I have picked this book up and put it down again in bookshops more times than I care to admit, but on a random day recently I decided it was time and I ordered myself a copy. I strongly believe there is a right and wrong time to read certain books, the May of 2025 was the perfect time to read Utopia Avenue. I loved it. An immediate five star read!
This book follows the band Utopia Avenue and their journey into fame in the 60s in London. This is crammed with pop culture references from David Bowie to The Beatles and had me constantly highlighting lines. A particular favourite of mine being an interaction with a young Bowie on some stairs, before he was famous, where the line ‘David Bowie resumes his climb to the top’ is so cleverly used. This and other similar nods to upcoming fame are what makes this book feel even more special, it makes the reader feel like their in the know and shows them a glimpse of a different version of some of their favourite musicians.
This book structure follows the A and B sides of various records as we see the band rise up the ranks of the charts and the hearts of their fans. Following different member’s of the bands perspectives at different times of the story shows us glimpses of what is happening to each of them but not the full picture, leaving the reader to fill in some of the gaps. Seeing the production of each album and the work that goes into each song was so interesting, it was a great behind the scenes look at the music industry and the individuals involved. Slightly reminiscent of The Beatles journey with the formation of the band, the fall outs and the takeover of the US, this feels like a real band we’re following, much like Taylor Jenkins Reid achieves in Daisy Jones and The Six. I love when books are so good, so immersive and so well written, you forget you’re not reading about real people – those are the best kinds of stories.
This is a chunky book at over 550 pages, but it feels so intimate throughout and so deeply personal to these characters. We see their personal lives, their losses, their loves, their pain, which makes it feel all the more real. There is no holding back in these pages, we see the full extent of the swinging 60s, the sex, drugs, rock and roll and more. The atmosphere of this era is so perfectly captured in David Mitchell’s writing, not to mention all of the amazing cameos that had me smiling along.
I loved all of the characters, but especially Elf Holloway, a folksinger and songwriter trying to carve a path for herself in a man’s world and Jasper de Zoet, a musician troubled by mental illness. Elf was great fun to read about because she’s such a kick ass female presence in the band, but she’s also so relatable in her mistakes, and her triumphs. Jasper has a profound look at life, he seems so calm yet battles such intense demons in his own brain, I found his narratives the most interesting to read and found myself waiting for his part of the story to take over – not to say I didn’t enjoy everyone’s else’s story too, because I definitely did.
If you’re looking for a book about music that perfectly captures the 60s vibe with brilliant characters, a band to route for and a lot of heart, pick up Utopia Avenue, you won’t regret it.
