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alayamorning's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Police brutality
gittejump's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.0
The Final Revival of Opal And Nev is a fictional oral history of the musical duo Opal and Nev. Similar to Daisy Jones and the Six, the author chose an interview format to move the story along.
Set in 1970, we follow the rise and then separation of Opal and Neville. The duo had all the makings of being a good musical act but had not yet made their big break. Until a racially triggered fight broke out leading to a bandmembers death, and the duo becoming household names.
Now it is 2016, in the time of Trump getting elected for president and the Black Live Matter movement increasing. The origin story of Opal and Nev is all that much more relevant to the political climate.
Sunny Shelton is the daughter of the killed band member and works as an editor for Aural magazine. She is tasked to write the story of how this unlikely pairing came to be, in time for the Opal and Nev reunion concert. Neville is an awkward dedicated English musician and Opal is a blunt and theatrical Black woman from Detroit. Somehow this combination worked for the music scene of the 1970s and there are still fans in 2016 hoping to see it again.
However, in getting to know these people from her father’s life, Sunny struggles to remain unbiased in everything she hears.
This story elegantly weaved racial dynamics into the setting. I loved how the second part of the book really opened up the story. It completely changed how I had built up Nev’s persona in my mind. Turning someone who seemed to fight for people’s rights, into something a lot more questionable.
I also loved how powerful Opal’s character is. She was so unashamedly herself and how she managed the trajectory of her career. I liked how her character brought in so many feminist themes. She was not a damsel in distress, she had agency and power in how she chose to live her life.
“How in the world did a woman so black and so ugly manage to believe she could be somebody?” - Opal Jewel
Her friend, Virgil LaFleur was my favourite character. He is the friend that any person needs in their life with his loyalty and ability to think outside the box. How else would they manage to dress Opal so fabulously with such a small budget?
Adding in real-world events perfectly set the tone and feel for the book’s setting. Knowing which hit songs had been released at each stage of the book were really fun tidbits and showed what music was like at the time of Opal and Nev’s debut.
I do wish that there was a bit of a stronger ending. After the high impact of the second part, the ending felt lacklustre in comparison, even if I did enjoy the cyclical nature of it. The pacing of the book felt unbalanced, but the characters made it worth it.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book.
Set in 1970, we follow the rise and then separation of Opal and Neville. The duo had all the makings of being a good musical act but had not yet made their big break. Until a racially triggered fight broke out leading to a bandmembers death, and the duo becoming household names.
Now it is 2016, in the time of Trump getting elected for president and the Black Live Matter movement increasing. The origin story of Opal and Nev is all that much more relevant to the political climate.
Sunny Shelton is the daughter of the killed band member and works as an editor for Aural magazine. She is tasked to write the story of how this unlikely pairing came to be, in time for the Opal and Nev reunion concert. Neville is an awkward dedicated English musician and Opal is a blunt and theatrical Black woman from Detroit. Somehow this combination worked for the music scene of the 1970s and there are still fans in 2016 hoping to see it again.
However, in getting to know these people from her father’s life, Sunny struggles to remain unbiased in everything she hears.
This story elegantly weaved racial dynamics into the setting. I loved how the second part of the book really opened up the story. It completely changed how I had built up Nev’s persona in my mind. Turning someone who seemed to fight for people’s rights, into something a lot more questionable.
I also loved how powerful Opal’s character is. She was so unashamedly herself and how she managed the trajectory of her career. I liked how her character brought in so many feminist themes. She was not a damsel in distress, she had agency and power in how she chose to live her life.
“How in the world did a woman so black and so ugly manage to believe she could be somebody?” - Opal Jewel
Her friend, Virgil LaFleur was my favourite character. He is the friend that any person needs in their life with his loyalty and ability to think outside the box. How else would they manage to dress Opal so fabulously with such a small budget?
Adding in real-world events perfectly set the tone and feel for the book’s setting. Knowing which hit songs had been released at each stage of the book were really fun tidbits and showed what music was like at the time of Opal and Nev’s debut.
I do wish that there was a bit of a stronger ending. After the high impact of the second part, the ending felt lacklustre in comparison, even if I did enjoy the cyclical nature of it. The pacing of the book felt unbalanced, but the characters made it worth it.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Police brutality
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