Review: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

Release Date: March 30th, 2021

Genre(s): Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction

Publisher: 37 Ink

Pages: 368

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/37 Ink for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev follows rock duo Opal Jewel and Neville Charles, and the story of their rise to fame. But a chain of disastrous events begins when a rival band under their label brandishes a Confederate flag at their concert; a constant reminder of the issues Opal will continue to face as a Black woman in the music industry. Decades later, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton has the opportunity to write their oral history when a huge allegation threatens to change everything.

Review

Despite my heavy involvement in music, I don’t really pick up books on music too often. But the synopsis for The Final Revival of Opal and Nev grabbed my attention, and I’m so glad I read it.

From the start, this book feels so real. A few pages in, I had to remind myself whether this was a work of fiction or a memoir because of how well it ties into history. The characters themselves blend with other famous figures and historical events and it is just so well-researched. Additionally, the characters are so well-developed, making it easy to mistake this book and its characters for a non-fiction account. 

This holds true for the rest of The Final Revival of Opal and Nev as we learn more about the character’s backstories and introductions to the music industry. I think one reason why I don’t read music fiction as often is because of the characterization. Often, the characters would only be shown at the height of their career and behind-the-scenes parts are just from being on the road. But this is not the case with The Final Revival of Opal and Nev. We get to know the characters from the beginning, which gives so much insight into their values and actions. 

The format of this book worked so well. It’s a combination of accounts between the characters in chronological order, with editor’s notes in between. I’m not always a fan of this either, but I loved the execution here. The editor has close ties to the other characters, and as the book progresses her notes give more and more insights into the context of the stories being discussed. 

I also really liked how discussions of race relations were at the forefront of The Final Revival of Opal and Nev. While there are so many popular Black artists and groups from the sixties and seventies, their own histories and issues combatting racism are seldom discussed. But in this book, this is openly discussed from before the group’s inception to the present day, and the many impacts that it had on everyone from the group themselves to the band’s following. 

Overall, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is such a well-written account of the fictitious duo that feels so real. Whether you’re a fan of books on music or not, I think music lovers alike will come to appreciate this story. 

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