Hardcover, 368 pages
English language
Published by 37 Ink.
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can't imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job--despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar's amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
In early seventies New York City, just as she's finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal's bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, …
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can't imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job--despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar's amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
In early seventies New York City, just as she's finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal's bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.
Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo's most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.
Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we've not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
Thoughtful and thorough. This novel is expansive.
I'd challenge anyone who preferred DJ&6 to consider why they found that book more palatable and also why they are attempting to compare them in the first place when they are clearly very different stories.
3.5 rounding up to 4 stars. Full disclosure: I really enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six and headed into this hoping for a similar experience since the format (a compilation of interview snippets with the people behind the music) was the same. Which goes to show: comparison is the thief of joy. Had I listened to this without the comparison, I think I would've enjoyed it more. This story has more to sink your teeth into since it's not just about a band and romance (as Daisy Jones was) but also about the ongoing struggle for racial justice. As much as I enjoyed the format for Daisy Jones, I found myself wishing this story were told in a more conventional structure. I wanted to spend time with the characters and follow them for more unbroken time, without having other perspectives interjected like popcorn. I felt like the format distracted from …
3.5 rounding up to 4 stars. Full disclosure: I really enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six and headed into this hoping for a similar experience since the format (a compilation of interview snippets with the people behind the music) was the same. Which goes to show: comparison is the thief of joy. Had I listened to this without the comparison, I think I would've enjoyed it more. This story has more to sink your teeth into since it's not just about a band and romance (as Daisy Jones was) but also about the ongoing struggle for racial justice. As much as I enjoyed the format for Daisy Jones, I found myself wishing this story were told in a more conventional structure. I wanted to spend time with the characters and follow them for more unbroken time, without having other perspectives interjected like popcorn. I felt like the format distracted from the story instead of enhancing it.
All that aside, there was a lot to like: the exploration of the 70s music scene and the backdrop of racial tension, captured (today) by the first black editor of a major music publication... and as a Michigander with a mother from Alabama, I'll never be bored by a protagonist who hails from MoTown and is sent to visit family near Birmingham, AL as a kid.
