentum. The journalist narrator had to share facts to move things forward, but I felt my attention dragging during those exposition-heavy sections, eager to get back to the interviews, and the charisma of the leads’ own voices.

So hey, maybe you can skip some of the footnotes, but don’t skip this book; I expect this to be one of my favorite reads of the year. This book is so much fun and so satisfying. It asks interesting and timely questions. Opal and Nev builds a lovely, complicated, stylish little world to escape to, a world that reflects its complexity back on our own turbulent times.

I was interested in this book because I saw that the format was oral history. I really enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six and had been looking for a book with a similar style. Did the book feel too much of the same? Absolutely not!

Nev Charles is a British singer/songwriter looking for someone to make music with him. He notices Opal singing in a Detroit bar and this is how they form a duo. Even though the book names both Nev and Opal, the book really focuses more on her story. In 2016, due to the possibility of the duo reuniting, one of the characters, S. Sunny Shelton, is working on gathering information about them and people surrounding them by form of interviews.

What I really enjoyed about this book was that, contrary to Daisy & Jones, I felt some of the topics discussed are very relevant in our society (apart from sex and drugs). A topic it touches upon is racism across the years and it is something we can still see today. I enjoy books that navigate these difficult topics and allow conversations to be had since it is still relevant. Additionally, I think the book style worked really well. By describing also what was going on in America while the story was developing, the reader can feel like these were not fictional characters

One thing I didn’t enjoy was the pacing of the book. Some areas were really slow and too detailed which made me want to skip ahead. This is minor compared to all the great aspects of the book.

Overall, this debut novel was fantastic and I can’t wait to read more from Walton. Four stars! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Riveting story of a duo's rise to fame and their fall. Storytelling in an oral history format, emotional and heart wrenching. Themes of addiction, stardom, and infidelity. An interesting and innovative read in the footsteps of Daisy Jones and The Six.

I know that I am in the minority but I am really not a fan of the oral history format and I hated Daisy Jones and the Six. I decided to give this format another try by reading The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. While I still disliked the disjointed nature of this style of writing I did like this book more the Daisy Jones and the Six primarily because I found the characters that Walton created to be very captivating especially Opal who was fierce and not afraid to break societal conventions and say what she really feels.

The biggest reason why I rated this book four stars was the I disliked the portions that focused on the editors notes. While I felt that Sunny was a well developed and strong character I felt that the editor’s notes detracted rather than added to the story. I was glad that I read this book all of the way through because the powerful ending of the book will stick with me.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, the construction of this work—an oral history of a 70s musical duo—will feel familiar, and it's similarly well executed here. OPAL & NEV focuses less on the music, though, with some song descriptions but only a few written lyrics.

I really connected with the second half of this book, which depicts the quick rise and demise of Opal & Nev as a duo and how Opal emerges as a Black cultural icon and an artist unto herself. The first half felt slow, probably because I was waiting for the explosive moment with the Confederate flag that's described in the flap copy. But the second half was engrossing.

I loved all the characters, especially Virgil, Opal's longtime stylist; the characters for me were more memorable than the plot. But I wanted more Opal—even at the end, she felt like a fascinating enigma.

Ultimately, my anticipation of a moment that comes just before the midpoint twist kept me from fully connecting with the story. But I appreciated the oral history structure and the way this work depicts an artist with deep significance in Black history.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT I LOVED 💟 The writing is very sober and to the point. The book is dynamic, with faceted and well-written characters and multiple points of view and builds a relevant discussion around sexism, politics and racism. The structure and story are similar to those of DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but, despite the resemblance, THE LAST REVIVAL OF OPAL AND NEV does not suffer too much the (unavoidable) comparison. It was an enjoyable book, and one that I think would be lots of fun as a book club pick.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK 💔 Mine will probably be an unpopular opinion, but for some reason the plot did not hold my attention until the end, and I found myself rushing through the last pages 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is hands down one of my favorite new releases of the year. I loved everything about it: the rock and roll vibes, Opal's kick ass/take names attitude, the scandal between the two, the social injustice messaging that is still prevalent today. I could go on and on (believe me, I think I already have) but this is a must read, especially for music lovers. This book is being compared to Daisy Jones & the Six, which it is similar in the sense that it is an historical fiction oral history told through interview format and there is *somewhat* of a potential love story/controversy between the two lead singers, but what Daisy Jones lacks, Opal picks up. The two are nothing a like, besides the fact that they are female vocalists.

I am not exaggerating when I say that if you loved Daisy Jones, you will become obsessed with Opal & Nev. Mid-way through the digital galley, I was fighting to keep my eyes from succumbing to sleep, when BAM! a twist came out of nowhere and I was floored. This book is a page turner people! I have a feeling the audiobook will be stellar.

My first thought when I read the synopsis for Opal & Nev was probably the same as many other readers: oh, it's the next Daisy Jones. Reese's Book Club pick, 2019 Goodreads fan favorite, bookstagram darling, the fictional oral history of a 1970s rock band is beloved by everyone, it seems, but me. I liked it fine, but was not swept away by the story or the format, as I'd been hoping. And now that I've read several books in the oral history format, I'm finding it's just not really for me, I think (with this notable exception). I miss the exposition, the details between the dialogue. Would The Final Revival of Opal & Nev prove to be the same?

On its surface, Opal & Nev is certainly very similar to Daisy Jones: the story of a 1970s rock duo and their fallout, complete with a drug addiction and an extramarital affair, told in the oral history format. But there are a couple things that this story has that Daisy Jones didn't: the fictional editor of the book, Sunny, has a very specific stake in the story (as hinted at in the opening line), amping up the drama and providing more narrative to the structure, plus the additional discussion of racial issues, as Opal is black and Nev is white. In fact, reading this simultaneously with Caste was a fascinating book flight, and I think I picked up on more things in that regard that I would have otherwise. The title character of Opal Jewel was a powerhouse, both as a performer and as a Black woman in America, not letting herself get pigeon-holed or bullied throughout her career. (In a television interview discussing their decision to avoid some southern cities on their upcoming tour, the interviewer keeps harping on the fact that Opal might be too scared to travel into the deep south singing some of their more charged lyrics, Opal responds with, "Why are you so deeply invested in proving I'm scared? Does a Black person showing they're scared make you feel safer? I suggest you sit back and interrogate that.") As such, she becomes an idol to many younger women of color in the story, including Sunny herself. Watching that tension manifest, as Sunny recognizes her admiration for the woman that was sleeping with her father while her mother was pregnant and may have contributed to his untimely death, was one of the most compelling parts of the story.

Overall, I liked it much better than Daisy Jones and the Six, while still realizing that I don't have to love oral histories as much as everyone else seems to. I thought Walton provided two incredibly compelling female leads in Opal and Sunny, although I did think the Nev character fell flat -- he seemed just as interesting at the start, and then... spoilers. However, I hope this book gets all the love it deserves when it debuts tomorrow!

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.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is an oral history of rock duo Nev Charles and Opal Jewel, their complicated history, and a pivotal moment in history. Our narrator, Sunny, reveals up front that she has a personal stake in the story, and shares reflections and insights throughout the novel in editor's notes.

I found the storytelling to be just as powerful as the story. It did not feel like we were waiting for a final reveal or surprise, but the story held intensity and was gripping from interviews with hair stylists to debriefs with Opal and Nev themselves. The way details were revealed, the mix of characters, and the writing - especially the dialogue - were all supreme.

The story had strong themes of Black female empowerment, an anchor in relevant politics, dimensional characters that felt authentic, and sharp commentary on race, family, and identity. I want everyone I know to read this book.

This will surely be on my list of best books of 2021.

This was such a thought provoking, emotional read. I really enjoyed the format and thought that it did, in fact, remind me a bit of Daisy Jones and The Six, as advertised. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy an in-depth character study, as well as music lovers and history buffs.

The Elephant in the Reading Room with “The Final Review of Opal & Nev” is the format: It’s quite similar to Daisy Jones and the Six (oral history, American music industry, 1960s and 70s). Trust me, however, there are more differences than similarities.

Opal & Nev’s story reminded me more of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom than of Daisy Jones. Both Opal and Daisy are females who transcend the male “leaders” of their group and capture the public’s attention – Daisy drifted into it, while Opal thrust herself in, capturing what she had always deemed her rightful place.

Opal, though – like so many Black musicians of the era, she's cut out of deals and royalties and venues and control of her career, in ways to which the white decision makers were oblivious.

While “Daisy” made me feel nostalgic and created sympathy for the characters who, after all, brought all the stuff they endured onto themselves, “Opal” gave a powerful, fierce face to exploitation and blame. I mean, come on – she was blamed for the riot at the Smythe Theater. If a white performer had made that simple gesture, no one would have noticed or commented.

I loved Daisy Jones and the Six. It was the most pleasant, articulate kind of escape (I went back and counted: I bookmarked nine passages in that novel!) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, on the other hand, sort of led me to that place where I had to engage. It took me out of my (white) comfort zone and schooled me, in the very best way.

And Opal's supporting characters! Virgil Lefleur: a solid-rock friend with a distinctive voice; a man who knew who he was. Opal's sister and her pastor husband, just as single-minded on their own path as Opal was on hers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance readers copy.

Opal Jewel and Nev Charles are an unlikely music duo that were known as much for the events of one of their fateful concerts in the 1960's as they were for their music. Opal is a black women from the South and Nev is an awkward, red headed English man. This book, being compared to Daisy Jones and The Six, is also a "behind the music" style book in it's format, but is very different than Daisy Jones (which I also loved.) This book is more about artists finding their voices, politics and racism, and the turbulent times. It has some great parallels to today and some really interesting things to say about race, class, and the music business. This was a fun book and definitely worth a read if you like books about fictional musicians, concerts, or rock/funk music history.

Thank you to Netgalley for the fun and different book for review.

I truly loved this book. I fear people will start this book- see the "interview" style writing and think "Daisy Jones and the Six". It's similar, but so much more. This is a book that tells the story of the band Nev and Opal. But it's also the story of a young woman trying to understand more about the death of her father, the racism and hatred the caused it, and power/ powerlessness that black women had and continue to have in our country. It's just as much the story of the author as it is about Nev- and really about Opal. A great read!

3.5 stars The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is written in the style of an oral interview with editor commentary throughout - all surrounding a fictional rock 'n' roll duo that shot to fame in the 1970s. A lot of the buzz around this novel compared it to Daisy Jones & the Six - and I think that is mostly because of it's style. Although, once you got to thinking about Daisy Jones, you couldn't help but also be reminded of Evelyn Hugo in the character of Opal Jewell.

I started this book so excited for the ride. In the early parts of the book I really came to love Opal - she was fierce and sassy and I loved it. However, as the book went on, I felt like it was a little more heavily focused on the music industry process than the story line. There was definitely a lot of character development, so if you love really getting in to the nooks & crannies of your characters, this will probably draw you in. Also, if you are really interested in learning about how a struggling music label navigates a fast moving and highly competitive industry while trying to figure out how to "polish" the gems they are sure they have... this can pull you in.

For me, I felt like the book seemed much longer than it was. I checked a few times to make sure - it was 370 pages. I don't necessarily feel like it should have been shorter, but I just wished there was a little more action or anticipation in the story itself.

The added narrative of the struggles surrounding race added some extra depth to the story for sure. I can't exactly put my finger one what I felt was missing, but for me something was missing. That all being said, if the summary sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to read it for yourself!

Thanks to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy! Pub date is tomorrow (March 30, 2021 - grab your copy!)

Though the premise may sound similar to Daisy Jones & the Six, this novel is completely unique in its execution—and in my opinion, is superior to Daisy Jones (though both novels are fantastic for different reasons). Using an oral history format to delve into the story of a fictional band is where the similarities between these novels stop.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is not only a captivating exploration of the rise and fall of the titular Afro-punk duo, but also explores how racism, sexism and the politics of the era tints their relationship, musical direction, and growth as characters. This novel is very successful in how it tackles these tough topics, with all inclusions feeling natural and necessary to the story, allowing the characters and setting to feel incredibly authentic and well-developed.

The mixture of fictional situations with real historical events made the novel feel grounded and real, as if this was a history of a real band. I was surprised by how well these historical and societal elements complemented and connected with the musical storyline, allowing this book to bring a fresh perspective to the oral band history genre.

Despite (or perhaps because of) being comprised of almost exclusively dialogue with some “editors note” commentaries from Sunny—the daughter of the band’s former drummer, editor of a music magazine, and the book’s fictional author—interspersed throughout, we were able to get deep insights into the inner workings of all characters, with most of the major players feeling complete and complex. I will say Jimmy’s character (Sunny’s father) could have been fleshed out a touch more, but given that he wasn’t able to be interviewed directly but rather only explored via other characters’ reflections, the slightly less amount of depth he received makes sense, and pairs well with Sunny’s frustrated desire to learn more about her father.

I also highly enjoyed the writing style of this novel. Though the dialogue frequently had amazing, highlightable sections, it still sounded like something people would actually say, which is impressive given the high quantity of dialogue. Each character had a unique voice, making it easy to tell who was talking at any given time, even without the name headers above each interview portion, and making each character memorable, not just Opal and Nev.

Though we stayed in some eras of the duo’s career longer than others, the pacing still felt spot-on through most of the book; we never left the exploration of a specific period or event too quickly or lingered too long. This kept me engaged throughout, allowing enough time for a character insight or societal connection to be well-developed before moving on to the next scene. However, at times the editors notes disrupted the flow of the plot just when things were coming to a head.

Overall, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is shaping up to be a top book of 2021. Though there were the few minor issues I mentioned above, the depth and flair the author brought to the musical oral history setup still made this a 5 star read to me.

This is an amazing debut novel by Dawnie Walton, and I look forward to following any future publications from her. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read several pop music oral histories with great pleasure; until this one, I'd never read a FICTIONAL oral history of any kind. Initially, I wondered if that gambit would work: isn't long-marinated suspense about "what really happened" what drives reader interest in books like PLEASE KILL ME or THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR? As I dawdled through OPAL & NEV's opening, looking for a spark, my lack of front-loaded historical curiosity pushed me to focus on style and character: I found Walton's work on the former a bit corny and naive, while she seemed to struggle with making the various voices distinct. However, her ability to create a unique fictional situation that I would love to have seen happen, her subtlety in critiquing that '70s situation from our current perch, and her view into the music industry and the journalism that struggles with it quickly won me over. Also, Opal Jewel is a credible trailblazing Afro-Punk protagonist that fired my imagination: I want to see and hear someone like her--there have been a few who are close, but not quite replicas. A successful experiment!