I love fiction books that are written in the form of biographies from the voice of the researcher. Music books are especially interesting because they have to describe sound without the reader hearing it. The author did an amazing job of creating this feeling around the music, and also formed her characters into such icons I started to forget they weren't real. This book has an excellent story arc and addresses racism both in and out of the music industry. Overall a very impactful read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my ARC!

It’s the 1970s. Nev is British and privileged. Opal is from Detroit and a raging Black feminist. Nev finds Opal by pure chance and the rest is history.

The story is told in the oral history format - Sunny, the first Black editor of Aural (a magazine reminiscent of Rolling Stone), is conducting interviews of Opal and Nev (and people around them), just before reunite in present day. What starts out as a way to gain publicity for the band’s revival, turns into an emotionally charged, kinda-high-stakes search for the truth.

For me, this book is Daisy Jones meets Evelyn Hugo, but make it more intense. What starts out feeling like a fun time, takes a turn for the profound, in the best possible way.

Each character feels very real; there are quite a few of them, but the author has given unique voices, so at no point was I confused. I’d love to get my hands on a full-cast audio production for this story, that would really be the cherry on top.

The story itself is nuanced in the way it captures the intersection of race, the politics of it, and the entertainment industry. It weaves in facts and social commentary with fiction so engagingly that I bet you’ll find yourself Googling the characters at some point to find out if any of it is real - it is that kind of storytelling.

Fabulously flawed and unforgettable, Opal is who I want to be when I grow up. She has a permanent place in my heart for knowing exactly who she is and owning it. I detested Nev the entire time I was reading the book for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on; I don’t know if I was meant to, but I did. Also, I’m not into the music scene all that much (read: at all), so if you’re into music, this will be *that* much more special to you.

The story did drag in a couple of places, I found my attention wavering. I feel like a tighter edit could do wonders for the pace.

3.75/ 5 - I’m going to pre-order the audiobook and also make sure everyone I know reads it. Dawnie Walton has a writing voice I really enjoy and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

A fictional story told in a journalistic format.
Sunny Shelton is writing a story about a possible reunion between a rock n' roll duo from the 70s.
Interviewing the duo themselves, as well as those in their close circle and those who worked with them, Sunny uncovers the truth about a night that changed the course of the duos lives, as well as the life of Sunny herself.

This book took a turn I was not expecting.
Very well written, with an interesting format.

I've seen this book being compared a lot to Daisy Jones & The Six in terms of writing style. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into DJ, but I really liked Opal & Nev! Hooked me right from the start with the Editor's Note. The themes in the book are incredibly relevant to today and its something that stays with you. I love how well we knew each character by the end and how all their stories came together. I would definitely recommend it if you like reading about rock & roll and like a little bit of suspense.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved the concept of this book, especially since Daisy Jones is one of the best books I’ve read. I really enjoyed where the author was going with the story, but I found it was hard to really get into the characters, and the plot didn’t pull me in.

I foresee this book being a great success, and I hope that many people connect to Opal, Nev, and the rest of the band.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

A wildly impressive debut featuring a fictional 1970’s musical duo, Opal and Nev, it’s told in a flawless oral history format, where each voice is so well done, it flows so easily, conversationally. The story chronicles the group’s origins, how the pair each individually come to music, how they find one another, their rise to entering pop culture stardom. There’s been rumblings of a reunion following a twenty-plus year hiatus of the duo, and rock journalist Sunny is getting a complete picture for a possible book timed for release after their re-entry on the music scene. After a disastrous showcase in the 1970’s where the duo’s Black drummer was beaten and killed, they were thrust into the spotlight, getting their chance at stardom. Sunny is the daughter of that drummer; her research interest is not only professional but personal.

Due to the similarities of both format and time period, this book will likely be compared to Bookstagram-favourite Daisy Jones & The Six. While both music groups felt real, and were engrossing reads, that’s where the comparison can end. This book has something to SAY and it’s delivery was incredible.

Opal is this amazingly complex character; she’s a performer, she’s got nerves of steel, she’s loud, creative, and she’s not afraid to shy away from confrontation for what is right. She’s Black, and through her oral history she shows us the ugly faces of racism and sexism she’s had to face time and again. Her musical partner, Nev, is a British white guy, and their relationship, both friend & professional is slowly extracted by Sunny throughout the interviews.

The characters all felt so real; it’s a real feat. Characters make bad decisions, deal with addictions, love & betray each other, have ups and downs.. I only wish I could hear some of their music!

Overall, this is an awesome, timely, thought provoking debut novel. I’m so grateful to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for access to an e-copy of this book in change for an honest review. This publishes March 30, 2021!

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev takes the reader on a musical journey to the 70s, introducing them to the titular duo - Nev, a British musician and Opal, an "afro punk warrior goddess" - examining their rise to fame and the night that changed their careers forever.

Sunny Curtis, the first African American and first woman to be named editor in chief of Aural magazine is our main narrator and tasked with bringing Opal and Nev's story to the world. She's also the daughter of Opal and Nev's drummer, Jimmy Curtis, who was killed during a racially charged riot at one of the band's shows. The story is told via interview format; interviews with the band, their family members and friends, editor's notes giving more backstory and excerpts from magazines and books help bring this rock and roll history to life.

It can be difficult to master the 'book within a book' format and Walton nailing it in her debut novel is one of the high points of this book. It did feel like I was reading a biographical novel, not a work of fiction. The author is tasked with getting the reader to become invested in a fictional band with a fictional backstory, referencing imaginary songs and events that readers are supposed to be aware of. With colourful characters and a unique plot, she achieves this. Compared to Daisy Jones and The Six, Opal & Nev sets itself apart by taking this interview style formula and setting it against the backdrop of racism, politics and girl power. These undertones give the novel an edge and make for a bit of a darker, more serious story.

While the majority of the book was entertaining, my interest waned a bit after the halfway point. Walton's great writing and imagery helped bring the story to life and Opal as a character is also wonderfully unique and fun to read about, but the other characters didn't do too much for me and I wasn't too invested in the reunion plot of the story. Again, fictional band, imaginary songs, etc.

All in all, a strong debut novel for fans of all genres, but especially for lovers of historical fiction with music at the forefront.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this e-book in exchange for a review.

I have just finished reading The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Author Dawnie Walton

This is a journey of two rock artists that come together in the 1970’s in New York City. Opal who is a colourful personality from Detroit, and British songwriter/ singer Neville Charles.

This was fun and entertaining, covering off their ups and downs along the way through the years, as well as all of the political tones that were happening during that time.

I did enjoy this book however I started losing some interest about 2/3 of the way through, when I felt the story was becoming a bit strained.


Thank You to NetGalley, Author Dawnie Walton and Simon & Schuster Canada for my advanced copy to read and review

#NetGalley

THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton is a novel featuring a journalist, Sunny, who writes a book about the rock and roll musical duo Opal and Nev’s rise to fame in the 70s and their comeback performance in 2016. This book is written interview style with direct quotes and editor’s notes very much like Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. If I compare the two books I liked Daisy better but I listened to the audiobook. Maybe this book would also benefit from having a full cast on audio. I found the writing style didn’t engage me at all. I felt a disconnect to all the characters. The plot wasn’t grabbing my attention and holding it. I was expecting a more dramatic ending. I’d be curious to listen to the audiobook to see if I’d love the book more that way.
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Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my advance review copy!

Once again I appreciate the chance to read and review a book in advance of publication. Thanks NetGalley. It's billed as a book similar to Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid ..(which I loved). and in some ways it was; it centers around music in the 70's and used the same "oral history" writing technique. However I also found it far less whimsical and fun -- it was a darker, more serious story covering hard issues like race relations, poverty and innate prejudice. Don't get me wrong, the book is still well written, topical and interesting but the themes were just too dark for the writing style and the utter strangeness of some of the stories, situations and odd characters. It didn't quite nail the whimsical notes and wasn't quite serious enough to drive home the social messages it was trying to speak too. Honestly, it's the inability to deliver in neither area that nets it out at a relatively average book --one still worth reading, but average nonetheless. .

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

Oh, how I wish Opal & Nev were real. The fictional band that is the star of Dawnie Walton's The Final Revival of Opal & Nev would have been the group that I discovered in my teens to define who I wanted to be. While I read this fictional story of an afro-punk duo in the early 70’s, I had to keep reminding myself that this story wasn’t true. Walton created a story that felt so real with just enough true events weaved in that it felt so tangible. I wanted to open up Spotify and play Polychrome.

As a strong black character, who embraces her weirdness, her uniqueness and her voice, Opal Jewel is the type of character that we need to see more of. She’s not perfect by any means and she doesn’t always admit when she’s wrong. But she goes after what she wants.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton is going to get a lot of initial comparisons to another popular book. Even though the other book about the oral history of a band was a great hit, the comparison doesn't really do Opal & Nev the justice that it deserves. This book needs to stand on its own. Once enough people have read it, I have no doubt that it will.

The format itself is interesting. It is written as an oral history, but it's more than that. Some might feel like it’s a book within a book. It’s a mix of interview style, quotes from articles and traditional story telling. Even with the changes of pace, it never felt confusing to follow. Our narrator, S. Sunny Shelton has a strong enough voice that it was easy to follow when she was interjecting and bringing her point of view to the tale of musical act Opal and Nev, how they came together, their rise to controversial fame and demise.

The end of the book is jarring, only because it felt so current and real. There is no doubt that I can see these things happening. And it shows how far we have, or have not, come in defeating racism.

Thanks to Simon & Schuester Canada, NetGalley and Dawnie Walton for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL AND NEV by Dawnie Walton, was my first official read of 2021 and my first 5 🌟 read! What a great way to start the year 😋. This one caught my attention as it is being marketed for fans of DAISY JONES AND THE SIX.

Thank-you to Simon & Schuster for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is April 20th, 2021.

Opal & Nev are a fictional rock n' roll duo who shot to fame in New York in the 70's, due to a unsettling racial killing of their drummer at their record labels talent Showcase.

Opal has always been a fiercely independent black woman, determined to be comfortable in her own skin. With her unusual looks and funky style she wanted to make a name for herself. While Neville Charles a British singer/songwriter was just looking for his muse.

When they met during an amateur night at a bar, Nev knew Opal would help set his career on the fast tracks, so he invited her to work with him at Rivington Records. What neither of them expected was the fateful night of the Rivington Showcase to be the night that launched their careers.

This book takes you on a journey to discover what actually happened that night, through a series of interviews conducted in 2016 by Sunny Shelton the daughter of the infamous drummer. But as her interviews dig deeper, a new allegation threatens to blow up everything! And how will this news affect the upcoming highly anticipated Opal & Nev reunion tour?

Dawnie Walton does an amazing job of teaching us what it meant to be a black musician during this time frame, how to stand up for what you believe in and to fight for it! You won't be able to put this book down and you will be shocked to learn that this band isn't real 😭.