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A review by andreia
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.5
this book is PHENOMENAL and i'm sure it'll go on my list of 2021 favorites! special shoutout to the audiobook though because it's a full cast and the voice actors add so much to this story
i almost feel guilty comparing it to daisy jones & the six because 1) that's what pretty much everyone says and 2) this book is so much more than daisy jones. well, at first glance, the easiest way to get you to pick this up really is letting you know that this is written in the same style as daisy jones (the whole book is basically an interview) and it also focuses on a musical group that had its rock n roll moment in the 70s and is now having a book written about them. but that's really where the comparisons end because opal & nev elevates this idea to an incredible story about race, inequality, greed, resentment, mourning, revolution, the things white men can get away with and the things black women can't.
i thought i knew where this book was going in the first 1/3 of it because i thought it would basically just be about the rise and fall of a 70s rock duo who maybe had some romance mess things up for them. i was soooo wrong. the sudden turn this takes about halfway through honestly broke my heart and it was so well done and beautifully set up that i'm still shook.
ALL MEN DO IS LIE. i don't know how or why i still manage to be shocked by this (especially when it involves white men), but i did think nev was a decent guy and i sympathized with him throughout the first part until that revelation. i'm sure that was the author's intention because i imagine she wanted the reader to feel as betrayed as sunny, and later opal, did. well it worked, dawnie walton, you got me and i finished this wanting to punch nev in the face.
every single character feels so real, which sometimes makes you feel sad because of their actions. this whole book, in fact, feels so realistic that you could easily forget these artists don't actually exist.
i really hope people don't shy away from this thinking it's just going to be like daisy jones & the six. whether you liked that book or not, please give this one a try because i really think it'll be worth it!
i almost feel guilty comparing it to daisy jones & the six because 1) that's what pretty much everyone says and 2) this book is so much more than daisy jones. well, at first glance, the easiest way to get you to pick this up really is letting you know that this is written in the same style as daisy jones (the whole book is basically an interview) and it also focuses on a musical group that had its rock n roll moment in the 70s and is now having a book written about them. but that's really where the comparisons end because opal & nev elevates this idea to an incredible story about race, inequality, greed, resentment, mourning, revolution, the things white men can get away with and the things black women can't.
i thought i knew where this book was going in the first 1/3 of it because i thought it would basically just be about the rise and fall of a 70s rock duo who maybe had some romance mess things up for them. i was soooo wrong. the sudden turn this takes about halfway through honestly broke my heart and it was so well done and beautifully set up that i'm still shook.
every single character feels so real, which sometimes makes you feel sad because of their actions. this whole book, in fact, feels so realistic that you could easily forget these artists don't actually exist.
i really hope people don't shy away from this thinking it's just going to be like daisy jones & the six. whether you liked that book or not, please give this one a try because i really think it'll be worth it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Addiction