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The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2021), Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2021)An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour.
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.
Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.
Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.
Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.
Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 2021
About the author
Dawnie Walton
2 books677 followersDawnie Walton was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop (2018) and holds a journalism degree from Florida A&M University (1997). Formerly an editor at Essence and Entertainment Weekly magazines, she has received fellowships in fiction writing from MacDowell and the Tin House Summer Workshop. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,018 reviews
March 9, 2021
First, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. Is this written in the oral history format like Daisy Jones & The Six? Yes. Does it have sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll? Yes. Will it take you back in time like Daisy Jones & The Six? Yes.
Is this the same story as Daisy Jones & The Six? Nope. It is not. Opal is nothing like Daisy, and as much as I loved Daisy Jones, I will say I loved this one even more.
The book starts in 2016, when S. Sunny Shelton is the editor in chief of Aural Magazine. She is writing a book about Opal Jewel and Nev Charles. She plans to interview them and all of those around them. But who are Opal and Nev?
In the 1970’s, Nev, a white Brit, comes to New York to try his hand at becoming a successful singer. He’s looking for a yin to his yang, and happens to find Opal, a Black American woman, on amateur night at a bar in Detroit. Opal is fierce. She’s not classically beautiful and is not the best singer in the world...and yet, she has star quality and the ability to enhance rock music with her powerful voice.
Opal agrees to record an album with Nev, and they sign a deal with Rivington Records. Although their first album doesn’t set the world ablaze, they have high hopes for their future. Things come to a head when the record company signs a new band that proudly displays Confederate flags and has a crude following. A promotional event leads to a chaotic, dangerous, and fatal situation that literally had my blood boiling. Even so, that event put Opal and Nev in the news, and things were never the same for them.
So why is Sunny writing about them? They are in talks to reunite for a special concert. In addition to that, her own father was the man who was killed at their promotional event in the 70’s. On top of that, he was having an affair with Opal while his wife was pregnant with Sunny.
This is a story that is rich in atmosphere, has fully dimensional characters with faults, and masterfully weaves in real events to add to the authenticity of the time periods of past. I couldn’t get enough. I had to stop reading at one point and let my mind adjust to a shocking revelation. I cared about the characters, felt their wounds, hurt when they hurt, and felt uplifted when they experienced joy.
Mark my words: Author Dawnie Walton is going to be a star! While this is her first book, her talent is outstanding. She has tons of experience under her belt, and I will eagerly follow her writing career and grab her next novel as soon as possible.
Opal and Nev felt so real and authentic. If they had been, I would’ve spent the next few days diving into their Wikipedia page(s) and digging out old interviews and footage on YouTube.
The novel doesn’t shy away from tough topics, and Walton doesn’t mince words. It’s a true gem and reflection of the 70’s era (good and bad) and our current era (good and bad).
I have no doubt that this will be on my top of 2021 list. Do yourselves a favor: Grab a copy when this is published on 3/30/21.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster/37 Ink and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Is this the same story as Daisy Jones & The Six? Nope. It is not. Opal is nothing like Daisy, and as much as I loved Daisy Jones, I will say I loved this one even more.
The book starts in 2016, when S. Sunny Shelton is the editor in chief of Aural Magazine. She is writing a book about Opal Jewel and Nev Charles. She plans to interview them and all of those around them. But who are Opal and Nev?
In the 1970’s, Nev, a white Brit, comes to New York to try his hand at becoming a successful singer. He’s looking for a yin to his yang, and happens to find Opal, a Black American woman, on amateur night at a bar in Detroit. Opal is fierce. She’s not classically beautiful and is not the best singer in the world...and yet, she has star quality and the ability to enhance rock music with her powerful voice.
Opal agrees to record an album with Nev, and they sign a deal with Rivington Records. Although their first album doesn’t set the world ablaze, they have high hopes for their future. Things come to a head when the record company signs a new band that proudly displays Confederate flags and has a crude following. A promotional event leads to a chaotic, dangerous, and fatal situation that literally had my blood boiling. Even so, that event put Opal and Nev in the news, and things were never the same for them.
So why is Sunny writing about them? They are in talks to reunite for a special concert. In addition to that, her own father was the man who was killed at their promotional event in the 70’s. On top of that, he was having an affair with Opal while his wife was pregnant with Sunny.
This is a story that is rich in atmosphere, has fully dimensional characters with faults, and masterfully weaves in real events to add to the authenticity of the time periods of past. I couldn’t get enough. I had to stop reading at one point and let my mind adjust to a shocking revelation. I cared about the characters, felt their wounds, hurt when they hurt, and felt uplifted when they experienced joy.
Mark my words: Author Dawnie Walton is going to be a star! While this is her first book, her talent is outstanding. She has tons of experience under her belt, and I will eagerly follow her writing career and grab her next novel as soon as possible.
Opal and Nev felt so real and authentic. If they had been, I would’ve spent the next few days diving into their Wikipedia page(s) and digging out old interviews and footage on YouTube.
The novel doesn’t shy away from tough topics, and Walton doesn’t mince words. It’s a true gem and reflection of the 70’s era (good and bad) and our current era (good and bad).
I have no doubt that this will be on my top of 2021 list. Do yourselves a favor: Grab a copy when this is published on 3/30/21.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster/37 Ink and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
February 12, 2021
I loved Daisy Jones and the Six - it’s oral history format just really worked for me. So, I was anxious to see what Walton would do with it. Well let me tell you, she moves it up a notch. This is so much more than the story of a musical duo. It’s the story of our times.
The writing is something special. “That’s what the South was like for me. Sweet on the first taste, but something gone sour underneath. It’ll try to trick you, now - the sugar berries and the quiet and those lovely spread out houses. But after that day with Auntie Rose, I could smell the rotten, too.”
Walton totally nails the time and the place. She intersperses just enough of what was happening in the real world to anchor the story. But beyond that, I felt like I was in the recording studio, the initial concert and at the reunion.
Opal and Nev are both fully fleshed out, with all the strengths and faults. I loved watching how their different decisions led to how their careers and lives played out. And let me just say, I wasn’t expecting this to be suspenseful, but boy, was it. As the story progresses, I couldn’t wait to see how it would play out. The story rings true. By taking us through the years, we see how little progress we’ve made. It makes a great point about white privilege. Put this one on your radar. I’m convinced it’ll be one of the hits of 2021.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
The writing is something special. “That’s what the South was like for me. Sweet on the first taste, but something gone sour underneath. It’ll try to trick you, now - the sugar berries and the quiet and those lovely spread out houses. But after that day with Auntie Rose, I could smell the rotten, too.”
Walton totally nails the time and the place. She intersperses just enough of what was happening in the real world to anchor the story. But beyond that, I felt like I was in the recording studio, the initial concert and at the reunion.
Opal and Nev are both fully fleshed out, with all the strengths and faults. I loved watching how their different decisions led to how their careers and lives played out. And let me just say, I wasn’t expecting this to be suspenseful, but boy, was it. As the story progresses, I couldn’t wait to see how it would play out. The story rings true. By taking us through the years, we see how little progress we’ve made. It makes a great point about white privilege. Put this one on your radar. I’m convinced it’ll be one of the hits of 2021.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
February 2, 2023
AN AFROPUNK ROCK N ROLL DUO IN THE SEVENTIES??? YES YES YESSSSSS
this is a very rich, polyphonic novel made up of interviews chronicling the brief life and death of fictional 70s rock duo Opal and Nev. while this book is often compared to Daisy Jones and the Six I think the two only bear similarities in structure and time period. While Daisy Jones and the Six is concerned with relationship drama, the romance of artistic partnership, drugs sex and rock and roll; Opal and Nev is a bit more heavily focused on racial social commentary regarding Opal's experiences as a revolutionary figure in an all white boy's club of an industry. It's a narrative more focused on ideas about the cultural resonances of our favorite musicians, their iconography that makes waves long after their music stops charting, and the dangers of white liberalism that performs social activism only when it does not inconvenience. I think both novels are pretty great but I wanted to illustrate these differences in intention behind the story telling because I do think the marketing has slightly done this book a disservice and may deliver it to the wrong audience by comparing the two.
this is a very rich, polyphonic novel made up of interviews chronicling the brief life and death of fictional 70s rock duo Opal and Nev. while this book is often compared to Daisy Jones and the Six I think the two only bear similarities in structure and time period. While Daisy Jones and the Six is concerned with relationship drama, the romance of artistic partnership, drugs sex and rock and roll; Opal and Nev is a bit more heavily focused on racial social commentary regarding Opal's experiences as a revolutionary figure in an all white boy's club of an industry. It's a narrative more focused on ideas about the cultural resonances of our favorite musicians, their iconography that makes waves long after their music stops charting, and the dangers of white liberalism that performs social activism only when it does not inconvenience. I think both novels are pretty great but I wanted to illustrate these differences in intention behind the story telling because I do think the marketing has slightly done this book a disservice and may deliver it to the wrong audience by comparing the two.
April 10, 2022
Who doesn’t like to dive into an oral-history fiction after the blooming popularity of Daisy Jones and the Six! The storytelling style with interviews, the nerve breaking rising of a band and catastrophic tragic events sealed its members’ faiths! I’m sold with this concept!
It’s not realistic to compare this novel with Daisy Jones and Six even though both of them related with the relationship dynamics of band members and forbidden love story. This book’s main focus in questioning inequality, racism with rebellious, liberating tone! The music they make is the product of their inner resentment, anger, revolutionary thoughts, fears and the songs they create were honest reflection of their turmoils, conflict emotions.
At the beginning, we’re introduced to S. Sunny Curtis, powerful journalist via her editor notes who hears a rumor about Opal and Nev’s getting together for a reunion concert on 2017 and we observe how her path crossed with Opal in her mid sixties at the hall.
She defines Opal as Nev Charles’ one time partner in stage, ebony skinned provocateur, fashion rebel, singer/ screecher/ Afro-Punk ancestor , the unapologetically Black Feminist resurrected via GIFs and Instagram Quotes for intense political times: also her father’s crazy ex-girlfriend.
Her father was Jimmy Curtis-drummer of Nev and Opal’s band who has been killed at the concert by a group of racists beat him to death.
Sunny wants to write a book about the musical legacy of the band and surprisingly Opal accepts this offer.
Sunny has conflict feelings about Opal going back and forth between adoration and grudge. She knows Opal financially supported her to get better education, pursuing her dream to be a journalist but she also resents her because of her father’s murder.
The story is told from different POVs but it’s mainly centered on Opal, Opal’s two years younger half sister Pearl and Sunny. Their stories are intercepted for a heart wrenching, powerful resolution.
From the beginning, Opal and Pearl’s childhood story, their moving to the south, their yearning for fathers’ loves, ( Opal has no memory about her father and Pearl’s father has also died at the war in Korea.) their pure joy to sing at the church choir, their happiness when they have new clothes.
I felt like I could foresee where the story was going easily but with a shocking twist, the story went into another direction I would never ever see it coming, kept reading with dropped jaw.
And the ending was truly magnificent, earned my extra points and adoration for this brilliant book!
In first three months of the year, I’ve already read so many unique, original, stimulating, powerful, thought provoking, epic debuts and I’m finally announcing this book is one of them which I strongly recommend to the genre lovers!
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5 provocative, unconventional, surprising, liberating, moving, emotional stars!
It’s not realistic to compare this novel with Daisy Jones and Six even though both of them related with the relationship dynamics of band members and forbidden love story. This book’s main focus in questioning inequality, racism with rebellious, liberating tone! The music they make is the product of their inner resentment, anger, revolutionary thoughts, fears and the songs they create were honest reflection of their turmoils, conflict emotions.
At the beginning, we’re introduced to S. Sunny Curtis, powerful journalist via her editor notes who hears a rumor about Opal and Nev’s getting together for a reunion concert on 2017 and we observe how her path crossed with Opal in her mid sixties at the hall.
She defines Opal as Nev Charles’ one time partner in stage, ebony skinned provocateur, fashion rebel, singer/ screecher/ Afro-Punk ancestor , the unapologetically Black Feminist resurrected via GIFs and Instagram Quotes for intense political times: also her father’s crazy ex-girlfriend.
Her father was Jimmy Curtis-drummer of Nev and Opal’s band who has been killed at the concert by a group of racists beat him to death.
Sunny wants to write a book about the musical legacy of the band and surprisingly Opal accepts this offer.
Sunny has conflict feelings about Opal going back and forth between adoration and grudge. She knows Opal financially supported her to get better education, pursuing her dream to be a journalist but she also resents her because of her father’s murder.
The story is told from different POVs but it’s mainly centered on Opal, Opal’s two years younger half sister Pearl and Sunny. Their stories are intercepted for a heart wrenching, powerful resolution.
From the beginning, Opal and Pearl’s childhood story, their moving to the south, their yearning for fathers’ loves, ( Opal has no memory about her father and Pearl’s father has also died at the war in Korea.) their pure joy to sing at the church choir, their happiness when they have new clothes.
I felt like I could foresee where the story was going easily but with a shocking twist, the story went into another direction I would never ever see it coming, kept reading with dropped jaw.
And the ending was truly magnificent, earned my extra points and adoration for this brilliant book!
In first three months of the year, I’ve already read so many unique, original, stimulating, powerful, thought provoking, epic debuts and I’m finally announcing this book is one of them which I strongly recommend to the genre lovers!
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5 provocative, unconventional, surprising, liberating, moving, emotional stars!
March 18, 2021
What happens when an unknown young black singer from Detroit is hand-picked by a young white red-haired singer from the UK to be his unlikely partner in a musical rock duo? Grab some popcorn and sit back, because this is the compelling story of Opal & Nev.
This engaging fictional story of 70’s Afro-Punk rock duo Opal & Nev explores how these two misfits from different worlds found each other against all odds, and what happened not only to launch their short-lived musical journey together, but the racially-charged events that ultimately tore them apart and sent their lives in different directions.
What I liked:
Style: Author Dawnie Walton has created an interview style oral history - a la Daisy Jones & the Six - that seamlessly blends real, recognizable names from the 70’s up through current music and culture with her fictional duo of Opal & Nev, et al. It’s so effective, in fact, that I initially double-checked to make sure Opal & Nev and the remaining cast of characters weren’t actually real! This gave it the feeling of a legitimate memoir, which in turn gave it more depth, and I enjoyed seeing names I recognized scattered throughout. In that vein, the book spans several decades, so it offers a nice historical overview of what was going on in America, including the changing of presidents and ideologies of those times.
Characters: Opal is one fierce, intelligent, strong-willed woman who doesn’t back down in her desire to see her fellow African Americans treated with dignity and fairness, even when some of those actions cost her or those around her. The story really belongs to her, even if she shares title credit with Nev. Speaking of Nev, this ginger-haired, caucasian Brit is the more elusive and mysterious member of the duo. Less focus is devoted to him, but his laid-back, seemingly good-natured personality was the perfect counterpoint to Opal’s vocal, creative, free-spirited ways. A couple other standouts were Opal’s entertaining bestie and stylist, the flamboyant Francophile Virgil La Fleur, and S. Sunny Shelton (aka SarahLena Curtis), the interviewer/author of the story within this story and the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a drummer who Opal had an affair with and whose death plays a central role in this story.
Relevance: The book explores or touches on timely and relevant social issues including the seedlings of the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements regarding racism, racial justice, and sexism, and the advent of legalized gay marriage. It also looks at some of the greedy and questionable practices of the music industry and the temptation of the media to represent certain popular narratives at the exclusion of truth. This gives the book some meaning and heft, rather than just being a standard sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll story.
Where I struggled:
Pace: As much as I enjoyed the story, sometimes it felt like the narrative was starting to drag a little or feel redundant. Some (OK - most) of that is a “me” thing: I get bored with listening to people talk. Ask my poor husband - he knows what I’m like when my eyes start to glaze over. Whether they actually were long, these chapters felt long, like my progress to the finish line was turtle-level slooooooow.
Conclusion: All things said, those who are patient readers who enjoy a historical fiction/interview-style rock ‘n’ roll memoir should enjoy this very good, extremely well-written story. Kudos to Ms. Walton for her stunning debut!
★★★★
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and author Dawnie Walton for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. This will be published on March 30, 2021.
This engaging fictional story of 70’s Afro-Punk rock duo Opal & Nev explores how these two misfits from different worlds found each other against all odds, and what happened not only to launch their short-lived musical journey together, but the racially-charged events that ultimately tore them apart and sent their lives in different directions.
What I liked:
Style: Author Dawnie Walton has created an interview style oral history - a la Daisy Jones & the Six - that seamlessly blends real, recognizable names from the 70’s up through current music and culture with her fictional duo of Opal & Nev, et al. It’s so effective, in fact, that I initially double-checked to make sure Opal & Nev and the remaining cast of characters weren’t actually real! This gave it the feeling of a legitimate memoir, which in turn gave it more depth, and I enjoyed seeing names I recognized scattered throughout. In that vein, the book spans several decades, so it offers a nice historical overview of what was going on in America, including the changing of presidents and ideologies of those times.
Characters: Opal is one fierce, intelligent, strong-willed woman who doesn’t back down in her desire to see her fellow African Americans treated with dignity and fairness, even when some of those actions cost her or those around her. The story really belongs to her, even if she shares title credit with Nev. Speaking of Nev, this ginger-haired, caucasian Brit is the more elusive and mysterious member of the duo. Less focus is devoted to him, but his laid-back, seemingly good-natured personality was the perfect counterpoint to Opal’s vocal, creative, free-spirited ways. A couple other standouts were Opal’s entertaining bestie and stylist, the flamboyant Francophile Virgil La Fleur, and S. Sunny Shelton (aka SarahLena Curtis), the interviewer/author of the story within this story and the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a drummer who Opal had an affair with and whose death plays a central role in this story.
Relevance: The book explores or touches on timely and relevant social issues including the seedlings of the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements regarding racism, racial justice, and sexism, and the advent of legalized gay marriage. It also looks at some of the greedy and questionable practices of the music industry and the temptation of the media to represent certain popular narratives at the exclusion of truth. This gives the book some meaning and heft, rather than just being a standard sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll story.
Where I struggled:
Pace: As much as I enjoyed the story, sometimes it felt like the narrative was starting to drag a little or feel redundant. Some (OK - most) of that is a “me” thing: I get bored with listening to people talk. Ask my poor husband - he knows what I’m like when my eyes start to glaze over. Whether they actually were long, these chapters felt long, like my progress to the finish line was turtle-level slooooooow.
Conclusion: All things said, those who are patient readers who enjoy a historical fiction/interview-style rock ‘n’ roll memoir should enjoy this very good, extremely well-written story. Kudos to Ms. Walton for her stunning debut!
★★★★
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and author Dawnie Walton for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. This will be published on March 30, 2021.
September 10, 2021
I thought The Final Revival of Opal and Nev would be a love story. It is, but not the one I expected. Opal and Nev aren’t romantically involved, but rather partners in a famous, fictional rock duo.
So where’s the love? It’s between readers and music, the 1970s, the fight against racism, and author Dawnie Walton’s skillful words.
The structure of Walton’s novel is, well… novel. The duo’s story is revealed through a series of interviews and articles rather than as a linear narrative. It’s almost like a transcript of a lengthy “Behind the Music” episode, which will work for many readers but might feel choppy to others.
Given the oral history technique, audiobook listeners will want to take note. Those who choose the audio format will be treated to a full cast of narrators that bring the documentary-style story to life.
Want to immerse yourself in the world of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll for a few hours? This Opal is a gem.
My thanks to Dawnie Walton and Simon and Schuster for the gifted review copy via NetGalley.
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
So where’s the love? It’s between readers and music, the 1970s, the fight against racism, and author Dawnie Walton’s skillful words.
The structure of Walton’s novel is, well… novel. The duo’s story is revealed through a series of interviews and articles rather than as a linear narrative. It’s almost like a transcript of a lengthy “Behind the Music” episode, which will work for many readers but might feel choppy to others.
Given the oral history technique, audiobook listeners will want to take note. Those who choose the audio format will be treated to a full cast of narrators that bring the documentary-style story to life.
Want to immerse yourself in the world of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll for a few hours? This Opal is a gem.
My thanks to Dawnie Walton and Simon and Schuster for the gifted review copy via NetGalley.
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
May 8, 2021
Rock-Duo
Opal and Nev are the most unlikely of partners who could not be more different. With such a range of personalities, background, culture, race, image and behaviours, they provide such a fascinating contrast in an industry that is always seeking the new outrageous star. The development of their journey from their family background to music industry fame is fascinating, and it does require a double-take to realise that this is a purely fictional story. Delivered in an epistolary format, the structure works brilliantly in delivering a documentary-style narrative where the sense of information flowing from the most appropriate observer keeps us enthralled.
Neville Charles (Nev) is a very creative songwriter musician from England and manages to impress New York City based, Rivington Records, to sign him and work to promote his unique musical style. While the record label backs him they also feel there is something missing and they embark on a quest to find the missing piece – a perfect duo fit for Nev. One night in Detroit they hear Opal Robinson and her sister Pearl, sing in a bar and Nev knows instantly that Opal is the one. While not as beautiful as her sister or as good a singer as her sister, Opal has that je ne sais quoi, that enigmatic something that is riveting, and Nev knows he has found his partner. Nev is white, ginger-haired and very reserved, Opal is black, bald, and fiercely flamboyant - yet they work.
Dawnie Walton shows great craft in building her characters, especially considering the format of the novel. Opal and Nev are fascinating characters, well developed and intriguing. They have a strong belief in themselves but also show their uncertainty and the precarious nature of the industry. The introduction of the rock and roll lifestyle also has its impact, particularly on Opal who isn't one to hold back. A defining moment happens when the band’s black drummer Jimmy Curtis is killed in a racially motivated attack at a concert and it brings the band to an end.
With the talk that Opal and Nev are planning a reunion concert forty years later, the newly appointed editor of Aural Magazine, S. Sunny Shelton/Curtis, wants to cover their story. In a juicy twist, Sunny is the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a father she never met but who was having an affair with Opal at the time of his death. With Sunny as the novel’s facilitator, this is essentially a story within a story and her editor's notes add a great element to the book.
Amongst other things, this is a powerful story about racism and sexism, and a contemporary look at the societal injustices that glaringly pervade our lives. Walton has written a very intelligent story at various levels, from an entertaining glimpse of rock and roll that excites many fans, to an acute social commentary on the issues facing our world today. There are often disconnect issues with the episodic style and I felt that happened here which also slowed the story at times, but that said, this is a wonderful read and hugely impressive as a debut novel.
I would recommend this book and I have Michael David to thank for pointing me in the right direction. I would also like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.
Opal and Nev are the most unlikely of partners who could not be more different. With such a range of personalities, background, culture, race, image and behaviours, they provide such a fascinating contrast in an industry that is always seeking the new outrageous star. The development of their journey from their family background to music industry fame is fascinating, and it does require a double-take to realise that this is a purely fictional story. Delivered in an epistolary format, the structure works brilliantly in delivering a documentary-style narrative where the sense of information flowing from the most appropriate observer keeps us enthralled.
Neville Charles (Nev) is a very creative songwriter musician from England and manages to impress New York City based, Rivington Records, to sign him and work to promote his unique musical style. While the record label backs him they also feel there is something missing and they embark on a quest to find the missing piece – a perfect duo fit for Nev. One night in Detroit they hear Opal Robinson and her sister Pearl, sing in a bar and Nev knows instantly that Opal is the one. While not as beautiful as her sister or as good a singer as her sister, Opal has that je ne sais quoi, that enigmatic something that is riveting, and Nev knows he has found his partner. Nev is white, ginger-haired and very reserved, Opal is black, bald, and fiercely flamboyant - yet they work.
Dawnie Walton shows great craft in building her characters, especially considering the format of the novel. Opal and Nev are fascinating characters, well developed and intriguing. They have a strong belief in themselves but also show their uncertainty and the precarious nature of the industry. The introduction of the rock and roll lifestyle also has its impact, particularly on Opal who isn't one to hold back. A defining moment happens when the band’s black drummer Jimmy Curtis is killed in a racially motivated attack at a concert and it brings the band to an end.
With the talk that Opal and Nev are planning a reunion concert forty years later, the newly appointed editor of Aural Magazine, S. Sunny Shelton/Curtis, wants to cover their story. In a juicy twist, Sunny is the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a father she never met but who was having an affair with Opal at the time of his death. With Sunny as the novel’s facilitator, this is essentially a story within a story and her editor's notes add a great element to the book.
Amongst other things, this is a powerful story about racism and sexism, and a contemporary look at the societal injustices that glaringly pervade our lives. Walton has written a very intelligent story at various levels, from an entertaining glimpse of rock and roll that excites many fans, to an acute social commentary on the issues facing our world today. There are often disconnect issues with the episodic style and I felt that happened here which also slowed the story at times, but that said, this is a wonderful read and hugely impressive as a debut novel.
I would recommend this book and I have Michael David to thank for pointing me in the right direction. I would also like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.
April 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this one! I listened to the audiobook which has a full cast, which was so much fun and definitely the way to go if you plan to read this one! This has major Daisy Jones & the Six vibes with the way it follows a band in the 1970’s and is told in an interview style format. I absolutely love Opal Jewell as a character, she’s iconic!!!
Here’s the reading vlog where I read this book: https://youtu.be/QByD-7NKM_8
Here’s the reading vlog where I read this book: https://youtu.be/QByD-7NKM_8
October 15, 2022
I’m always impressed by books that are able to evoke emotions straight out of my heart. I may have zoned out here and there, but it kept bringing me back!
I’ve read books like this before so I thought I knew what I would expect. While I wasn’t too far off, this wasn't definitely like the other books. Opal, for example, is not your everyday character. She knows who she is and what she wants and doesn't let what society deems unacceptable or unworthy stop her! Nevertheless, Walton makes sure to not let us forget she is human and imperfect. A realistic part of this though is how the world likes to harp more on the mistakes of black women and this was evident in her life. Particularly, one thing that I wasn’t a fan of was a certain relationship she found herself in. I felt like both players were in the wrong, but she got the brunt of the judgment when she was clearly younger than a certain someone.
The editor in this story, Shelton, had as much of a role in the story as the other characters. Who she is as a person was revealed by the kind of information she sought and how she interpreted them. She went all the way back to the early lives of Opal and Nev, starting from their childhoods and delving into their family. I really liked this because it helped me to realize early on the kind of characters we were dealing with and how people really can become different people after what life throws at them. Shelton’s character reveals that journalism is not always glamorous because opposition to the story one is trying to tell can come when the ugly truth is trying to come out. There were times when things are described so well in the book that I feel like I’m right there!
Can I just say though that mixing real characters with fictional characters is so weird!
The dynamic between all the characters was also beautifully done. It’s really crazy how you think you know some people but the secrets they harbor do eventually come out in many ways.
I did say that I zoned out here and there but this one does get better and better. There are climaxes in the book that really reveal the goal of this book. Racism for example was an overarching theme, as most things that happened could connect back to this.
We tend to underestimate the power of a unique ending so I really want to acknowledge that I really like the ending.
I’ve read books like this before so I thought I knew what I would expect. While I wasn’t too far off, this wasn't definitely like the other books. Opal, for example, is not your everyday character. She knows who she is and what she wants and doesn't let what society deems unacceptable or unworthy stop her! Nevertheless, Walton makes sure to not let us forget she is human and imperfect. A realistic part of this though is how the world likes to harp more on the mistakes of black women and this was evident in her life. Particularly, one thing that I wasn’t a fan of was a certain relationship she found herself in. I felt like both players were in the wrong, but she got the brunt of the judgment when she was clearly younger than a certain someone.
The editor in this story, Shelton, had as much of a role in the story as the other characters. Who she is as a person was revealed by the kind of information she sought and how she interpreted them. She went all the way back to the early lives of Opal and Nev, starting from their childhoods and delving into their family. I really liked this because it helped me to realize early on the kind of characters we were dealing with and how people really can become different people after what life throws at them. Shelton’s character reveals that journalism is not always glamorous because opposition to the story one is trying to tell can come when the ugly truth is trying to come out. There were times when things are described so well in the book that I feel like I’m right there!
Can I just say though that mixing real characters with fictional characters is so weird!
The dynamic between all the characters was also beautifully done. It’s really crazy how you think you know some people but the secrets they harbor do eventually come out in many ways.
I did say that I zoned out here and there but this one does get better and better. There are climaxes in the book that really reveal the goal of this book. Racism for example was an overarching theme, as most things that happened could connect back to this.
We tend to underestimate the power of a unique ending so I really want to acknowledge that I really like the ending.
April 12, 2021
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, being a fan of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Songbook of Benny Lament, but it ended up being a big disappointment for me. I didn’t like the writing style at all. It felt like listening to a magazine with different interviews, no personal connection, dialog and emotion between the characters themselves. The extensive editor notes throughout the book were annoying and distracting. In my opinion, Sunny had no place in this story because she couldn’t offer any real insight. I would’ve enjoyed a first-person or third-person perspective centered on Opal, her life, her thoughts, her fierceness and her path to fame. So much potential, such poor execution.
September 10, 2021
Love love loved the audio of “The Final Revival of Opal and Nev”. I’m not sure that if I read this (rather than listening), it would have been as enjoyable. This is an anthology of a fictious punk rock duo, but it’s in the form of a podcast or oral history with multiple narrators providing their insight to the band and the individuals associated with the band. We hear from the music promoters, fans, managers, band members, etc. Plus, it’s a dive into the music and cultural past, showing how music inspired culture, making this an interesting historical fiction story. Remember free concerts? Festivals? Do you recall the Altamont incident where a black man was beaten by Hells Angels at a free concert featuring the Rolling Stones? You shall be reminded.
This oral history begins with the fictitious Sunny Shelton named as the first-ever Black editor of Aural, a fictional print magazine. The stakes are high for Sunny. Sunny’s backstory is that her father was a black drummer for Nev and Opal when they performed at a concert that also featured a southern country band whose emblem is the Confederate Flag. When the fans of the two music groups collided, Sunny’s father was brutally beaten and killed. Thus, Sunny has a particular interest in this band. Mostly, her interest lies with Opal Jewel.
Nev found Opal in the late 1960’s in Detroit, where she performed with her sister. Nev, a pale white man, tall with ginger hair, contrasted beautifully with Opal. She is a powerful black woman who loves to dress for affect. The real Grace Jones came to mind when I pictured Opal. Meanwhile Nev is British and uninteresting in looks. But when the two are on stage, it’s powerful. They amazingly rise to fame in the 1970’s as an interracial rock duo. They fall apart after a tragic promotional concert when Sunny’s father is murdered. It is Opal who suffers most from the tragedy; culture is not kind to black performers, especially women.
Through the oral history, we learn of music events that occur and their relevance to pop culture. It’s a fun and entertaining journey. Author Dawnie Walton exposes racial and gender inequities during that time.
Truly, what’s best is the entertainment value of listening to this unique structure. Compiling all the differing voices made this a fun listen. Kudos to Simon and Schuster Audio productions because I feel that the amazing audio made this story for me. In fact, I googled Nev Charles to see if he was a true musician (he is not). And of course, the wonderful Bahni Turpin (she voices Opal) made this exceptional. I am a huge fan of hers.
My word of caution if you listen to this is that you will be duped into believing this is a real story. It is NOT. But, it could be. The historical references make this believable in a fun way. Music lovers, treat yourself! Listen to this outstanding audio.
This oral history begins with the fictitious Sunny Shelton named as the first-ever Black editor of Aural, a fictional print magazine. The stakes are high for Sunny. Sunny’s backstory is that her father was a black drummer for Nev and Opal when they performed at a concert that also featured a southern country band whose emblem is the Confederate Flag. When the fans of the two music groups collided, Sunny’s father was brutally beaten and killed. Thus, Sunny has a particular interest in this band. Mostly, her interest lies with Opal Jewel.
Nev found Opal in the late 1960’s in Detroit, where she performed with her sister. Nev, a pale white man, tall with ginger hair, contrasted beautifully with Opal. She is a powerful black woman who loves to dress for affect. The real Grace Jones came to mind when I pictured Opal. Meanwhile Nev is British and uninteresting in looks. But when the two are on stage, it’s powerful. They amazingly rise to fame in the 1970’s as an interracial rock duo. They fall apart after a tragic promotional concert when Sunny’s father is murdered. It is Opal who suffers most from the tragedy; culture is not kind to black performers, especially women.
Through the oral history, we learn of music events that occur and their relevance to pop culture. It’s a fun and entertaining journey. Author Dawnie Walton exposes racial and gender inequities during that time.
Truly, what’s best is the entertainment value of listening to this unique structure. Compiling all the differing voices made this a fun listen. Kudos to Simon and Schuster Audio productions because I feel that the amazing audio made this story for me. In fact, I googled Nev Charles to see if he was a true musician (he is not). And of course, the wonderful Bahni Turpin (she voices Opal) made this exceptional. I am a huge fan of hers.
My word of caution if you listen to this is that you will be duped into believing this is a real story. It is NOT. But, it could be. The historical references make this believable in a fun way. Music lovers, treat yourself! Listen to this outstanding audio.
April 18, 2021
My favourite decade - the 70’s. Bell bottoms, disco, hippies, drugs ...and rock and roll, Baby.
This is a unique biographical fictional account -Also being dubbed an oral history, of the brief claim to fame this duo had and a chance, decades later, for a reunion.
In New York City, a showcase concert is about to take place.
Opal & Nev have released an album but it’s not getting any attention.
The event is arranged with The Bond Boys (red neck hoodlums) being the headline. But some shit goes down involving a confederate flag and I give zero fucks black singer, Opal, is not about to let them hang out their racial laundry.
In a swift turn of events, chaos ensues and the drummer, Jimmy, is murdered protecting her.
This was a jolting read. Written by Jimmy’s daughter, Walton. She Interviewed Nev, Opal and some other key players. But Opal, what a woman. An activist in the most powerful sense; a rebel in many others. But unique and original and not afraid to stand up for her rights.
What’s the most disturbing is the deep racial tensions that still exist today. The injustice that remains.
4⭐️
This is a unique biographical fictional account -Also being dubbed an oral history, of the brief claim to fame this duo had and a chance, decades later, for a reunion.
In New York City, a showcase concert is about to take place.
Opal & Nev have released an album but it’s not getting any attention.
The event is arranged with The Bond Boys (red neck hoodlums) being the headline. But some shit goes down involving a confederate flag and I give zero fucks black singer, Opal, is not about to let them hang out their racial laundry.
In a swift turn of events, chaos ensues and the drummer, Jimmy, is murdered protecting her.
This was a jolting read. Written by Jimmy’s daughter, Walton. She Interviewed Nev, Opal and some other key players. But Opal, what a woman. An activist in the most powerful sense; a rebel in many others. But unique and original and not afraid to stand up for her rights.
What’s the most disturbing is the deep racial tensions that still exist today. The injustice that remains.
4⭐️
March 3, 2021
An impressive debut novel. And I'll get this out of the way now, do not shy away from reading this book because you think it will be too similar to Daisy Jones & The Six. Other than using an oral history format to tell the story of a fictional band, they really do branch off in different directions. I like both books, but The Final Revival of Opal & Nev definitely tackles tougher topics.
It's the 1970s and Rivington Records based in NYC would love to add some stars to their roster. Aspiring British singer/songwriter and lanky redheaded white male, Nev Charles, is looking for that special someone to join him in making music. After an exhaustive search he sees Opal singing in a Detroit bar. She's a young Black woman, and while she might not have the best voice or a fit that boring definition of conventional beauty, she sure has "it", that presence that all stars seem to possess in spades. That's how Opal and Nev got their start so many years ago. In 2016 the duo might reunite and music journalist, S. Sunny Shelton, is in the process of collecting an oral history of the pair.
Given the title I did assume the book would focus equally on Opal and Nev. However it kinda evolved more into Opal and Sunny's story and I'm glad it did. The strength of this novel is showing racism in both its obvious and subtle forms. It's something that pops up right from the start with Opal as a young girl in Birmingham, Alabama and continues all the way into the 2016 storyline. When you read about the 1970s significant event in the story it makes your blood boil for many reasons. One of those being that fifty years later, that fictional scenario could easily play out in real life.
When I initially finished the book I kept thinking that Nev wasn't a fully developed character like Opal. But my opinion of how Nev was written changed for the better. Now here is where I try to figure out how to express my thoughts without veering into spoiler territory. The best I can come up with is saying the author made a smart choice in how she wrote that character. I think I was too dumb to realize it at first.
Sign me up for any book Dawnie Walton writes in the future. Highly recommend checking this book out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
It's the 1970s and Rivington Records based in NYC would love to add some stars to their roster. Aspiring British singer/songwriter and lanky redheaded white male, Nev Charles, is looking for that special someone to join him in making music. After an exhaustive search he sees Opal singing in a Detroit bar. She's a young Black woman, and while she might not have the best voice or a fit that boring definition of conventional beauty, she sure has "it", that presence that all stars seem to possess in spades. That's how Opal and Nev got their start so many years ago. In 2016 the duo might reunite and music journalist, S. Sunny Shelton, is in the process of collecting an oral history of the pair.
Given the title I did assume the book would focus equally on Opal and Nev. However it kinda evolved more into Opal and Sunny's story and I'm glad it did. The strength of this novel is showing racism in both its obvious and subtle forms. It's something that pops up right from the start with Opal as a young girl in Birmingham, Alabama and continues all the way into the 2016 storyline. When you read about the 1970s significant event in the story it makes your blood boil for many reasons. One of those being that fifty years later, that fictional scenario could easily play out in real life.
When I initially finished the book I kept thinking that Nev wasn't a fully developed character like Opal. But my opinion of how Nev was written changed for the better. Now here is where I try to figure out how to express my thoughts without veering into spoiler territory. The best I can come up with is saying the author made a smart choice in how she wrote that character. I think I was too dumb to realize it at first.
Sign me up for any book Dawnie Walton writes in the future. Highly recommend checking this book out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
March 8, 2022
I had more fun reading Opal & Nev than just about any other book last year. Opal is such a compelling character, with a voice and story that is timely in all the right ways. With a few exceptions, other characters were less compelling. The story was told as an oral history, with the characters quoted directly telling their own stories. This worked for some characters (Opal, Virgil), and less so for others (Chet, Nev). It was probably a bit too long to maintain momentum. Still, a fun read.
March 30, 2021
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster/37 Ink, and Dawnie Walton for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 3.30.21!**
Opal Jewel is a rare gem, with a cut, clarity, and color all her own. Growing up as a relative unknown in Detroit alongside sister Pearl, she gets an opportunity for a big break when her golden pipes get her noticed at a tiny club. Enter Nev, gangly British red-headed rocker with a punk edge who is looking for just the right unique and soulful voice to complement his tunes (a Merry Clayton for his "Gimme Shelter") and Opal's distinctive look and even more distinctive sound seem the perfect fit. As the duo's popularity rises, so do the stakes, and at a fateful concert one night, another band on the label, good ol' boys with lots of radio airplay, has the audacity to brandish the Confederate Flag unashamedly during the showcase. This situation ultimately sparks violence that results in the death of drummer Jimmy, who has a special connection to Opal, and the band never fully recovers from this chaos.
Jimmy's daughter Sunny is left to pick up the pieces and as the new editor of Aural, sets out to peel back the layers of the magic that was Opal and Nev, and to document their ascent and descent through an all-encompassing and no-holds-barred oral history of the rock 'n roll duo. What she discovers, however, could be crushing for the upcoming reunion tour Opal and Nev have planned and calls to question the glue that held these two together---not to mention what ACTUALLY happened during that fateful concert, so many years ago. Was this dynasty built on nothing more than a dream? Is this music still even relevant in today's vastly different world...or does a broken nation need it more desperately than ever?
Walton has created quite a world in Opal and Nev, and the beauty of this book lies in its characterization and the development of so many personalities. In an oral history, voices need to be distinct, clear, and to shine, and Walton's characters do just that. She masterfully weaves in traces of pop culture to ground this alternate reality in our actual reality, with mentions of everyone from Janelle Monae to Parliament Funkadelic, to give Opal a place among the rock royalty we know and love. Opal's friend Virgil is a particular highlight, a fierce and fabulous fashion designer who has a personality big enough for his own book! Certain portions of the novel, particularly, had me lost in the world Walton designed and removed from reality entirely. Another giant piece of the puzzle here is Walton's commentary on white supremacy and race relations, central obviously not only to Opal's own tale, but to the cultural climate of 2021. Her commentary is fairly straightforward but helps to connect the lines between the fires first stoked so many years ago that unfortunately still roar in today's world, and I always appreciate the brutal honesty about the ugliness we still need to fight as a world, as hard as it might be to read.
On the other hand, where this novel faltered for me was pacing. The 3 parts of this book didn't feel particularly balanced, and I would go through long sections that I felt could have been much shorter and yet other portions I wish had been more detailed. Jimmy as a character felt unexplored to me and I believe he could have had a more dominant role in the narrative if Walton had examined his character on a deeper level, even if only through the eyes of other narrators. He was such an important component to the story and yet still felt at times like a background character, so that was an odd juxtaposition for me as a reader. I also struggled at times with the plot: this has nothing to do with Walton's ability as a writer and is solely based on the events of the plot itself. I would find myself growing irritated or bored with the choices some characters made at times and had a hard time reconciling that frustration. While there were some kinks that worked themselves out by the end, I just wanted more for our protagonists, especially Opal. This is the flip side of the fantastic characterization she developed throughout the book: when you grow to really care about characters, you want them to have the world on a string!
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is a strong debut novel by an incredibly gifted writer who undoubtedly has a bright future, full of fascinating stories to tell. I am sure Walton saw some of Opal in herself, and I look forward to watching her similarly meteoric rise to the top: may she rock on and prosper! 4 ⭐, rounded up from 3.5
Opal Jewel is a rare gem, with a cut, clarity, and color all her own. Growing up as a relative unknown in Detroit alongside sister Pearl, she gets an opportunity for a big break when her golden pipes get her noticed at a tiny club. Enter Nev, gangly British red-headed rocker with a punk edge who is looking for just the right unique and soulful voice to complement his tunes (a Merry Clayton for his "Gimme Shelter") and Opal's distinctive look and even more distinctive sound seem the perfect fit. As the duo's popularity rises, so do the stakes, and at a fateful concert one night, another band on the label, good ol' boys with lots of radio airplay, has the audacity to brandish the Confederate Flag unashamedly during the showcase. This situation ultimately sparks violence that results in the death of drummer Jimmy, who has a special connection to Opal, and the band never fully recovers from this chaos.
Jimmy's daughter Sunny is left to pick up the pieces and as the new editor of Aural, sets out to peel back the layers of the magic that was Opal and Nev, and to document their ascent and descent through an all-encompassing and no-holds-barred oral history of the rock 'n roll duo. What she discovers, however, could be crushing for the upcoming reunion tour Opal and Nev have planned and calls to question the glue that held these two together---not to mention what ACTUALLY happened during that fateful concert, so many years ago. Was this dynasty built on nothing more than a dream? Is this music still even relevant in today's vastly different world...or does a broken nation need it more desperately than ever?
Walton has created quite a world in Opal and Nev, and the beauty of this book lies in its characterization and the development of so many personalities. In an oral history, voices need to be distinct, clear, and to shine, and Walton's characters do just that. She masterfully weaves in traces of pop culture to ground this alternate reality in our actual reality, with mentions of everyone from Janelle Monae to Parliament Funkadelic, to give Opal a place among the rock royalty we know and love. Opal's friend Virgil is a particular highlight, a fierce and fabulous fashion designer who has a personality big enough for his own book! Certain portions of the novel, particularly, had me lost in the world Walton designed and removed from reality entirely. Another giant piece of the puzzle here is Walton's commentary on white supremacy and race relations, central obviously not only to Opal's own tale, but to the cultural climate of 2021. Her commentary is fairly straightforward but helps to connect the lines between the fires first stoked so many years ago that unfortunately still roar in today's world, and I always appreciate the brutal honesty about the ugliness we still need to fight as a world, as hard as it might be to read.
On the other hand, where this novel faltered for me was pacing. The 3 parts of this book didn't feel particularly balanced, and I would go through long sections that I felt could have been much shorter and yet other portions I wish had been more detailed. Jimmy as a character felt unexplored to me and I believe he could have had a more dominant role in the narrative if Walton had examined his character on a deeper level, even if only through the eyes of other narrators. He was such an important component to the story and yet still felt at times like a background character, so that was an odd juxtaposition for me as a reader. I also struggled at times with the plot: this has nothing to do with Walton's ability as a writer and is solely based on the events of the plot itself. I would find myself growing irritated or bored with the choices some characters made at times and had a hard time reconciling that frustration. While there were some kinks that worked themselves out by the end, I just wanted more for our protagonists, especially Opal. This is the flip side of the fantastic characterization she developed throughout the book: when you grow to really care about characters, you want them to have the world on a string!
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is a strong debut novel by an incredibly gifted writer who undoubtedly has a bright future, full of fascinating stories to tell. I am sure Walton saw some of Opal in herself, and I look forward to watching her similarly meteoric rise to the top: may she rock on and prosper! 4 ⭐, rounded up from 3.5
February 15, 2022
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton is a 2021 37 Ink publication.
Opal and Nev were a dynamic, groundbreaking rock duo during the 70s. But when their recording label signs a group that miraculously makes it onto the music charts, the couple gets caught up in the studio’s attempt to book all their artists in the big Rivington musical festival.
Things go awry when the featured group takes the stage waving a confederate flag, prompting Opal to act. When a melee breaks out it leads to the death of Jimmy Curtis, the band’s drummer, and the duo’s promising career…
Nev goes on to success in Britain, while Opal takes a less commercial, excursion into Afropunk music, having taken the brunt of the fallout of the Rivington festival.
Now, there are rumors that Opal and Nev may be planning a reunion. As the first black editor of Aural magazine, Sunny Shelton is set to do a cover story about the duo. But her interest in this story is very, very personal, because Sunny just happens to be Jimmy Curtis’ daughter, and she’s about to interview, Opal- the woman who was having an affair with her father while her mother was pregnant with her…
Well, wow! Just wow!! This book is so realistic that I Googled 'Opal & Nev' to see if they were a real musical duo – or if this story was based on a true story. I had to keep reminding myself the book was fictional!
Nev is certainly a central part of the story, but he’s overshadowed, rightfully so, in my opinion, by Opal.
Opal is quite the character- and while her stylist- Virgil, attempts to steal the show now and again, Opal is absolutely THE star of this show, hands down. She’s outlandish, bold, bald, outspoken and takes no prisoners.
The story is written exactly as a journalist would approach it- in the format of an oral history. There are many interviews piecing together the events that led to that fateful show and the fallout that followed. But, as the story progresses, it tightens up to a point of supreme, edge of your seat suspense. I was riveted!
The story eventually narrows the spotlight to Sunny and Opal. The author adeptly creates a parallel between them, and their individual struggles, both personally and professionally. Sunny draws strength and inspiration from Opal that she had not anticipated, as the two women come to a special understanding.
Overall, I was drawn to this book by the lure of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, set in the 1970s, but the story goes far deeper than a surface rock saga. (Some are making comparisons to other books that feature 70s fictional bands- also employing an oral history format, but, while I may have enjoyed those books, this story blows them straight out of the water!!! NO comparisons, in my opinion- to be rudely blunt) It is so effective, I really, really wanted Opal & Nev to be real people, and still can't shake the feeling that they aren't.
The story explores many angles of women and race, juxtaposing the past with the present with a dynamic style. The story is deep, gripping, gritty and dazzling. I couldn’t put it down!! It may be early days yet- but I can assure you, this book will be on my list of favorites in 2022.
Highly recommend!!
Opal and Nev were a dynamic, groundbreaking rock duo during the 70s. But when their recording label signs a group that miraculously makes it onto the music charts, the couple gets caught up in the studio’s attempt to book all their artists in the big Rivington musical festival.
Things go awry when the featured group takes the stage waving a confederate flag, prompting Opal to act. When a melee breaks out it leads to the death of Jimmy Curtis, the band’s drummer, and the duo’s promising career…
Nev goes on to success in Britain, while Opal takes a less commercial, excursion into Afropunk music, having taken the brunt of the fallout of the Rivington festival.
Now, there are rumors that Opal and Nev may be planning a reunion. As the first black editor of Aural magazine, Sunny Shelton is set to do a cover story about the duo. But her interest in this story is very, very personal, because Sunny just happens to be Jimmy Curtis’ daughter, and she’s about to interview, Opal- the woman who was having an affair with her father while her mother was pregnant with her…
Well, wow! Just wow!! This book is so realistic that I Googled 'Opal & Nev' to see if they were a real musical duo – or if this story was based on a true story. I had to keep reminding myself the book was fictional!
Nev is certainly a central part of the story, but he’s overshadowed, rightfully so, in my opinion, by Opal.
Opal is quite the character- and while her stylist- Virgil, attempts to steal the show now and again, Opal is absolutely THE star of this show, hands down. She’s outlandish, bold, bald, outspoken and takes no prisoners.
The story is written exactly as a journalist would approach it- in the format of an oral history. There are many interviews piecing together the events that led to that fateful show and the fallout that followed. But, as the story progresses, it tightens up to a point of supreme, edge of your seat suspense. I was riveted!
The story eventually narrows the spotlight to Sunny and Opal. The author adeptly creates a parallel between them, and their individual struggles, both personally and professionally. Sunny draws strength and inspiration from Opal that she had not anticipated, as the two women come to a special understanding.
Overall, I was drawn to this book by the lure of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, set in the 1970s, but the story goes far deeper than a surface rock saga. (Some are making comparisons to other books that feature 70s fictional bands- also employing an oral history format, but, while I may have enjoyed those books, this story blows them straight out of the water!!! NO comparisons, in my opinion- to be rudely blunt) It is so effective, I really, really wanted Opal & Nev to be real people, and still can't shake the feeling that they aren't.
The story explores many angles of women and race, juxtaposing the past with the present with a dynamic style. The story is deep, gripping, gritty and dazzling. I couldn’t put it down!! It may be early days yet- but I can assure you, this book will be on my list of favorites in 2022.
Highly recommend!!
March 24, 2021
This is an oral history account about Opal Jewel and Nev Charles, an Afro-punk rock n’roll duo who find fame and notoriety in the 1970’s after a tragic incident at a concert in 1973. The band splits but a reunion concert is planned in 2026 which is when S. Sunny Shelton a music editor at Aural Magazine takes the chance to record interviews with the duo and those connected to them. Sunny is personally invested in their story.
Ok, sounds like Daisy Jones and the Six? In some ways of course, it is as the format is the same but this goes much deeper than sex, drugs and music into race, racial and sexual inequality and prejudice, into Black Lives Matter and Me Too, thus making it a very relevant story. The characters are well portrayed especially Opal who comes across strongly. She’s fierce, independent, brave, has a strong sense of justice and survival. She can be wild and reckless and likes to shock which for me makes her easy to like! Nev is not so easy to see, though his creativity is not in question, however, he’s crucial to the storytelling as without him there’d be no story. The contrast between them is fascinating, she’s jet black to his milk white, she’s a visual peacock and he’s the peahen! The other character I really like is Virgil LaFleur who helps feed Opal’s flamboyance. As the book progresses it becomes less Nev and Opal and more Opal and Sunny although there’s an intriguing plot turn which Nev is central to and getting to that truth proves tricky. The author creates a really good 70’s vibe, scenes are well described so you can visualise them and I like the inclusion of actual events which gives context to the storytelling. The music scene is vividly portrayed especially the whims of Rivington Records, their recording label. It captures the excitement of breaking success with their first album. The most evocative parts of the book centre on the Rivington Showcase concert where it all kicks off with a tragic clash of race and views. This is tense, very scary and well written.
Although I really enjoy most of the book it does take a while to get going, being on occasions over detailed. Sometimes the interviews get to a ‘juicy’ revelation and then disconnects, leaving you hanging which is annoying. I can almost hear the Eastenders theme tune at these points!! It prevaricates too and I just want to get to the point, please!! The final third the tone changes and is slower in my opinion with some pacing issues. I question too whether the format means it’s an account rather than something you can connect to emotionally??
However, despite the above, this is unquestionably a powerful and really good debut novel and kudos to the author who is definitely one to watch. It covers relevant and current issues making it thought provoking and well worth reading.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus for the most appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Ok, sounds like Daisy Jones and the Six? In some ways of course, it is as the format is the same but this goes much deeper than sex, drugs and music into race, racial and sexual inequality and prejudice, into Black Lives Matter and Me Too, thus making it a very relevant story. The characters are well portrayed especially Opal who comes across strongly. She’s fierce, independent, brave, has a strong sense of justice and survival. She can be wild and reckless and likes to shock which for me makes her easy to like! Nev is not so easy to see, though his creativity is not in question, however, he’s crucial to the storytelling as without him there’d be no story. The contrast between them is fascinating, she’s jet black to his milk white, she’s a visual peacock and he’s the peahen! The other character I really like is Virgil LaFleur who helps feed Opal’s flamboyance. As the book progresses it becomes less Nev and Opal and more Opal and Sunny although there’s an intriguing plot turn which Nev is central to and getting to that truth proves tricky. The author creates a really good 70’s vibe, scenes are well described so you can visualise them and I like the inclusion of actual events which gives context to the storytelling. The music scene is vividly portrayed especially the whims of Rivington Records, their recording label. It captures the excitement of breaking success with their first album. The most evocative parts of the book centre on the Rivington Showcase concert where it all kicks off with a tragic clash of race and views. This is tense, very scary and well written.
Although I really enjoy most of the book it does take a while to get going, being on occasions over detailed. Sometimes the interviews get to a ‘juicy’ revelation and then disconnects, leaving you hanging which is annoying. I can almost hear the Eastenders theme tune at these points!! It prevaricates too and I just want to get to the point, please!! The final third the tone changes and is slower in my opinion with some pacing issues. I question too whether the format means it’s an account rather than something you can connect to emotionally??
However, despite the above, this is unquestionably a powerful and really good debut novel and kudos to the author who is definitely one to watch. It covers relevant and current issues making it thought provoking and well worth reading.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus for the most appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
December 31, 2021
4.5 stars
This was a fantastic way to end my reading for 2021! If you have read Daisy Jones & The Six be prepared for some initial similarities - but stick with this because the differences soon become very apparent and the ending is definitely the best part of the book! And the audiobook? Absolutely loved the narrations - definitely choose that format if you can. I don’t want to spoil anything, so go read it :)
This was a fantastic way to end my reading for 2021! If you have read Daisy Jones & The Six be prepared for some initial similarities - but stick with this because the differences soon become very apparent and the ending is definitely the best part of the book! And the audiobook? Absolutely loved the narrations - definitely choose that format if you can. I don’t want to spoil anything, so go read it :)
March 4, 2022
This is hands down one of my favorite books of the year. I just had a wonderful time reading it and found it compulsively readable. By far and away my favorite character was Virgil and the complicated relationship that we got to see between him and Opal. It might not have been the most important part of the book in terms of the larger plot or the beats that happened, but it was the one that connected to me the most. I also really liked the way that Nev's character was relayed to the reader. I think that there were plenty of moments even before he and Opal became intertwined that allowed the reader to feel that something was off with him before anything happened with Jimmy Curtis, or even the ultimate revival.
I did have some doubt that after I read the first 50% that the concluding half might not have been able to live up to the enjoyment that I had. But I think I really appreciated that the prose started to play with the second half, and how a lot of that remained with Sunny doing some more introspective moments. It worked for me that doesn't always when pacing starts to slow down.
The way that blame and the truth was played with in the narrative was really interesting to me. Even how Opal and Nev's relationship played out after the riot through to the present. I'm a character driven reader and so getting to see the dynamic between all of the players and the unresolved quality that seemed to hang over the ending definitely worked for me. It added to the feeling that these could actual people in a story that could have existed and made the inclusion of real people not feel like something that was taking me out of the story but instead adding to the richness of it.
I did have some doubt that after I read the first 50% that the concluding half might not have been able to live up to the enjoyment that I had. But I think I really appreciated that the prose started to play with the second half, and how a lot of that remained with Sunny doing some more introspective moments. It worked for me that doesn't always when pacing starts to slow down.
The way that blame and the truth was played with in the narrative was really interesting to me. Even how Opal and Nev's relationship played out after the riot through to the present. I'm a character driven reader and so getting to see the dynamic between all of the players and the unresolved quality that seemed to hang over the ending definitely worked for me. It added to the feeling that these could actual people in a story that could have existed and made the inclusion of real people not feel like something that was taking me out of the story but instead adding to the richness of it.
March 16, 2021
[4+] Do you ever get that warm feeling after reading about a dozen pages of a book, when you think - - this is really good! That's what I felt and continued to feel right up until the last page of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.
The novel has been compared to "Daisy Jones and the Six" because the format and subject matter are similar -but Walton takes it to another level. She digs deep into the characters and offers a perspective on the racism and sexism of the 1970s music world. Relevant, potent...and propulsive!
The novel has been compared to "Daisy Jones and the Six" because the format and subject matter are similar -but Walton takes it to another level. She digs deep into the characters and offers a perspective on the racism and sexism of the 1970s music world. Relevant, potent...and propulsive!
March 17, 2021
This book had so much potential. I want to start by saying that I absolutely adored the characters created here by Dawnie Walton. Opal is fabulous and I loved Virgil, Bob and even Nev at times. But I think Walton made a lot of decisions in both format and focus that hurt the stories of these characters.
I don't know why she chose to frame the story around Sunny. In my opinion, Sunny had no place in this story. It's about Opal Jewel and Opal should have been the character whose thoughts and emotions we were privy to. I also don't get the whole oral history format with "editor's notes" breaks inbetween that give us more of a novel narrative from Sunny. If you're going to pick a format, you need to commit, and the oral history gave us paragraphs that read like straight-up fiction rather than a genuine interview.
If Walton had chosen to give us a first-person or third-person narrative centered on Opal at the time of her fame or throughout her life, I think this story could have shined. I wanted to watch her fall in love with Jimmy so I could really feel the heartbreak that followed. I wanted to be there in her thoughts at the Rivington Showcase and in the aftermath. I wanted to see her heal in Paris in real-time, not in hindsight. But instead we got glimpses, summaries of each event with commentary from Sunny, who had no skin in the game and couldn't offer any insight.
To me, this book is simply a missed opportunity, which is sad because in the story and in her fictional life, Opal deserved more.
I don't know why she chose to frame the story around Sunny. In my opinion, Sunny had no place in this story. It's about Opal Jewel and Opal should have been the character whose thoughts and emotions we were privy to. I also don't get the whole oral history format with "editor's notes" breaks inbetween that give us more of a novel narrative from Sunny. If you're going to pick a format, you need to commit, and the oral history gave us paragraphs that read like straight-up fiction rather than a genuine interview.
If Walton had chosen to give us a first-person or third-person narrative centered on Opal at the time of her fame or throughout her life, I think this story could have shined. I wanted to watch her fall in love with Jimmy so I could really feel the heartbreak that followed. I wanted to be there in her thoughts at the Rivington Showcase and in the aftermath. I wanted to see her heal in Paris in real-time, not in hindsight. But instead we got glimpses, summaries of each event with commentary from Sunny, who had no skin in the game and couldn't offer any insight.
To me, this book is simply a missed opportunity, which is sad because in the story and in her fictional life, Opal deserved more.
March 20, 2021
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
, Dawnie Walton's upcoming debut novel, is a sweeping and thought-provoking look at the meteoric rise and fall of a 1970s-era music duo.
First things first: this book is written in the same style as Daisy Jones & The Six , in that it uses interview-type responses to tell the story rather than narrative. It’s an interesting choice and I’ll admit at first I felt it was a little too copycat for me, but ultimately it worked for the story.
It was the most unlikely pairing: Neville, the gawky, earnest English musician, and Opal, the blunt, brash, young Black woman from Detroit. But somehow the meshing of their styles, particularly as Opal grows more comfortable with her voice and her presence on stage.
It’s the early 1970s, and racism is everywhere. And one night during a performance, the racially charged atmosphere leads to violence, and an act that forever changes the duo and the lives of those around them.
Flash forward to 2016, and rumors are flying that Opal and Nev might reunite for a tour. Music journalist S. Sunny Shelton, who has a connection to the duo’s early days, begins an oral history of them. But as she talks to those who were involved, she finds out there are secrets that have been kept hidden for decades, secrets which could jeopardize everything.
I definitely found The Final Revival of Opal & Nev to be a fascinating read, and while it had the usual elements of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, there was more to this book than that. I was surprised by the level of suspense in the book as well as how the book was an examination of how music and social issues are so intertwined. Walton really did a great job with this.
Again, as I felt when reading Daisy Jones , reading about songs and music is always missing something when you can’t hear them, so I hope that perhaps they’ll make an adaptation of this book, too. It’s definitely a compelling story!
NetGalley and Simon & Schuster provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev publishes March 30.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
First things first: this book is written in the same style as Daisy Jones & The Six , in that it uses interview-type responses to tell the story rather than narrative. It’s an interesting choice and I’ll admit at first I felt it was a little too copycat for me, but ultimately it worked for the story.
It was the most unlikely pairing: Neville, the gawky, earnest English musician, and Opal, the blunt, brash, young Black woman from Detroit. But somehow the meshing of their styles, particularly as Opal grows more comfortable with her voice and her presence on stage.
It’s the early 1970s, and racism is everywhere. And one night during a performance, the racially charged atmosphere leads to violence, and an act that forever changes the duo and the lives of those around them.
Flash forward to 2016, and rumors are flying that Opal and Nev might reunite for a tour. Music journalist S. Sunny Shelton, who has a connection to the duo’s early days, begins an oral history of them. But as she talks to those who were involved, she finds out there are secrets that have been kept hidden for decades, secrets which could jeopardize everything.
I definitely found The Final Revival of Opal & Nev to be a fascinating read, and while it had the usual elements of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, there was more to this book than that. I was surprised by the level of suspense in the book as well as how the book was an examination of how music and social issues are so intertwined. Walton really did a great job with this.
Again, as I felt when reading Daisy Jones , reading about songs and music is always missing something when you can’t hear them, so I hope that perhaps they’ll make an adaptation of this book, too. It’s definitely a compelling story!
NetGalley and Simon & Schuster provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev publishes March 30.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
February 14, 2021
4.5 Stars
Shared from multiple perspectives, this story centers around a young Black woman named Opal Jewel and the people in her life over time. A Once-Upon-A-Time story of a young, talented, daring Black woman with a promising future in the 1970’s who joins British Neville Charles and his band, their meteoric rise to fame, a fame that ended almost as quickly as it began. One of those groups that rises meteorically, but dissolves unexpectedly, virtually overnight. A catastrophic episode at a concert ends in the death of their drummer, Jimmy Curtis, at the hands of a group of racists that attended to see the band that was set to close the night in 1971. The controversy that follows that night makes them untouchable and they go their separate ways.
Years later, magazine editor S. Sunny Curtis, daughter of drummer Jimmy Curtis, hears a rumour about the possibility that Nev and Sunny plan to get together to perform for a 2017 reunion concert.
Shared from the perspectives of Opal, and her half-sister born two years after Opal, Pearl, as well as Sunny, their stories eventually merge into one story with a uniquely epic ending. Opal’s father, an older man, died before she was old enough to have any memories of him, and Pearl’s father was killed during the war in Korea. Near the beginning of this story, Opal shares their story of their love of singing in the church choir, a love that obviously led to more, their Pastor referring to Opal as a ’tiny wisp of a thing, real chocolate-skinned and swaying side to side… Little Miss Showboat. That was Opal. That is Opal.’
Sunny is working on writing a book about her father’s story, and the story of Opal and Nev’s partnership, the band, and the ultimate unfolding of the horrifying event that took her father’s life, adding another perspective.
There is much more to this story than the concert, and this does have some elements that on the surface are similar to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six, but while there is that shared element of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll at play, as well as it being shared from varying perspectives, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev tackles the more sinister topic of racism, so while they shared certain themes, this isn’t quite as lightly entertaining, although it is thoroughly engaging - if horrifyingly relevant. This story will undoubtedly stay with me longer.
Pub Date: 30 Mar 2021
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster
#TheFinalRevivalofOpalNev #NetGalley
April 14, 2021
When I heard this being compared to Daisy Jones and The Six, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it as I wasn't a huge fan of DJ; but the reviews of several of my amazing GR friends changed my mind, and I'm happy to say this one felt far more authentic and was much more enjoyable to me than DJ.
While the plot was similar - a fictional rock and roll duo from the 70s - for me that's where it ended. In Opal & Nev, a journalist, Sunny, sets out to write about their reunion, but her very personal connection to the history of the duo really made this story come alive. I thought Walton did a fabulous job of describing the "sounds" of Opal and Nev, and I loved Opal's costume and wig depictions - they felt so real to me. I also loved the relationship between Opal and Virgil - we should all have a Virgil in our lives! The story between Sunny and Opal was complex and was not super easy to digest (If I were Sunny, I think I would have always harbored a twinge of resentment toward Opal), but it was still a beautiful story.
There were a few minor things that kept it from being an all-the-stars read for me though. One being that the first part of the book was unputdownable, but somewhere around the halfway point, it seemed to stall at times. The ending brought it around once again, but I just wished the middle part had packed the same punch as the beginning and end. Also, while Sunny was an important character because of who her father was, I thought the focus of the book tended to be a bit too heavy on her, and a bit too light on Opal (and even Nev). Their story interested me, and I wanted more. The last thing, and what peeved me the most were the copious footnotes! Ugh. I tolerate them in a nonfiction read, as they often add interesting facts; however, in a fiction read, they feel like unnecessary fluff. I get that they were a tool to lend authenticity to the plot, but they didn't work for me.
Minor gripes aside, this is a stellar debut that is worth the read, as I think it is a story that will leave a lasting impact on every reader. 4 stars!
While the plot was similar - a fictional rock and roll duo from the 70s - for me that's where it ended. In Opal & Nev, a journalist, Sunny, sets out to write about their reunion, but her very personal connection to the history of the duo really made this story come alive. I thought Walton did a fabulous job of describing the "sounds" of Opal and Nev, and I loved Opal's costume and wig depictions - they felt so real to me. I also loved the relationship between Opal and Virgil - we should all have a Virgil in our lives! The story between Sunny and Opal was complex and was not super easy to digest (If I were Sunny, I think I would have always harbored a twinge of resentment toward Opal), but it was still a beautiful story.
There were a few minor things that kept it from being an all-the-stars read for me though. One being that the first part of the book was unputdownable, but somewhere around the halfway point, it seemed to stall at times. The ending brought it around once again, but I just wished the middle part had packed the same punch as the beginning and end. Also, while Sunny was an important character because of who her father was, I thought the focus of the book tended to be a bit too heavy on her, and a bit too light on Opal (and even Nev). Their story interested me, and I wanted more. The last thing, and what peeved me the most were the copious footnotes! Ugh. I tolerate them in a nonfiction read, as they often add interesting facts; however, in a fiction read, they feel like unnecessary fluff. I get that they were a tool to lend authenticity to the plot, but they didn't work for me.
Minor gripes aside, this is a stellar debut that is worth the read, as I think it is a story that will leave a lasting impact on every reader. 4 stars!
June 17, 2023
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev follows the rise of a 1970s rock duo, their split, and their reunion for a final tour, years later. Nev Charles is a white British musician who comes to NYC seeking to build his career. Opal Jewel is a Black woman from Detroit, performing at an amateur night when Nev sees her. Despite their differences, Nev knows they’re a musical match and Opal agrees to join him.
The story, told largely in interview format to a journalist, with her own connection to Opal & Nev’s career, details the duo’s music, issues with racism including another band on their same label, addiction, tension, and secrets.
I’m drawn to fictional music stories with Daisy Jones & The Six set as my high bar — The Final Revival of Opal & Nev gave me similar vibes yet was different enough to still feel original. It did not shy away from intense topics, in the 70s and in current times. The audiobook includes a full cast, among them, Bahni Turpin who narrates Opal. I enjoyed this format.
The story, told largely in interview format to a journalist, with her own connection to Opal & Nev’s career, details the duo’s music, issues with racism including another band on their same label, addiction, tension, and secrets.
I’m drawn to fictional music stories with Daisy Jones & The Six set as my high bar — The Final Revival of Opal & Nev gave me similar vibes yet was different enough to still feel original. It did not shy away from intense topics, in the 70s and in current times. The audiobook includes a full cast, among them, Bahni Turpin who narrates Opal. I enjoyed this format.
April 26, 2022
I read this book due to its longlisting for the 2022 Women’s Prize
My low rating does not reflect the competence of the writing in the book or the enjoyment that others may get from it, but the complete lack of engagement I got from it: I was tempted to abandon the book on so many occasions and would have done if not wanting to complete all the longlist.
The Guardian Culture pages have a weekly How We Made Series (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/s...) in which “two collaborators on a seminal art work talk us through their original creative process” – and I occasionally stumble across the series en route to the Book pages.
6 months ago there was a feature https://www.theguardian.com/music/202... on Skunk Anansie: an alternative part rock/part punk with a charismatic and maverick black female singer with a memorable voice and a distinctive shaven look and whose songs often confronted racism and misogyny (including that to which she was exposed in her career).
The 1 page article engaged me, as I was something of a Skunk Anansie fan (at least enough to buy some records and to see them live) and also it included a link to a You Tube video of the song being discussed enabling me both to remember the song and the band’s style.
Skin (the lead singer) also wrote a well received autobiography: “It Takes Blood and Guts” – but I did not read that, as to be honest my views on punk/rock songs mirror those I have on sausages: I like to consume them but I really would rather not hear how they are made.
And for me writing about songs (rather than listening to them) does not work:
Attempts to convey music by (and I actually quote from the book but this kind of prose seems endemic to writing about music) “the guitar was "wah-wah-WAH-la-la-la, wah-wah-WAH-la-la-la, " and the bass was "dum-dum-doo-dum-doo-doo".. fail to capture the experience of listening on so many levels.
And let us be honest that even the most meaningful song lyrics, while they may feel profound if you are singing them back to the band with thousands of others, are not even close to literature when written a page (Nobel Prize Committee 2016 – hang your heads in shame).
So what am I to make of a book which is like a 300 page version of “How We Made” but about a made up band – and so attempting to describe songs and a legendary (but tragic) performance which you cannot view because they don’t exist
The answer inevitably – almost complete disinterest.
Opal is it has to be said a fascinating and distinctive (if perhaps not entirely likely) lead character – and in fact happens to share many of Skin’s characteristics as described above – with one slight flaw of not actually existing and the second more serious one of being surrounded by other carboard cut-out characters: her deeply religious sister, flamboyant costume designer and hillybilly member of another band at her label being the three worse examples).
The choice to render the novel as a journalist compiled oral history means that the impact of the central incident at the heart of the narrative (the racist murder during a concert of Opal’s lover, the journalist’s father) is inevitably and correctly noted at the start of the novel: but that completely destroys its power and effect.
I can see this might work really well as a film or mini-series, even as an audiobook if given high production values of a multi-voice cast and some actual invented song extracts – as a novel not so much.
My low rating does not reflect the competence of the writing in the book or the enjoyment that others may get from it, but the complete lack of engagement I got from it: I was tempted to abandon the book on so many occasions and would have done if not wanting to complete all the longlist.
The Guardian Culture pages have a weekly How We Made Series (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/s...) in which “two collaborators on a seminal art work talk us through their original creative process” – and I occasionally stumble across the series en route to the Book pages.
6 months ago there was a feature https://www.theguardian.com/music/202... on Skunk Anansie: an alternative part rock/part punk with a charismatic and maverick black female singer with a memorable voice and a distinctive shaven look and whose songs often confronted racism and misogyny (including that to which she was exposed in her career).
The 1 page article engaged me, as I was something of a Skunk Anansie fan (at least enough to buy some records and to see them live) and also it included a link to a You Tube video of the song being discussed enabling me both to remember the song and the band’s style.
Skin (the lead singer) also wrote a well received autobiography: “It Takes Blood and Guts” – but I did not read that, as to be honest my views on punk/rock songs mirror those I have on sausages: I like to consume them but I really would rather not hear how they are made.
And for me writing about songs (rather than listening to them) does not work:
Attempts to convey music by (and I actually quote from the book but this kind of prose seems endemic to writing about music) “the guitar was "wah-wah-WAH-la-la-la, wah-wah-WAH-la-la-la, " and the bass was "dum-dum-doo-dum-doo-doo".. fail to capture the experience of listening on so many levels.
And let us be honest that even the most meaningful song lyrics, while they may feel profound if you are singing them back to the band with thousands of others, are not even close to literature when written a page (Nobel Prize Committee 2016 – hang your heads in shame).
So what am I to make of a book which is like a 300 page version of “How We Made” but about a made up band – and so attempting to describe songs and a legendary (but tragic) performance which you cannot view because they don’t exist
The answer inevitably – almost complete disinterest.
Opal is it has to be said a fascinating and distinctive (if perhaps not entirely likely) lead character – and in fact happens to share many of Skin’s characteristics as described above – with one slight flaw of not actually existing and the second more serious one of being surrounded by other carboard cut-out characters: her deeply religious sister, flamboyant costume designer and hillybilly member of another band at her label being the three worse examples).
The choice to render the novel as a journalist compiled oral history means that the impact of the central incident at the heart of the narrative (the racist murder during a concert of Opal’s lover, the journalist’s father) is inevitably and correctly noted at the start of the novel: but that completely destroys its power and effect.
I can see this might work really well as a film or mini-series, even as an audiobook if given high production values of a multi-voice cast and some actual invented song extracts – as a novel not so much.
May 12, 2021
3.5 stars
Do you want to sell me a book? Just mention Daisy Jones and The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, just like the advertisement for this one did.
This book, one of the most anticipated books of 2021, is recommended for those who loved Daisy Jones and The Six, so I really had huge expectations, after all DJ was my second favourite book of 2019.
About this book: I was fascinated during the first 50% and I thought that the writing was clever and entertaining, and I even had goosebumps, which in my opinion is one of my favourite reactions to a story, but unfortunately, after that, it became boring and I lost interest. I thought that it was too long.
I enjoyed the structure and the concept but I did not like the footnotes or the editor’s note (one of the characters), as I found it very distracting (and I thought that it broke the “realism” of that moment); also, I did not feel emotionally connected as I felt with DJ.
I really wished the book was totally concentrated on Opal and Nev. I was interested in listening to their POV only (although I did like Virgil’s).
The conclusion was good but I was expecting something heartbreaking.
It was a good read but I think that this one may work better as an audiobook.
Give it a try.
Do you want to sell me a book? Just mention Daisy Jones and The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, just like the advertisement for this one did.
This book, one of the most anticipated books of 2021, is recommended for those who loved Daisy Jones and The Six, so I really had huge expectations, after all DJ was my second favourite book of 2019.
About this book: I was fascinated during the first 50% and I thought that the writing was clever and entertaining, and I even had goosebumps, which in my opinion is one of my favourite reactions to a story, but unfortunately, after that, it became boring and I lost interest. I thought that it was too long.
I enjoyed the structure and the concept but I did not like the footnotes or the editor’s note (one of the characters), as I found it very distracting (and I thought that it broke the “realism” of that moment); also, I did not feel emotionally connected as I felt with DJ.
I really wished the book was totally concentrated on Opal and Nev. I was interested in listening to their POV only (although I did like Virgil’s).
The conclusion was good but I was expecting something heartbreaking.
It was a good read but I think that this one may work better as an audiobook.
Give it a try.
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March 9, 2021
2 stars.
This is going to be a short review.
I'm not sure what The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was trying to be. I was very excited for its oral history format, but the extensive editor notes throughout the book and the short breaks from Sunny's perspective kind of killed that feeling for me. It felt a little like Walton was undecided about how she wanted to tell this story and, to me, that hurt the narrative and my reading experience.
The characters were all pretty interesting and well developed, but I didn't really connect with them due to the point above. It was difficult to feel close to them when they were getting interrupted by editor notes when telling their own stories. The ending was also a bit underwhelming because of that.
I don't know. I guess the writing style wasn't for me.
*
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is going to be a short review.
I'm not sure what The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was trying to be. I was very excited for its oral history format, but the extensive editor notes throughout the book and the short breaks from Sunny's perspective kind of killed that feeling for me. It felt a little like Walton was undecided about how she wanted to tell this story and, to me, that hurt the narrative and my reading experience.
The characters were all pretty interesting and well developed, but I didn't really connect with them due to the point above. It was difficult to feel close to them when they were getting interrupted by editor notes when telling their own stories. The ending was also a bit underwhelming because of that.
I don't know. I guess the writing style wasn't for me.
*
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2021
I had really high hopes for this book. Daisy Jones & The Six was one of my favorite experiences of 2019, and I was hoping for something similar when I picked up this book. While The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was definitely an interesting story, it didn’t scratch the same itch. It was less about the music than the trappings thereof. The descriptions of Opal’s look were intriguing and easy to visualize, and the politics attached to the music are unequivocally important. However, I was here for the music, and I must confess that I was disappointed with how much of it I received. The book was incredibly well written, and did indeed transport me to another time and place, but it felt as if the musical story was used merely as a vehicle for getting a message across, instead of being allowed to develop and stand on its own. This is definitely a book worth reading. Just don’t make the same mistake with your expectations as I did; know what you’re getting before you crack this one open.
January 23, 2021
A real marvel of a debut. If DAISY JONES introduced readers to the oral history concept as something that could work in fiction, Walton takes it to a whole new level.
Books about fictional bands and celebrities always have some hurdles to overcome. Especially if they are in an oral history or journalistic style, where the reader is always encountering things like "ah yes this important iconic moment that you also remember" about fictional events. There is some of that here, especially around one photograph, but as you read Walton gives you all the context and story around that moment in the photograph so that by the end, the reader is just as invested in it as if it were a real photo they'd seen.
The reason this works so well is, ironically, one of the reasons DAISY JONES came up short: the story behind the oral history. Yes, it starts a little gimmicky, again. Our editor is S. Sunny Shelton, newly promoted to run a storied music magazine, the first Black woman to hold the position, so she has the credentials. But she is also, as she tells us from the very beginning, the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a studio musician who worked with the titular group, and who died in a riot at one of their shows. This is all we really get, to start, and it makes that device of assuming the reader has knowledge of an event really work, because for us who don't live in this fictional universe it is a beautiful slow reveal that we reach around halfway through the book that goes into an almost minute-by-minute breakdown of the storied riot. There are times when the reader is frustrated with Shelton, and times when the way she's telling the story feel strange, but Walton makes it all come together, including just enough of Shelton's story to have us invested in her putting together the book just as we are in Opal's story. By the end of the book, every weakness of the oral history has been turned into a strength. It's truly impressive.
The other thing that's so notable here, especially when you consider the way we write about music and musicians, is that it is a story of a duo, a white British man and a Black American woman, where the story is *not* dominated by the man. Even though it's clear from the beginning that he is the bigger star, someone like a Rod Stewart, who left a more raw 70's sound for massive success in the 80's and beyond. It is not his story and his version of events is only a small part of it. (For reasons that become clear.) But that is part of the joy of it. Instead of doing the usual, and looking at the story of Opal and Nev as a short-lived phase that led to a larger career, we focus instead on the lesser-told stories here. Of Shelton, of Curtis, of Virgil, Opal's friend and stylist, and of Opal herself. And as our editor and sometimes narrator is herself a Black woman, and because many of the subjects interviewed are telling their story to her and know that she is personally invested in it, we get a candidness and authenticity here about all kinds of subjects, but particularly about race, that is often missing from music journalism, a heavily white male field. It feels corrective, opening up to show us what we could be talking about. It's not surprising to see that Walton herself has worked in entertainment journalism, she gets to say a lot about it here.
The music itself always feels somewhat out of reach, it wasn't until nearly the end of the book that I had a good idea of what their sound actually was. But the lyrics interspersed throughout and the stories of the people themselves do a lot to make up for it. I'm still not 100% convinced that a duo with only two albums in the mid-70's would leave such a legacy and have younger audiences bringing back interest in them, but once the book showed me what it could really do, I stopped worrying about it and just enjoyed myself.
It does take a bit for this one to get really moving, to show you what it is really trying to do. Let yourself have a little time with it. I didn't mind the stage setting, it was easy to let Walton sweep me through the story, but it really picks up in the middle and the chapters around the riot are particularly impressive. We've breezed through years in a chapter but all of a sudden it'll take us several chapters to get through just a couple of hours, she keeps you riveted through it all, too.
One of those few perfect books we get every so often that should appeal and satisfy readers looking for something literary and impressively constructed, and readers who just want something interesting and fun to speed through. Walton is one to watch.
Books about fictional bands and celebrities always have some hurdles to overcome. Especially if they are in an oral history or journalistic style, where the reader is always encountering things like "ah yes this important iconic moment that you also remember" about fictional events. There is some of that here, especially around one photograph, but as you read Walton gives you all the context and story around that moment in the photograph so that by the end, the reader is just as invested in it as if it were a real photo they'd seen.
The reason this works so well is, ironically, one of the reasons DAISY JONES came up short: the story behind the oral history. Yes, it starts a little gimmicky, again. Our editor is S. Sunny Shelton, newly promoted to run a storied music magazine, the first Black woman to hold the position, so she has the credentials. But she is also, as she tells us from the very beginning, the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, a studio musician who worked with the titular group, and who died in a riot at one of their shows. This is all we really get, to start, and it makes that device of assuming the reader has knowledge of an event really work, because for us who don't live in this fictional universe it is a beautiful slow reveal that we reach around halfway through the book that goes into an almost minute-by-minute breakdown of the storied riot. There are times when the reader is frustrated with Shelton, and times when the way she's telling the story feel strange, but Walton makes it all come together, including just enough of Shelton's story to have us invested in her putting together the book just as we are in Opal's story. By the end of the book, every weakness of the oral history has been turned into a strength. It's truly impressive.
The other thing that's so notable here, especially when you consider the way we write about music and musicians, is that it is a story of a duo, a white British man and a Black American woman, where the story is *not* dominated by the man. Even though it's clear from the beginning that he is the bigger star, someone like a Rod Stewart, who left a more raw 70's sound for massive success in the 80's and beyond. It is not his story and his version of events is only a small part of it. (For reasons that become clear.) But that is part of the joy of it. Instead of doing the usual, and looking at the story of Opal and Nev as a short-lived phase that led to a larger career, we focus instead on the lesser-told stories here. Of Shelton, of Curtis, of Virgil, Opal's friend and stylist, and of Opal herself. And as our editor and sometimes narrator is herself a Black woman, and because many of the subjects interviewed are telling their story to her and know that she is personally invested in it, we get a candidness and authenticity here about all kinds of subjects, but particularly about race, that is often missing from music journalism, a heavily white male field. It feels corrective, opening up to show us what we could be talking about. It's not surprising to see that Walton herself has worked in entertainment journalism, she gets to say a lot about it here.
The music itself always feels somewhat out of reach, it wasn't until nearly the end of the book that I had a good idea of what their sound actually was. But the lyrics interspersed throughout and the stories of the people themselves do a lot to make up for it. I'm still not 100% convinced that a duo with only two albums in the mid-70's would leave such a legacy and have younger audiences bringing back interest in them, but once the book showed me what it could really do, I stopped worrying about it and just enjoyed myself.
It does take a bit for this one to get really moving, to show you what it is really trying to do. Let yourself have a little time with it. I didn't mind the stage setting, it was easy to let Walton sweep me through the story, but it really picks up in the middle and the chapters around the riot are particularly impressive. We've breezed through years in a chapter but all of a sudden it'll take us several chapters to get through just a couple of hours, she keeps you riveted through it all, too.
One of those few perfect books we get every so often that should appeal and satisfy readers looking for something literary and impressively constructed, and readers who just want something interesting and fun to speed through. Walton is one to watch.
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