Review of the new Sci-Fi Fantasy book Refraction

Today is Day of the Dead so I thought this would be the ideal day to write about Terry Geo's new debut novel Refraction.

#Gifted

ISBN: 9781912256426 / Publisher: Independent / Author: Terry Geo / RRP: £8.99 paperback

Synopsis of Terry Geo's Debut Novel - Refraction

Most stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end.  At least for Maria.  Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity.  After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria's father, Henry, brings together the world's greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path.  Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith.  It is only then that a solution presents itself.  A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.

Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate's secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .

The world you know is only half the story.

Why I loved Refraction

When I saw that Literally PR was promoting a new Science Fiction / Fantasy Genre novel, I asked if I could review this book, because, in case you haven't noticed that TARDIS wallpaper back there, I love Sci-Fi!  It is quite possibly my favourite Genre.

You can get lost in the unusual, the futuristic and out of this world technology, other planets and worlds and, without giving too much away, that is exactly what you're going to get with Refraction!

The story introduces us to Abby, a young girl who's father disappears feared dead and is having nightmares, Terrell who accidentally discovers what happens if you place water in front of a camera at night, and is asked to work at the top-secret company of Silicate, Ryder who is the son of Maria, and his grandfather gives him a job at Silicate and Jake, who is unaware of his dream states until he meets Doctor Sharma the man who brings them all together.

I don't want to give anything away, as this book keeps you guessing as to what on earth is going on all the way to the end when it all falls dramatically into place.  What I can say, is it's about our dream state, and what happens when we fall asleep and how the privately-owned Silicate company has used this to mend the heartbroken mother of Maria from the brink of insanity.

I may have watched way too many horror movies in my childhood - we are talking the 80s so Halloween, Friday 13th and of course Nightmare on Elm Street, and I'm not going to lie, I was worried for a while that this was going to go down a horror route, and that would stop me reading just before bed! I've seen Freddy way too many times to know what happens when you fall asleep.....

Fortunately, that is where the similarity ends, or does it?  It's not horror although there are a few thriller moments in the book, and we all know there is a big difference between a Horror and Thriller, after all, thrillers - they could be real (which for me is what makes them way scarier).

I enjoyed the characters, they are all relatable, although Isabell did annoy me, in my head she came across a bit ditzy, but she's Ryder's problem.

To summarise, if you enjoy reading Sci-Fi novels which are filled with the unusual, the futuristic and out of this world technology, a good mixture of characters and good versus evil, you will love Refraction.

About the Author:

Born in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers.  He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn't like sports and would write at every opportunity.  He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.

Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age 11. At 16, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country.  Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school.  For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was.

He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television.  After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications.  He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage.  A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London.  After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away.  This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry's debut published novel, Refraction.