Take a photo of a barcode or cover
eleni_flores 's review for:
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
by Dawnie Walton
Opal and Nev is a propulsive roller coaster that kept me glued to my reading chair for hours. It’s written in (mostly) oral history format and reminisces on an unlikely duo through the music scene of the 70s and a major event that caused the two performers' very different trajectories over the next 45 years.
Dawnie Walton does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and setting the scene so you feel like you’re there watching it all unfold. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I’ve seen this compared to [b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102], but for me that only applied to the similar format and topic—otherwise these are two very different books. While Daisy Jones had me double- and triple-checking that I wasn’t reading about a real band, Opal and Nev never came to life in the same way for me. I realize that sounds contrary to what I said above, but I guess I'd sum it up that Daisy Jones read like a biography, and this read like good fiction.
I also have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in Opal as a main character. She’s supposed to be this fierce activist leader, but to me, her actions often leaned more on the side of an instigator who needed to grow out of her angsty teen phase. I didn’t feel I got the depth I was expecting from her, and that made it hard for me to fully root for her.
Despite that, this book does have a lot of depth. One thing that really worked for me was the way Walton carried the overarching theme of racism in America through decades of these characters’ lives, and how it ultimately shaped each of them and their journeys. That aspect felt very real and timely, especially since the book takes place in 2016. I think this was a good balance between poignant and entertaining, but it won’t be for everyone.
Dawnie Walton does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and setting the scene so you feel like you’re there watching it all unfold. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I’ve seen this compared to [b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102], but for me that only applied to the similar format and topic—otherwise these are two very different books. While Daisy Jones had me double- and triple-checking that I wasn’t reading about a real band, Opal and Nev never came to life in the same way for me. I realize that sounds contrary to what I said above, but I guess I'd sum it up that Daisy Jones read like a biography, and this read like good fiction.
I also have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in Opal as a main character. She’s supposed to be this fierce activist leader, but to me, her actions often leaned more on the side of an instigator who needed to grow out of her angsty teen phase. I didn’t feel I got the depth I was expecting from her, and that made it hard for me to fully root for her.
Despite that, this book does have a lot of depth. One thing that really worked for me was the way Walton carried the overarching theme of racism in America through decades of these characters’ lives, and how it ultimately shaped each of them and their journeys. That aspect felt very real and timely, especially since the book takes place in 2016. I think this was a good balance between poignant and entertaining, but it won’t be for everyone.