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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Review of a Goodreads Giveaway copy.
Refreshing. Like a few stories rolled into one - the 30-something academic living unwillingly at home, physics obsessed and socially awkward; the identical twins, one of whom broke said academic's heart, the other hoping to heal it for him; the smitten friend.
Alex is on the right side of likeable, but it's hard not to get frustrated with someone who has let a bad break-up ruin their life. He is half blind to the real emotions of the women around him but still manages to remain quite sweet.
The physics isn't too intense but the title still goes over my head I'm afraid.
A quirky and light read. I recently read Geek Girl and The Rosie Project concurrently with this and it's in good company.
Refreshing. Like a few stories rolled into one - the 30-something academic living unwillingly at home, physics obsessed and socially awkward; the identical twins, one of whom broke said academic's heart, the other hoping to heal it for him; the smitten friend.
Alex is on the right side of likeable, but it's hard not to get frustrated with someone who has let a bad break-up ruin their life. He is half blind to the real emotions of the women around him but still manages to remain quite sweet.
The physics isn't too intense but the title still goes over my head I'm afraid.
A quirky and light read. I recently read Geek Girl and The Rosie Project concurrently with this and it's in good company.
duartepatri's review against another edition
5.0
I have to be honest, if you ask me what genre this book is, then I have no idea. If you ask me if I liked it, then the answer is yes, did I love it from the beginning? no, at first I was annoyed and frustrated, Alex was such a pompous smartass that I could have slapped him senseless.
I kept thinking a few things along the way, one, that I must be a total ignorant because there were several moments when I felt totally outsmarted, the whole physics thing was a bit too much at times, another thing that kept me thinking was the whole back to the late 1900's feeling, reading about what we used to have, slow (crappy) computers, the first mobile phones, the whole Y2K thingy, and I could go on and on and on....I am part of that generation and it felt like a Back to the Future trip, it was great to see how much Alex foresaw and how much technology has evolved in such a short period of time. Apart from that there was this Jane/Lucy thing, if I have to be real honest I think I should re read it, the ending was sad and it revealed something that I felt was not possible, I am not sure if I got it right, I told you, this book is way smarter than the average and I think I understood one thing when in fact it went deeper and more complicated...I cannot give away the plot but I thought that the whole identical twins plot plus the ghostly scenes were a bit far fetched, once I was finished I thought, why did Jane go to Manchester in the first place? Was the blurb of the book right or there was a hidden truth, Jane had to leave ok, but why? is it because she had a family or because she knew what the future awaited for her? Was that little bit at the end the whole book revelation?
And to finish with this, I had the last recurring thought, I kept wondering how much of it was fiction and how much was the author's life, he wrote this very difficult book that even had a super difficult questionnaire at the end which by the way, I couldn't answer, lol! so I have had that feeling during the whole book, and that was that there might be some real thing behind this book...if there was not, then, this book is even more brilliant because we were under the skin of a very complex character.
I also thought of Sheldon Cooper a lot. lol!
I kept thinking a few things along the way, one, that I must be a total ignorant because there were several moments when I felt totally outsmarted, the whole physics thing was a bit too much at times, another thing that kept me thinking was the whole back to the late 1900's feeling, reading about what we used to have, slow (crappy) computers, the first mobile phones, the whole Y2K thingy, and I could go on and on and on....I am part of that generation and it felt like a Back to the Future trip, it was great to see how much Alex foresaw and how much technology has evolved in such a short period of time. Apart from that there was this Jane/Lucy thing, if I have to be real honest I think I should re read it, the ending was sad and it revealed something that I felt was not possible, I am not sure if I got it right, I told you, this book is way smarter than the average and I think I understood one thing when in fact it went deeper and more complicated...I cannot give away the plot but I thought that the whole identical twins plot plus the ghostly scenes were a bit far fetched, once I was finished I thought, why did Jane go to Manchester in the first place? Was the blurb of the book right or there was a hidden truth, Jane had to leave ok, but why? is it because she had a family or because she knew what the future awaited for her? Was that little bit at the end the whole book revelation?
And to finish with this, I had the last recurring thought, I kept wondering how much of it was fiction and how much was the author's life, he wrote this very difficult book that even had a super difficult questionnaire at the end which by the way, I couldn't answer, lol! so I have had that feeling during the whole book, and that was that there might be some real thing behind this book...if there was not, then, this book is even more brilliant because we were under the skin of a very complex character.
I also thought of Sheldon Cooper a lot. lol!
liisp_cvr2cvr's review against another edition
4.0
Cold Fusion 2000 (CF2K) is a novel of incredible genius. Read it at face value and you will be left thinking that a LOT of things just don’t add up and how there are NO answers to anything; but, notice the hidden yet obvious clues, embrace the ambiguity and you will receive a complex internal conflict of a character. As such, it’s also very difficult to say anything detailed about the book because the slightest clue can spoiler it all…
Alex Kavanagh is not really enjoying his life. His job as a teacher is not at all rewarding (he’s simply too smart to teach youngsters who don’t give a flying), his relationships might start out well, but they fizzle out, and at home, he constantly argues with his sister. It seems like the routine he’s living is something he needs to satisfy his pedantic ways but this way of life is something that is also holding him back. His status quo is made even worse by the fact that he just seems to be drifting through the days, not enjoying anything much at all. Alex is a PhD dropout with sights firmly set back towards the past. The unwillingness to let go, the pit that causes loneliness…
And one day, everything truly goes to pot- the Glasgow Smile Man sits next to him on the bus (GSM is scary and creepy), the teenage bullies at the bus stop are relentless at making Alex feel intimidated and his girlfriend Anne has had enough. As Alex is already defeated by everything in his life, everything that has built up inside over the years, all his failures and hurts, you can only imagine that the next natural step would be for things to either get way-way worse or start moving towards the better. A surprise run-in with his ex GF, believe it or not, was exactly what Alex needed. A way to fix everything!
Now, you may think that this is going to be a straightforward lost loves romance story, but I would like to point out that this is not the case. Should you pick up this book, be ready to be surprised. And be vigilant. Every word in this book could be treated as an indicator of things to come, every chapter could hide the ‘a-ha!’ moment that helps you connect the dots! I would like to think that I had my theories about certain things but when at the end of the book I stumbled across the FAQ about the book, I was mind blown.
It’s funny, just the other day I was thinking that maybe I should try and find romance written by male authors and then I remembered I had CF2K on my Kindle. Fantastic! In I went and I truly received an interesting reading experience. Cold Fusion 2000 comes in a complete package filled with geeky smarts, feelings (good, bad, anxious and elated), surprises and a couple of wanks. Took you by surprise there, heh? Well, my point is, there’s no overly graphic sexy time content but still quite true to the relationships aspect when it comes to intimacy (even if it involved only one person).
Bottom line- a great contemporary novel with a complex main character I came to care about. I was 100% committed to the journey Alex had to undertake and thoroughly invested in seeing the destination… Reading this book felt real and at times sad, but also full of hope and with a promise of new beginnings… I really liked it…
Alex Kavanagh is not really enjoying his life. His job as a teacher is not at all rewarding (he’s simply too smart to teach youngsters who don’t give a flying), his relationships might start out well, but they fizzle out, and at home, he constantly argues with his sister. It seems like the routine he’s living is something he needs to satisfy his pedantic ways but this way of life is something that is also holding him back. His status quo is made even worse by the fact that he just seems to be drifting through the days, not enjoying anything much at all. Alex is a PhD dropout with sights firmly set back towards the past. The unwillingness to let go, the pit that causes loneliness…
He wondered where his mind had wandered this time, what life it had lived as a trail of neurons sped through networks of possibilities particle-fast, too rapid to catch without a hadron collider, causing super quarks of weirdness and leaving him with only a vague after-image like a melting dream. He had to accept that he couldn’t catch all his thoughts, all the things going on in his body, the processes which slipped by in the background just leaving a shadow, an itch, the grain of sand that probably wouldn’t become a pearl, a blazing after-trace that lives a second then is gone forever. All those possibilities occurring in a second of frantic life: it never ceased to amaze him. The world was an incredible and beautifully constructed thing.
And one day, everything truly goes to pot- the Glasgow Smile Man sits next to him on the bus (GSM is scary and creepy), the teenage bullies at the bus stop are relentless at making Alex feel intimidated and his girlfriend Anne has had enough. As Alex is already defeated by everything in his life, everything that has built up inside over the years, all his failures and hurts, you can only imagine that the next natural step would be for things to either get way-way worse or start moving towards the better. A surprise run-in with his ex GF, believe it or not, was exactly what Alex needed. A way to fix everything!
Now, you may think that this is going to be a straightforward lost loves romance story, but I would like to point out that this is not the case. Should you pick up this book, be ready to be surprised. And be vigilant. Every word in this book could be treated as an indicator of things to come, every chapter could hide the ‘a-ha!’ moment that helps you connect the dots! I would like to think that I had my theories about certain things but when at the end of the book I stumbled across the FAQ about the book, I was mind blown.
He felt that he perceived the shape within, just for a second. She had hope. It spread; he could almost witness electrons moving through the magnetic field between them, following lines of force, beautiful things everywhere, sharing, changing both of them in the process, the covalent bonding of life.
It’s funny, just the other day I was thinking that maybe I should try and find romance written by male authors and then I remembered I had CF2K on my Kindle. Fantastic! In I went and I truly received an interesting reading experience. Cold Fusion 2000 comes in a complete package filled with geeky smarts, feelings (good, bad, anxious and elated), surprises and a couple of wanks. Took you by surprise there, heh? Well, my point is, there’s no overly graphic sexy time content but still quite true to the relationships aspect when it comes to intimacy (even if it involved only one person).
Bottom line- a great contemporary novel with a complex main character I came to care about. I was 100% committed to the journey Alex had to undertake and thoroughly invested in seeing the destination… Reading this book felt real and at times sad, but also full of hope and with a promise of new beginnings… I really liked it…
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Watching numbers crunch and evolve was almost as mesmerising as the Windows 98 disk defragmenter.’
After a prologue which includes a summary of significant events in Alex Kavanagh’s life between 1992 and June 2000 when this story opens, we meet Alex. He is a 32 year old man, fascinated by science and poetry. He teaches science part - time at a local college, has occasionally experienced fugue states, and still lives at home. Alex wonders about how his life might be if he’d made different choices. In 1993 he started a PhD focussed on ancient physics, and started a relationship with an undergraduate named Lucy. Lucy dropped him in 1994, and he dropped out of university without completing his PhD.
‘Breaking the balance is a big thing. Restoring it is just as big.’
Living at home with his mother, his younger sister Kelly and her friend Natalie is challenging. None of them are interested in science, and there’s not much else in Alex’s world. But when Alex breaks up with his current girlfriend Anne, he accepts that he needs to change. Easier thought than achieved, especially if you are introverted, neurotic and obsessive.
Alex seems to spend most of his time focussing on either papers he is trying to have published in the field of physics, or thinking about the past. And when Lucy, his first love, turns up in Manchester – and seems interested in him – Alex can hardly believe it. Will he have a second chance? And what is Lucy’s story?
‘Note to the reader:
Some stories are not as straightforward as they might first seem, and small details can be telling.’
It took me a little while to become caught up in Alex’s story, and I didn’t pick up on all of the small details until right at the end. Now, of course, the things I missed seem obvious. It’s not so much a coming of age story (yes, some people come of age much later than others) as a reminder that we each influence the world we want. And sometimes, answers (and love itself) come from unlikely places. Once I became caught up in Alex’s story (and made sense of certain small details) I really enjoyed the story – and wondered what would happen next. How much does the past impact on the present? Can Alex achieve and maintain balance?
To say more would be to spoil the read.
Note: I was offered, and accepted, a copy of this book for review
purposes. I am pleased that I did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
After a prologue which includes a summary of significant events in Alex Kavanagh’s life between 1992 and June 2000 when this story opens, we meet Alex. He is a 32 year old man, fascinated by science and poetry. He teaches science part - time at a local college, has occasionally experienced fugue states, and still lives at home. Alex wonders about how his life might be if he’d made different choices. In 1993 he started a PhD focussed on ancient physics, and started a relationship with an undergraduate named Lucy. Lucy dropped him in 1994, and he dropped out of university without completing his PhD.
‘Breaking the balance is a big thing. Restoring it is just as big.’
Living at home with his mother, his younger sister Kelly and her friend Natalie is challenging. None of them are interested in science, and there’s not much else in Alex’s world. But when Alex breaks up with his current girlfriend Anne, he accepts that he needs to change. Easier thought than achieved, especially if you are introverted, neurotic and obsessive.
Alex seems to spend most of his time focussing on either papers he is trying to have published in the field of physics, or thinking about the past. And when Lucy, his first love, turns up in Manchester – and seems interested in him – Alex can hardly believe it. Will he have a second chance? And what is Lucy’s story?
‘Note to the reader:
Some stories are not as straightforward as they might first seem, and small details can be telling.’
It took me a little while to become caught up in Alex’s story, and I didn’t pick up on all of the small details until right at the end. Now, of course, the things I missed seem obvious. It’s not so much a coming of age story (yes, some people come of age much later than others) as a reminder that we each influence the world we want. And sometimes, answers (and love itself) come from unlikely places. Once I became caught up in Alex’s story (and made sense of certain small details) I really enjoyed the story – and wondered what would happen next. How much does the past impact on the present? Can Alex achieve and maintain balance?
To say more would be to spoil the read.
Note: I was offered, and accepted, a copy of this book for review
purposes. I am pleased that I did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Alex is a full on geek, A teacher, heavily into his physics. He isn’t the most interesting of characters to start with, being quite boring as he rarely goes out and socialises, definitely more of a loner, enjoying his own company. As we get to know him though, I could feel him growing on me and I enjoyed his social awkwardness.
He is actually a bit of an anti hero. In parts he surprised me with him stepping up to the mark which made me enjoy his character that little bit more. His relationship with the opposite sex, is what really makes this story. There is an innocence to it and made me reminisce of my younger self and past relationships.
I love the female characters in the story. They all bring something different to the story. Kelly, his sister, again reminded me of what life was like with an older brother and the squabbles. I loved how feisty she is. Natalie on the other hand, her friend, is more wiser than her years of which I think is down to her own family background making her grow up that little bit quicker. Lucy, well, you need to read this book to fully understand her character but she certainly makes for an interesting one.
Cold Fusion 2000 is not your straight forward romance/coming of age story. I mean the main character is twenty eight years old for a start! It does have a deeper meaning though, not to live looking back on life but to look ahead instead. By the end of the novel, I really felt a bond with Alex. I loved the beginning of the book also where the author cleverly transports the readers back, well if you are a certain age, to some truly classic song choices that flooded my mind with memories. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, I highly recommend this book.
My thanks to the author for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
He is actually a bit of an anti hero. In parts he surprised me with him stepping up to the mark which made me enjoy his character that little bit more. His relationship with the opposite sex, is what really makes this story. There is an innocence to it and made me reminisce of my younger self and past relationships.
I love the female characters in the story. They all bring something different to the story. Kelly, his sister, again reminded me of what life was like with an older brother and the squabbles. I loved how feisty she is. Natalie on the other hand, her friend, is more wiser than her years of which I think is down to her own family background making her grow up that little bit quicker. Lucy, well, you need to read this book to fully understand her character but she certainly makes for an interesting one.
Cold Fusion 2000 is not your straight forward romance/coming of age story. I mean the main character is twenty eight years old for a start! It does have a deeper meaning though, not to live looking back on life but to look ahead instead. By the end of the novel, I really felt a bond with Alex. I loved the beginning of the book also where the author cleverly transports the readers back, well if you are a certain age, to some truly classic song choices that flooded my mind with memories. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, I highly recommend this book.
My thanks to the author for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
goldfishreads's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as a free copy from Karl after reading the Rosie Project like many of the reviewers here. It was very nice of him to send me the ebook and I did enjoy the book. Different in its own way from the Rosie Project but it started pretty similarly to the book with the smart, socially uncomfortable guy that's having trouble finding love. And the story took a different turn that I thought it would after Jane/Lucy left. It was a good read and story but I didn't feel like I connected to the characters very well, maybe it was the personalities of the characters but I didn't feel much emotion reading the book.
charlottejones952's review
5.0
I received this book for review from the author and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. Although it is described as an adult contemporary, I found it to be much more intelligently written than most contemporary novels that I have read in the past. The descriptive style made the characters and locations come to life on the page and especially as some of the places are familiar to me, it really put the story in a different class to other stories of this kind. Set in the year 2000, this novel has a lot of nostalgia such as old Nokia phones, bulky computers and dial-up internet, that just makes you as the reader connect with the character's experiences more.
At first, the science nature of some of the passages put me off a bit as they were a bit complicated at points but I think that after a while, I got used to the way Alex thought and it became much easier to understand his thought processes.
I loved the development of the characters and found each of them relatable in some way, although they were all distinct from each other and completely realistic. Alex reminded me of a mixture of all of the main characters from The Big Bang Theory; unlucky in love, a bit OCD, living with his mother, doesn't understand other people, but I really liked that about him. Natalie was a bit confusing at first but I soon came to like her fieriness and attitude towards life. Likewise, although I found the situation with Jane a bit odd, I learned to like her as the plot progressed.
One of my favourite things about this book was the level of research that was evident throughout. As someone that has a keen interest in art, the scene in the Whitworth gallery was one of my favourites - the vivid descriptions coupled with the opinions of both characters involved really drew me into the scene and kept me captivated.
I finished this book in about a day and I am completely in love with Karl Drinkwater's writing style. At only 200 pages, it makes a short yet thought-provoking philosophical read full of quirky science-fiction references and well-built locations and characters. I would definitely recommend this to adult readers of contemporary literature and I can't imagine not picking this up again at some point in the future.
At first, the science nature of some of the passages put me off a bit as they were a bit complicated at points but I think that after a while, I got used to the way Alex thought and it became much easier to understand his thought processes.
I loved the development of the characters and found each of them relatable in some way, although they were all distinct from each other and completely realistic. Alex reminded me of a mixture of all of the main characters from The Big Bang Theory; unlucky in love, a bit OCD, living with his mother, doesn't understand other people, but I really liked that about him. Natalie was a bit confusing at first but I soon came to like her fieriness and attitude towards life. Likewise, although I found the situation with Jane a bit odd, I learned to like her as the plot progressed.
One of my favourite things about this book was the level of research that was evident throughout. As someone that has a keen interest in art, the scene in the Whitworth gallery was one of my favourites - the vivid descriptions coupled with the opinions of both characters involved really drew me into the scene and kept me captivated.
I finished this book in about a day and I am completely in love with Karl Drinkwater's writing style. At only 200 pages, it makes a short yet thought-provoking philosophical read full of quirky science-fiction references and well-built locations and characters. I would definitely recommend this to adult readers of contemporary literature and I can't imagine not picking this up again at some point in the future.
karlou's review
5.0
I've had the pleasure of reading one of Karl Drinkwater's sci-fi novels, Lost Solace and as I know he writes across a range of genres, I was intrigued to read Cold Fusion 2000. It's certainly very different but I was captivated by this intelligent, witty love story which so perceptively explores the ties of Alex's past, the apathy of his present and the possibilities for his future.
The book opens with one of the best recaps of a character's past that I can ever recall reading; by using song titles (beginning with Ebeneezer Goode and ending with That Don't Impress Me Much), readers are taken on a whistle-stop tour of Alex's adulthood to date. In just a few clever lines we learn that he started a PhD in Physics but after his relationship with his girlfriend, Lucy ended, he left university and began teaching in a further education college; five years later, nothing has changed, he still lives at home and still hates his job. It's now the year 2000 and either the start or end of the millenium, depending on your viewpoint (it matters very much to Alex!) and as the story begins properly, it's clear that he has stagnated and is still living as a young person on the brink of adulthood rather than as a 28-year-old man.
A picture soon emerges of an intelligent but socially awkward man who spends more time in his own head than is good for him and whose social life is almost non-existent. He dreams of having a physics paper published but there's something so painfully chaotic about his thoughts that it's impossible not to pity him, even though he is often self-centred to the point of rudeness. Although his relationship with Lucy has been over for years, he doesn't seem to have been able to move on and is a rather sad and lonely figure. It's obvious that he is completely dissatisfied with his life but there comes a point where his mental health is clearly very fragile and it's difficult to see how he is going to be able to progress from this point.
Therefore, it's a pleasant surprise to see a very different side to Alex when Lucy suddenly appears in his life again. He isn't so obsessed with physics and his conversations with her about poetry and art are fascinating and really quite touching. I really warmed to his character at this point in the book because he begins to open up a little and allows himself to take risks even though he it makes him vulnerable to being hurt again. Lucy is an intriguing character; the reader learns a little more about her than Alex is aware of, but nevertheless, there does seem to be something she is holding back - possibly from herself as much as from Alex.
It's hard to review Cold Fusion 2000 without giving anything away but in the latter part of the book, Alex has the opportunity to change his life and I was curious to see how he would react. This is often a very humorous read but it's also a rather insightful look at how a person can be deeply affected by life's disappointments and although I didn't fully warm to him initially, by the end of the novel I was desperate for him to be happy. There are two other significant women in his life, his sister, Kelly and her friend, Natalie and I really enjoyed seeing how their interactions evolve during the course of the story. Karl Drinkwater writes such beautifully nuanced, believable characters who can perhaps be a little irritating at first but then later reveal a totally different side to their personality. There's a real warmth to the writing too, with the importance of family being valued as much as romantic love, and I thought the depictions of Alex's extended family were wonderfully authentic.
Cold Fusion 2000 is brilliantly deceptive novel with little clues scattered throughout as to the truth - whatever that may be... It's a story about the impossible being possible - which can be interpreted a number of ways, but just as Alex is a physics geek who also loves art and poetry, so the book can be more than one thing at the same time. How much is real and how much is fantasy is debatable and there are no definitive answers here so it very much depends on each reader's own analysis of the events. There are quite a few physics references and although I didn't fully understand them all, I was always able to appreciate why they were there. I also really enjoyed the information included about various artworks and the way in which they linked with the plot. I love books which take me out of my comfort zone and make me think and the cleverly structured, engaging and multi-layered Cold Fusion 2000 did just that. Highly recommended.
The book opens with one of the best recaps of a character's past that I can ever recall reading; by using song titles (beginning with Ebeneezer Goode and ending with That Don't Impress Me Much), readers are taken on a whistle-stop tour of Alex's adulthood to date. In just a few clever lines we learn that he started a PhD in Physics but after his relationship with his girlfriend, Lucy ended, he left university and began teaching in a further education college; five years later, nothing has changed, he still lives at home and still hates his job. It's now the year 2000 and either the start or end of the millenium, depending on your viewpoint (it matters very much to Alex!) and as the story begins properly, it's clear that he has stagnated and is still living as a young person on the brink of adulthood rather than as a 28-year-old man.
A picture soon emerges of an intelligent but socially awkward man who spends more time in his own head than is good for him and whose social life is almost non-existent. He dreams of having a physics paper published but there's something so painfully chaotic about his thoughts that it's impossible not to pity him, even though he is often self-centred to the point of rudeness. Although his relationship with Lucy has been over for years, he doesn't seem to have been able to move on and is a rather sad and lonely figure. It's obvious that he is completely dissatisfied with his life but there comes a point where his mental health is clearly very fragile and it's difficult to see how he is going to be able to progress from this point.
Therefore, it's a pleasant surprise to see a very different side to Alex when Lucy suddenly appears in his life again. He isn't so obsessed with physics and his conversations with her about poetry and art are fascinating and really quite touching. I really warmed to his character at this point in the book because he begins to open up a little and allows himself to take risks even though he it makes him vulnerable to being hurt again. Lucy is an intriguing character; the reader learns a little more about her than Alex is aware of, but nevertheless, there does seem to be something she is holding back - possibly from herself as much as from Alex.
It's hard to review Cold Fusion 2000 without giving anything away but in the latter part of the book, Alex has the opportunity to change his life and I was curious to see how he would react. This is often a very humorous read but it's also a rather insightful look at how a person can be deeply affected by life's disappointments and although I didn't fully warm to him initially, by the end of the novel I was desperate for him to be happy. There are two other significant women in his life, his sister, Kelly and her friend, Natalie and I really enjoyed seeing how their interactions evolve during the course of the story. Karl Drinkwater writes such beautifully nuanced, believable characters who can perhaps be a little irritating at first but then later reveal a totally different side to their personality. There's a real warmth to the writing too, with the importance of family being valued as much as romantic love, and I thought the depictions of Alex's extended family were wonderfully authentic.
Cold Fusion 2000 is brilliantly deceptive novel with little clues scattered throughout as to the truth - whatever that may be... It's a story about the impossible being possible - which can be interpreted a number of ways, but just as Alex is a physics geek who also loves art and poetry, so the book can be more than one thing at the same time. How much is real and how much is fantasy is debatable and there are no definitive answers here so it very much depends on each reader's own analysis of the events. There are quite a few physics references and although I didn't fully understand them all, I was always able to appreciate why they were there. I also really enjoyed the information included about various artworks and the way in which they linked with the plot. I love books which take me out of my comfort zone and make me think and the cleverly structured, engaging and multi-layered Cold Fusion 2000 did just that. Highly recommended.
becca's review
5.0
Set in Manchester during the Millennium era (2000, hence the title), main character; Alex, still lives at home with his Mum and sister; Kelly and has been in an impasse since his girlfriend from university dumped him.
Now thirty years old and his life being in this rut, a sudden encounter finally unlocks him from this dilemma in his life to get him back into his better ways. He's fed up of getting bullied by the teenagers at the bus stop and fed up of getting dumped, so he was surprised when he was in a distressed way that he sees his ex Lucy (who dumped him for his best friend) and can't resist the temptation to tell her just what he thinks of her.
So...how did they end up going to a date?
And how come she isn't Lucy, and is in fact her twin sister; Jane?
A spark like a firework between them shocks him both. Alex didn't realise that he would fall back in love so quickly with someone who he thought had broken his heart. Jane isn't anything like Lucy, and is kind though secretive. She doesn't want to hurt Alex like her sister did, but she knows that she'll be leaving Alex's life in just three days. She doesn't want to lie, but she doesn't want to repeat the past and repeat Lucy's faults.
Intricate layers of family, life and love twist in to Cold Fusion 2000. With it's bittersweet ending and complicated characters, Karl writes with truth and hope in this coming-of-age novel. The characters are so ordinary, yet so distinctive and have all had a taste of an epiphany in their time. The past plays a huge part of the novel, but what it truly comes down to in the end is the outlook for the future and the peace that the characters have to make with their own pasts.
I was pleasantly surprised throughout the story with every new unveiling, and can say that this is a one-of-a-kind novel that can be interpreted in many different ways and that the reader plays a huge part in what they can take from the enigma-filled novel.
A hugely inspiring novel that I adored from start to finish.
read more: http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/book-review-cold-fusion-2000-by-karl.html
Now thirty years old and his life being in this rut, a sudden encounter finally unlocks him from this dilemma in his life to get him back into his better ways. He's fed up of getting bullied by the teenagers at the bus stop and fed up of getting dumped, so he was surprised when he was in a distressed way that he sees his ex Lucy (who dumped him for his best friend) and can't resist the temptation to tell her just what he thinks of her.
So...how did they end up going to a date?
And how come she isn't Lucy, and is in fact her twin sister; Jane?
A spark like a firework between them shocks him both. Alex didn't realise that he would fall back in love so quickly with someone who he thought had broken his heart. Jane isn't anything like Lucy, and is kind though secretive. She doesn't want to hurt Alex like her sister did, but she knows that she'll be leaving Alex's life in just three days. She doesn't want to lie, but she doesn't want to repeat the past and repeat Lucy's faults.
Intricate layers of family, life and love twist in to Cold Fusion 2000. With it's bittersweet ending and complicated characters, Karl writes with truth and hope in this coming-of-age novel. The characters are so ordinary, yet so distinctive and have all had a taste of an epiphany in their time. The past plays a huge part of the novel, but what it truly comes down to in the end is the outlook for the future and the peace that the characters have to make with their own pasts.
I was pleasantly surprised throughout the story with every new unveiling, and can say that this is a one-of-a-kind novel that can be interpreted in many different ways and that the reader plays a huge part in what they can take from the enigma-filled novel.
A hugely inspiring novel that I adored from start to finish.
read more: http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/book-review-cold-fusion-2000-by-karl.html
amy_k's review
3.0
Karl Drinkwater has a particular talent for taking quotidian events and everyman characters and crafting them into something really special.
In Cold Fusion 2000, Alex is the 'everyman' - socially awkward, frustrated in his job, living with his parents, unable to get over his ex-girlfriend. A chance meeting with a woman gives him the chance to move past his frustrations but only if he is brave enough to take it.
In the hands of a less talented author, these events might be mundane, but Karl Drinkwater brings them to life with clever observations, scientific facts, poetry, Mancunian geography and realistic dialogue. An enjoyable and satisfying read, with a clever plot twist to boot. Well worth a read.
In Cold Fusion 2000, Alex is the 'everyman' - socially awkward, frustrated in his job, living with his parents, unable to get over his ex-girlfriend. A chance meeting with a woman gives him the chance to move past his frustrations but only if he is brave enough to take it.
In the hands of a less talented author, these events might be mundane, but Karl Drinkwater brings them to life with clever observations, scientific facts, poetry, Mancunian geography and realistic dialogue. An enjoyable and satisfying read, with a clever plot twist to boot. Well worth a read.