4.5
2000 Tunes
ByPublisher Description
2000 Tunes. One summer of love.
Mark Hopton is twenty-four, single, and obsessed with Manchester music. It's his escape into a better world.
Oh man, he needs that escape. His psycho brother's on his case and in his face, his dad's in prison, and the local gangsters are twisting his melons to make him smuggle drugs. Heaven knows he's miserable now.
His one ray of hope is work colleague Samantha Rees, a gorgeous and chaotic Welsh woman who rocks his world. However, Samantha is living the twenty-four hour party people lifestyle, so would never be interested in a shy outsider like him.
But when a chance encounter leads to Mark and Samantha spending a perfect day together in the city centre, perhaps hope isn't fool's gold after all?
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities2000 Tunes Reviews
4.5
“I am a big fan of Karl Drinkwater. I’ve never been disappointed by his novels, and 2000 Tunes may be my absolute favorite.
The characters feel so real, it is as if I know them in real life. I love how deep we are taken into the lives of Sam and Mark. They are people I could empathize with and I felt compelled to keep reading because they were so well developed.
I absolutely love the way music is used in this novel. Karl Drinkwater has crafted a unique narrative that merges with music, and kept me hooked to this novel from start to end.
This is one you’re going to need to read for yourself but I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Highly recommended!!
Rating:
5/5☆
*I recieved a free copy of this book from BOTBS Publicity in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*”
“⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️
Mark and Sam work in the same office, but Mark is quiet, keeps his head down and is mainly invisible to some of the staff. Sam, on the other hand, is a team leader, open, bubbly and gets up to all sorts out of work – thoroughly enjoying the party scene with her best friend Emily, who also works on the team.
Marks life has been tough, but he’s trying his hardest to not end up like his Dad (in prison) and his brother Denny (a criminal and thug). The one thing that has always got him through is music. When he gets tied up with some local gangsters, all thanks to his family, he’s in a tricky situation and he battles with himself about the right thing to do. Meanwhile, he decides to make some personal changes, and bumps into Sam whilst out shopping. They spend a lovely day together and a budding friendship begins. But with their own issues affecting their heads and hearts, their road to romance isn’t an easy one.
Sam is having a hard time of her own. Her Nan has recently passed away and being in Manchester when her family are all in Wales is hard. Partying to occupy her time, she constantly clashes with her boss and is miserable in the house she shares.
But what will Sam decide to do? Will Mark make the right decision? And will they finally end up together?
I really enjoyed getting to know Mark and Sam. They’re both very deep, complex characters with their own histories, but Mark definitely got to me the most. Such a lovely guy, despite his upbringing and family, he wants to do well in life but has no confidence. At times I really felt like he may have a slight learning disability; he finds it hard sometimes to interpret people’s comments, manage certain situations and is very sensitive. It’s heartwarming to read and I just wanted to hug him. He just wants to do the right thing, but struggles with knowing what that is, especially when it comes to family. His love and knowledge of music is extraordinary and helps him to get by. He also has some cute aspects about him (his alternatives to swearing) which I found adorable, and made me chuckle at times.
Sam, as I’ve said is pretty much the opposite. Bubbly and outgoing, but has her own problems. I felt a bit torn about Sam; I did like her and wanted them to get together but at times I wanted to give her a bit of a talking to! The other characters in this are also fab. Emily would drive me nuts as a best friend, and definitely takes things too far sometimes! Roger is such a creep and angered me on numerous occasions; and Ben and Dave are fab. I wasn’t sure about these 2 either at first, but they definitely come through – especially Dave.
I did find the story a little hard to get into a first, and it is very long. Although the story is slowly revealed, I think it was a little slow for me to begin with. It picked up for me about half way through and then I really wanted to keep going to reach the conclusion. I liked that each chapter brings in a new song, but I did find the references to music too much sometimes (but then the title kind of gives it away, so it’s probably down to my own expectations). I think if you’re a fan of the Manchester music scene of the time then you will love this, and it will take you right back. Don’t get me wrong, some of the songs bought back memories for me but my music tastes at the time were pretty different!
Overall, I did enjoy this and would read more from the author. It’s taught me that reading something with so much music in probably isn’t for me, but that’s not down to the book, that’s just my personal opinion. However, I do think lots of you will enjoy it, and the story of Sam and Mark is brilliant and will reel you in. It will bring out a lot of emotions, especially if you adore Mark like I do!
As I’ve mentioned if you’re a music fan, especially the Manchester music scene then you will throughly enjoy this; and if you’re familiar with Manchester as a place, then definitely check this out. However, I don’t want any of you to discount this book because you don’t fit into these categories. You’ll still enjoy this if you’re a fan of a gentle and unhurried romance, wonderful, in-depth and complex characters with back stories and literary fiction/sagas. So if this is you, check this out!”
“Earlier this year I read and loved Cold Fusion 2000 so couldn't wait to read 2000 Tunes. Karl Drinkwater describes the two novels as 'partner books' and although they are both set in Manchester in the summer of 2000, each is a standalone story and can be read in any order.
2000 Tunes is perhaps a more straightforward novel but that doesn't make it any less involving and though a fairly long book, I read it in little more than a day. I was born in the same year as Sam and so as well as enjoying what is an engaging, deceptively complex love story, I also loved the sense of nostalgia I felt remembering a time when we drank Bacardi Breezers, downloaded Windows 2000 and discovered that Sunny Delight could turn your skin orange. Of course, with a title like 2000 Tunes, it's inevitable that music should have a hugely important role to play and I loved that each chapter is also the title of a song, with little notes demonstrating the links between bands - or the Manchester Music Association (MMA) to use Mark's terminology.
Mark is obsessed with music from Manchester, although his interests are narrowed to the 90s indie Madchester scene. He still mourns the closing of The Haçienda and uses his impassioned knowledge as a crutch, working out connections between bands to calm himself when he becomes stressed or anxious. He's a bit of a tragic joke figure at first and it's impossible not to pity him particularly when it becomes obvious that he is very different from his violent father and brother. As he begins to realise that he can be different and to make tentative steps towards recognising his self-worth, I grew to love this gentle, kind man.
He works for the same company as Samantha - Sam - Rees who initially appears to be a very different person to Mark. She seems to be as confident as he is shy and forms a formidable double act with her best friend and drinking partner, Emily. However, as the book progresses it soon becomes evident that her life is more chaotic than it first appears and that she is as lost and confused as he is. Emily is seemingly fearless and unapologetically herself; she doesn't always give the best advice to Sam but she is a fantastic character.
A series of mistakes, misunderstandings and missed opportunities follow as they both try to discover what it is they really want from life. There is a striking contrast between their respective families, while Mark has been dragged up and is constantly mocked and threatened by his dad and brother, Sam comes from a close, loving background. However, she came to Manchester to escape the sense of claustrophobia she felt back in Wales but since the death of her beloved Mamgu (grandmother) she is increasingly drawn back to Neath. Both have potentially huge decisions to make about their future and there are some deeply poignant moments as they reach their respective crisis points.
Although I'd say that Cold Fusion 2000 is the more ambiguous of the two stories, there is a really touching scene later on in 2000 Tunes which reveals that not all quite as it seems here either. Manchester is almost another character and those who know the city well will love the affectionate yet realistic depiction of the place. This is a book with real heart and so it is entirely right that the beat of music is felt throughout its pages; we all know how songs have the power to bring us together and to transform us and so it is that 2000 Tunes is a beautifully written, perceptive novel about love, belonging and change. This is no fool's gold, it's the real stuff and I loved it!”
About Karl Drinkwater
Karl Drinkwater writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you're in the right place. Welcome!
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can't leave the desk. When he isn't writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Don't miss out! Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. His website is karldrinkwater.uk
Other books by Karl Drinkwater
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