The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

André De Shields. That is all.

blows daisy jones out of the water in so many more ways than the writing alone

while i usually hate comparisons between books that are barely related, i think that in terms of a fake oral history about a fictional music act, this does everything that daisy jones & the six fails to do. opal & nev is contextualized heavily in the music world that they're supposedly supposed to exist in, and how their existence alone moved history. the commentary made about the music industry and profit being prioritized over creativity was something that was hit right on the head. and the complicated relationship between the two leads is one of interest and not just a big hazy question mark. because of all this i think this book is more for music lovers who understand that context and the realities behind the music we enjoy is just as important as every hit single.

also daisy jones has NOTHING on opal jewel

This is a wonderful idea for a story. I'm also one of those that came to this book as a fan of Daisy and the Six. It was generally a pretty good read, especially the beginning chapters when the author develops the childhoods and backgrounds of Opal and Nev.

I would have appreciated a bit more development of relationships, especially the friendship between Opal and Nev. It was hard to feel the sting of betrayal when I had little sense of the stakes. I can't blame the “interview” format because Daisy had a similar format and I had a much better understanding of the relationships there.

As another reviewer pointed out, this isn't really for music fans. The fact that they're musicians trying to make it as rock and rollers is secondary to all the social, political, and personal stuff that is happening. Opal is a singer/songwriter but mostly what she wants is to be seen and heard; music is secondary. She's an iconoclast, not someone who's driven to express themselves musically.

Daisy and the Six had a lot more freedom to be humorous, music-focused, and entertaining, because while there was a subtext of feminism present, the overall story was not political. With this one, the music is definitely secondary to the political/social commentary.