George Carter’s self-published fantasy novella covers a lot of ground including imaginary friends, family secrets, and developing sexuality.
We first meet young Milo in a house where he’s terrorised by his step-dad, finding solace in the friend, Henry, only he can see.
Then, one fateful night, everything comes crashing down: and Henry comes to life. What follows is a story of a Milo scarred by experience but finding who he is.
What’s refreshing here is both the imaginary friend as saviour angle and the eventual ending that brings Milo together with the man of his dreams.
Carter set out to write a story that twists and turns, and it was certainly a tale I found easy to read and wanted to see play out.
A couple of plotlines may veer into clichés, but the writing is tight and full of feeling, and deals with the fantastical elements without going too far.
I might have wished for Milo to be the narrator so we get more of a feel of what is going on in his head. Also, a couple of characters om the edges (PC Owens, Elijah) are ripe for further exploration.
You can read Beyond Boundaries by George Carter now. It is available on Amazon. It’s a psychological thriller with an imaginative angle. I look forward to further work from this author.