BOOK REVIEWS
Collated from across the internet
The Yorkshire Times
This story is incredible…isn’t that what Science-fiction books are meant to be? Or maybe the best retain some credibility even if the imagination is stretched just a fraction.
The first few chapters of this book are indeed credible – there has been enough written about the power of dreams to at least make you wonder about the possibility of harvesting our nocturnal visions, and of the existence of a company like Silicate.
An incongruous group of people are gathered together, in plausible fashion, and find themselves part of a technological drama which could result in the end of the human race. The story builds and the secrets of Silicate are slowly revealed. Problems are hinted at but its nemesis only comes to light in the latter half of the book, in time for a brief, exhilarating showdown. The reader must suspend disbelief to engage with the narrative but it is of the sci-fi genre and, as I said, that is to be expected. The character of Jake says at one point – ‘I still can’t get my head round it’, and as a reader, it is almost better not to try.
The story does career into the realm of Star Trek (I always remember Kirk’s hologram holiday), Star Wars and all manner of childhood fantasy (read it to see what I mean). The world of ‘Edutainment’ is created with vivid imagination and pure delight and ‘The Museum’ gives new meaning to extreme theme parks (even wilder than Jurassic) where experiences are varied, ‘real’ and supposed to be safe. Personally, having apparitions interacting with real characters was, at first glance, a step too far but it soon became clear that it was a necessary plot device.
I have to say that a flying white dragon and a Nimbus 2000 being the chosen modes of transport for the heroes in hot pursuit of a manic villain towards the end, did make me laugh and relieved the tension which had been sustained for several chapters. Whether or not you view the ending as a triumph is for you to decide – no spoilers here.
We are told that the author, Terry Geo, felt the loss of his cat, Megara, deeply and wrote her into the novel as a memorial to her. She is treated with sensitivity and it is clear this writer knows his animals – just a little added extra which enhances the book still further.
Joyful Antidotes
Refraction is how I like my sci-fi – not too hard core. Actually, I would say it is not 100% a sci-fi novel. It also has elements of fantasy and mystery, making it all the better for me. I would also say this book is very, very imaginative. Of course, I can’t say much more so as to keep the storyline a secret but I will divulge that it gave me Jurassic Park vibes. From the science, not the dinosaurs.
Refraction was good for my suspicious and untrusting nature. Silicate are a company hiding a big secret, and I wasn’t disappointed with the outcome. And this secret is revealed at a wonderful pace that kept me turning page after page. It’s good that the storyline made me feel this way about Refraction because, unfortunately, the characters didn’t. It wasn’t that I necessarily disliked them and they did all serve a purpose, it was just that I couldn’t really connect with any of them. However, the icing on the cake was how diverse the characters are – without the author making a song and dance about it. This is the way diversity in books should be.
Overall, a great read and an even greater way to end 2019.
LoveReading
This skittish sci-fi adventure is set in a world that’s at once familiar and strange. A world in which technological advances have made it possible to unleash the inner secrets of the human mind, a place in which dreams might become real. Maria’s sudden death sets off a chain of momentous discoveries and events when her father, Henry, seeks to save his grieving wife from insanity. In desperation, wealthy Henry assembles top medical professionals from around the world in the hope they can cure her after conventional medicine has failed. After some months – during which Henry’s hope fades fast – a monumental discovery is made, leading to the establishment of Silicate, a private institution that probes unexplored depths of the mind. Silicate’s discovery leads to the effective treatment of hundreds of patients, but its repercussions are earth-shattering. Pacey, and packed with intriguing characters and plenty of twisting, turning plot curves, this is a lively, entertaining adventure. To paraphrase Star Trek, this is sci-fi, Jim, but not as we know it.
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!
MDell
Refraction is a beautifully written, contemporary tale of speculative fiction. The arc of the story is not in the least bit predictable and is action-packed. The plot twist at the end is delicious and dramatically written. Mr. Geo is a master at developing his characters and placing them in relation to one another. He weaves their disparate life stories into connections that are essential to the story. Geo’s descriptive prose titillates the imagination. Though not my usual genre, I was completely entranced–I couldn’t put it down. For a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, read Refraction!
Vince H
I don’t usually go for this genre of book but I noticed on Twitter, for several days running, a lot of chatter regarding this book. I looked up it’s description and thought “what the hell, could be good”.
Well, by chapter 3, I was totally hooked! And by 20% I literally could not put it down!!! Without any spoilers at all, the book is brilliant. The writing is beautiful, the characters are written to where you feel you know them and the storyline is unbelievably incredible. The genius imagination of the author is just mindblowing. The unexpected plot twist and the touching romance between two of the characters just made it even better!
I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone into Sci-Fi/Fantasy type reading and anxiously look forward to more works by this author!
Bookworm Helen
Once you start reading this book you’ll need to put aside a good few hours as you won’t want to stop! For fans of fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, fiction that is packed with strong characters. Plus, I love reading stories about dreams. I remember all my dreams so vividly and reading this felt like being in a dream! Really great debut novel.
Martin Payne
Terry Geo’s first novel, Refraction, is a really enjoyable read. It’s full of vivid characters, adventure and jeopardy, and with a great vein of humour running throughout. The story is bristling with ideas, and the author has created an imaginary world that you’ll wish would become a reality, soon. This film buff would certainly love to spend time there.
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 READING
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.