Someone's Been Messing with Reality
A teenager discovers his hidden telekinetic powers, setting the scene for action, drama, and wildness, in John Hearne’s rollicking science fiction novel Someone’s Been Messing with Reality.
After unlocking his powers, Martin learns that his parents are not from Earth. When they go missing, his attempts to find them lead him toward an alien conspiracy and confrontations with “war bugs” that are ready to eradicate humanity. It’s up to Martin and his buddies Tina and Enda to prevent the catastrophe.
Martin and his friends ping-pong from one crisis to another across bravura scenes, including a harrowing underground encounter with the war bugs in larval form, an explosive confrontation at a rock quarry, and an epic showdown with the bugs that moves from land to air to sea. Through it all, the narrative is anchored by Martin’s wide-eyed perspective. His struggles to understand his true nature and to do what’s right are inspiring, and his camaraderie with Enda, who deals with mental deficits after a near-fatal fall, is at the story’s soulful center.
Beyond the gritty action sequences are whimsical touches: a train set that converts into an insect-zapping gun; a turtle-shaped kiddie pool that becomes an impromptu flying vehicle. The sleepy Irish seaside setting is rendered with affectionate details, complete with UFO festivals, windswept cliffs, and dilapidated mansions. And even as the story moves toward a thunderous climax with world-ending stakes, it maintains focus on Martin’s personal growth.
Self-confidence and friendship save the day in Someone’s Been Messing with Reality, an entertaining science fiction novel about an alien invasion.
Reviewed by
Ho Lin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
