Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

This has rightfully been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, which is why I couldn't give this one 5 stars. I liked that Dawnie Newton tackled the Misogynoir rampant in the 70's (and unfortunately still prevelant today), but the story is told in such a lacksidaisical way, despite the plot itself being intruiging/exciting. I wanted a greater sense of urgency while reading this, but overall I thought the potential was greater than the execution.

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teamstarburger's review

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emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

Loved the depth and fullness the author gave to most all her characters. Really got into the story after about 70 pages.

For all my TJR obsessed friends,
imagine a Daisy Jones type novel that has true racial diversity and development of those characters, not just one checking off the diversity box, paired with a way more engaging plot. This is it.

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romcomapologist's review

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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prettycloud's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is so compelling. So concise and yet with such gorgeous visuals and descriptions of music, so focused and yet so devoted to the nuances of the story and the supporting cast. It reads like a book written by a journalist, asking important questions and pushing the reader to think critically, but never dragging the way more self-indulgent literary books do. It focuses on racism, sexism, misogynoir, and the far-reaching effects of structural inequality and subcultural resistance, and yet it comes off emotionally real rather than preachy. If you liked "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," you're likely to get a lot out of this one too.

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sarahholliday's review

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Holy crap.

I'm honestly upset that this was marketed so explicitly as a read-alike to Daisy Jones and the Six, because the two novels are in completely different leagues, in my opinion. On the surface, sure, they're both oral histories of flash-in-the-pan bands plagued by interpersonal struggles, but that's where the similarities stop.

Though the title includes both Opal and Nev, it becomes clear as you move through the story that Nev is not a "main character" in the way Opal and Stormy are. This is a story about black artists, especially black female artists, and the choices they make (or are forced to make) in order to carve out a place for themselves in a world that is at best uninterested in them, and at worst outright hostile.

Walton has crafted a completely immersive book that feels as if you're reading a true non-fiction title. The structure of the novel, the way she slowly teases nuance out of her cast of characters, and the freedom she gives her characters to make mistakes and be utterly human made this a novel I couldn't put down. I read it almost entirely in two sittings, and I was sad to turn the final page.

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laguerrelewis's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book pulls you IN. As a documentary lover this was a new kind of reading experience for me, but I hope to find more books in this style—and hopefully on a similar level of craft. Walton’s use of history, both real and fictionalized, is masterful. This really does feel like a tell all that would blow up and be the talk of twitter for weeks on end. If you like documentaries, Black activism, rock, music, or stories about making sense of your past, Read This Book!!

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morganperks's review

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emotional funny informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The full cast audiobook was riveting. With all the real names mixed in, I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fictional l story. It's unfortunate that this book keeps getting compared to Daisy Jones because Opal and Nev is its own story. It dives deep into racism, sexism, and social justice in the music industry. Something about the pacing was off. There were a few parts that dragged. Overall it was a great book!

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eileen91's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was more challenging then expected but such a good read. It didnt shy away from the strengths and weaknesses of each character or the realities of the time. I typically do not the interview format and I prefer plot driven books (for example i hated daisy jones) but I thought this was a great read.

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