REVIEW: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev – Dawnie Walton

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton is already one of the ‘it’ books of the year – a fictional oral history of the rise and fall of an Afro-Punk duo. We review the novel here ahead of its UK release and reveal why we think it’s one of the breakout novels of the year. Pre-order the novel here now.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is a blisteringly hot, gritty and realistic portrayal of the 1970s rock and roll era – the portrayal of the rise and fall of fictional Afro-Punk duo Opal & Nev. 

The novel is written as an oral history of the band, from conception to its ultimate demise. From the moment the premise of the novel was published, the comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six began. Both novels indeed are fictional oral histories, handling the 1970s era of rock and roll, with deeply complex female protagonists – Daisy Jones and Opal Jewel – with fictional ‘editors/authors’ whose parents are embedded within the story. However, though the skeletons of both stories are similar, the meat of both novels should not be compared. Enjoyable as Daisy Jones and the Six was, it was a frothier story of the glamour of 1970s rock and roll – where there was grit, the grit still sparkled. Dawnie Walton, by contrast, has created a deeply layered and textured novel that grabs a history of race relations in America with both hands, moulding it into a deeply compelling novel that breathes a life of its own. It is a vital novel.

Opal Jewel is a singer from Detroit who is discovered by Nev and his label owner Bob Hize – when touring America to find a black female singer to join him as he is not yet ready to go solo. Moving to New York to create their first record together, Polychrome, the duo experience limited success with their heavily political record, owing in major part to the outlandish and creative fashion statements that Opal creates with her stylist Virgil La Fleur. Their success pales in comparison though to that of their label mates, the Bond Brothers – a highly problematic band from the South. In an attempt to boost the popularity of the entire roster, Hize decides to stage a showcase for the entire Rivington label. The showcase descends into a riot, after one of the brothers brandishes the Confederate flag. After he attempts to defend Opal, after her bold protest using the flag, their drummer – and the ‘editor’s’ father – Jimmy Curtis is killed by friends of the brothers. Whilst the violence makes a name for Opal & Nev overnight, the duo only go on to make one further record together, before going their separate ways. 

What Walton has created in her debut novel, is an eye-watering raw account of racism, with characters that feel frustratingly recognisable – from the black woman fighting to get her voice heard to the white man who turns a blind eye, rather than calling out evil as he sees it. The book is horrifyingly relevant, whilst remaining to stay deeply engaging and compelling, brimming with life and urgency. If readers were introduced to the oral history concept in Daisy Jones, then Walton has elevated this to another level, making it relevant to modern times – creating a candid and authentic voice through her narrator Sunny Shelton. Though it may take a minute to get into, once you are in the thick of this novel packs a weighty punch and Walton’s writing proves addictive. Readers will be impressed again and again by the way that Walton has crafted and sculpted this novel with masterful precision, both in structure and form. This is a novel that will stay with you and be on many a ‘top debuts of 2021’ list.