KENNETH C
Without giving too much away, Refraction is a great story revolving around an interesting concept! The pacing of the narrative flows well and the characters have interesting and diverse back stories. As such, there is never a dull moment.
What I truly enjoyed was the dialogue between the characters throughout the story – adding an additional dimension of realism even amidst this fictional environment that the author has created within the confines of the real world.. Nuances in body language and the occasional punch line dropped between the dialogue stirs up mental images which make the characters feel completely believable and may even remind you of certain family members or friends. 
A good read – looking forward for next book from the author, something tells me that there is more to come!
P SEXTON
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. I was drawn in by the cover and blurb, but didn’t really know what the story was about. Now I’ve read it, I can understand why the author did it this way. Refraction is full of twists and turns I did not see coming. The characters are so well written and so fully realised, I can visualise each one. I’m not the biggest science fiction reader, but this is so far removed from what I assumed sci-fi was.
Being set in our time with people and places you can recognise probably helps, but the sci-fi elements are so well written, I actually googled certain things to see if they were real or not.
And then you get to Somnio – and this is why I am so pleased the author didn’t spoil it in his blurb. You won’t expect it, you won’t see it coming and you will love every word that’s written. I squealed with excitement at some points, annoying my fiancée while he was trying to sleep. No doubt he’ll be doing the same to me now, as he’s started reading it. (He bought the Kindle version.)
If you hadn’t already guessed it, I loved this book. It is the perfect story to lose yourself in. I can’t wait for more from this writer.
RACHAEL JESS
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.
MAX GEE
Absolutely brilliant book from Terry Geo.
It has many twists and turns and incredible depth of character development throughout. It is a modern day sci-fi which also borders fantasy and mystery.
Diversity and inclusion is an ongoing theme throughout without throwing anything in your face. It’s just how the world should be and is covered in the book just as that, nothing is made a big deal of with different sexualities, race and gender all being included in a natural way.
This is just the perfect book for geeks and sci-fi fans, has light and dark moments and it’s the perfect first novel from an obviously very talented author.
If you read anything this year, make it this book. I read it cover to cover in 2 days. I couldn’t put it down and have told everyone about it.
I HIGHLY recommend Refraction. 10/10
MICHAEL MARTIN
Your inner child will thank you.
This book is incredible. I can’t remember ever being this excited while reading. The story is brilliant and then half way through, it’s goes through the roof. (Or should that be under the floor?) Every geek in the world is gonna love this book. It has everything you could ever want, and more.
STEFANI140
This book was everything I hoped for and yet nothing that I expected. I had hoped for a story about a shady company with a secret plan that stumbles onto something they didn’t expect. I got that. But I also got more than that, which I didn’t expect but I enjoyed.
This is a debut self-published novel and I must say that this was very well done. The cover is nice (anyone who’s read my reviews know how drool-y I get over good cover art), the synopsis is intriguing, it was well edited, the characters were engaging and the narrative was well paced.
I had a few complaints, mostly related to how characters behave with each other. I got a cardboard cutout feeling from a few people. I never connected with Jake, for example. I really wanted to like him, but he was just bland. Like a slice of plain toast. I wanted to like him but there was literally no personality to him. Similarly with Terrell. I wanted to like him, but there was no depth to his character.
I also found it slightly annoying that everyone in Abby’s life can’t seem to use her name. In one two sentence exchange, her mother would call her “darling” at least twice. In a longer back and forth conversation, every sentence the mother uttered would include a “darling.” Now, I have a daughter. I have a lot of cutesy nicknames for my daughter, that I use a lot. And I do mean, A LOT. But not that much. I found it unnatural and irritating.
Those two points aside, I found the book wonderful. The story was well paced and gave me just the right amount of information to lead me down the merry path that the author wished me to take. That path ultimately led me to right where the author wanted me to be, not expecting the resolution at all. I can’t really call it a twist, because it wasn’t a twist. I also didn’t expect it or see it coming at all. Sometimes that would be a bad thing because it would mean that the author didn’t do a good job in hinting at his bigger story. But in this case I think the author did exactly the right job. We are supposed to see Silicate as this shadow company that is up to no good. That’s how these stories go right? Not necessarily.
On the whole, I really loved this book. It was a refreshing, imaginative story that is told very well. The author indicated that he would visit this world again in the future, I certainly hope he does because I want to know what comes next.
JONATHAN MOLES
A very good read. It takes you along very quickly and has characters that I was sad to leave at the end, which is always an excellent sign. Some excellent comic moments, and lots of references for people of all ages. The story was creative and innovative, and gave me a lot of unexpected moments.
Definitely looking forward to the next one.
I HEART READER BLOG
Refraction was not at all what I expected. In ways, it went beyond what I had expected, diving into unconventional, unexpected territory, while at the same time dealing with issues that are known to all of us. A family, dealing with the loss of a loved one, for example, is something all of us unfortunately have to deal with at some point in their lives (however, in this story, it’s the worst sorrow of all, that of parents losing a child). Trying to find a way to reach out to those we love, even after death, is something all of us have probably longed for at some point or another as well, and this book deals with exactly that, with grief, with trying to move on, with trying to save the people we love. And it’s by going on this quest, venturing into this unknown territory of the human mind, that miraculous wonders and terrifying truths are uncovered.
The book is quite long (it was 700+ pages in the PDF I read), but it reads lightning-fast, and once you start reading, it’s hard to put down. For a debut novel, it’s especially surprising that the author manages to craft such an original, well-researched story, while keeping up the fast pace and still being able to introduce the reader to myriad characters that each bring their own uniqueness to the table.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but the book had quite a few twists in the storyline that I didn’t see coming, and this doesn’t happen very often!
I’m definitely interested to read more works by this author in the future.
REVIEWER 585612
This book I find very well written, since the first page you can dive deep into the storyline. I also liked the cover very well. It is nice designed in the color and in the design itself. The writing style is very good and very pleasant and fluently to read. The book has been very clearly structured and the plot is traceable and very interesting. The characters look very authentic and traceable to me. The author succeeds in writing very detailing about the scenery, characters, surroundings and emotions. This story is fascinating and consistent at the same time and keeps the tension until the end.
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