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Refuge
Brisbane schoolgirl, Nell McLennan, wants nothing more than to be noticed by her work-obsessed parents. When she is sent to the tiny township of Sippy Creek to spend two weeks of the Christmas holidays with her estranged grandfather, her goal seems even further out of reach. A catastrophic last day of school has only compounded her misery. As she wanders the basement of the local school, searching for the personality-improving Drama course that her mother has enrolled her in, she discovers a sign that perfectly summarises her state of mind.
Feeling lost? Is there too much drama in your life, or not enough? Follow the stairs —>
Desperate to escape the mess of her life, Nell follows a compulsion and opens the door at the bottom of the stairs. In that instant her wish is granted and she finds herself in Refuge, a world created from the fractured mind of eighteenth century psychiatrist Dr Nathaniel Fray - a man led to ruin by the desire to find a cure for his brain damaged son.
In Refuge she meets dysfunctional children not only from different parts of the world, but different eras, all lured to this seeming safe haven by the Doctor who provides care and shelter for those in need, but at a terrible price. Nell is lost in a world that is both a utopia and prison. Everyone is telling her a different story and she has never had to rely on her own instincts before. Truly alone and out of her depth, she must decide who to trust among a host of dubious characters.
With only three days to choose her future before she is trapped in Refuge forever, Nell discovers her self-worth and learns that the easiest road is not always the best.
Feeling lost? Is there too much drama in your life, or not enough? Follow the stairs —>
Desperate to escape the mess of her life, Nell follows a compulsion and opens the door at the bottom of the stairs. In that instant her wish is granted and she finds herself in Refuge, a world created from the fractured mind of eighteenth century psychiatrist Dr Nathaniel Fray - a man led to ruin by the desire to find a cure for his brain damaged son.
In Refuge she meets dysfunctional children not only from different parts of the world, but different eras, all lured to this seeming safe haven by the Doctor who provides care and shelter for those in need, but at a terrible price. Nell is lost in a world that is both a utopia and prison. Everyone is telling her a different story and she has never had to rely on her own instincts before. Truly alone and out of her depth, she must decide who to trust among a host of dubious characters.
With only three days to choose her future before she is trapped in Refuge forever, Nell discovers her self-worth and learns that the easiest road is not always the best.
- GenresYoung Adult
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2017
21 people want to read
About the author
A.V. Mather
1 book3 followersI was born an only child in a remote gold mining town in Canada, My family moved to Australia when I was very young and I grew up on stories of eccentric characters in wild places; of exciting rescues, bears that destroyed helicopters and the silence of wolves. My life since has continued to take a few eccentric turns of its own, from studying Visual Arts in Northern NSW, to set painting on a TV series, to teaching art at a boy’s boarding school in Central QLD. Through it all, my love of stories — telling, watching, reading and hearing them — grew stronger and eventually I answered the compulsion to write. I enjoy reading widely across genres and am also interested in art, nature, satire, history, photography, popular culture, psychology, road trips and good stories – real and imagined.
I live in Brisbane, Australia with my husband and a constant sense of foreboding.
I live in Brisbane, Australia with my husband and a constant sense of foreboding.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 29, 2017
What a suspenseful, atmospheric read! I was sucked in right from the opening and sat up way too late reading, but I simply had to see whether Nell would escape Refuge. An amazing cast of characters, and a super-satisfying ending. I don't read a lot of Young Adult novels, but this one should be made into a movie, it's that good!
December 22, 2020
Thank you to the author, A.V Mather for sending me a free copy of Refuge in exchange for an honest review.
Refuge reminded me of a Jumanji/Peter Pan/Narnia mashup.
In Refuge we follow 12 year d Nell wo isnt exactly getting any attention at home. Shipped off to stay with her grandfather for 2 weeks in a nearby town, she is enrolled in a drama class. Upon arrival, she is immediately swept into an unknown world known as Refuge.
I was hooked to this book from the first page, the writing flows so seamlessly. I LOVED the dialogue. Mather surely knows young teenage girls. Sinclair also had a few lines that had me chuckling.
Once I got started, I couldn't put this down. Full of otherworldly creatures and magical things, this book was a fast paced adventure.
Refuge reminded me of a Jumanji/Peter Pan/Narnia mashup.
In Refuge we follow 12 year d Nell wo isnt exactly getting any attention at home. Shipped off to stay with her grandfather for 2 weeks in a nearby town, she is enrolled in a drama class. Upon arrival, she is immediately swept into an unknown world known as Refuge.
I was hooked to this book from the first page, the writing flows so seamlessly. I LOVED the dialogue. Mather surely knows young teenage girls. Sinclair also had a few lines that had me chuckling.
Once I got started, I couldn't put this down. Full of otherworldly creatures and magical things, this book was a fast paced adventure.
February 2, 2017
Nell is beginning to think that she doesn’t belong anywhere. Her parents have always been distant, but sending her away so that they can have a holiday without her is a new low. Her best friend, Josie, is fighting with her. And the place that she’s been exiled to is Townsville; a tiny town with nothing to do and only a crotchety old man for company. The old man in question – her grandfather – is as prepared as everyone else to let her know how unwelcome she is.
Then, when everything becomes too much, Nell falls through a doorway and finds herself in another world.
If Nell’s new friends, Janus and Fox are to be believed, Refuge is a terrifying fantasy world created from the mind of a madman. But the further Nell explores, the more Refuge looks like something else. A haven from the loneliness of her real life.
I went into Refuge knowing nothing about it, but with a glowing recommendation from a friend. I read a bit of Middle Grade but only the novels that transcend their target audience. Refuge does.
I love the lively imagination of Refuge. It’s a world that opens for any young person who feels vulnerable or superfluous. The history behind the world is unique and complex, which renders the characters living in the world unique and complex. Mather works shades of grey into her novel with exquisite skill. All of the children in her novel are lost, but Mather doesn’t mistake being vulnerable with being good.
Characters are pretty amazing in this novel. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and eras. Playing guess-the-time-period based on their speech patterns is a lot of fun. Though time period isn’t the only thing to guess. Social standing and nationality come out in the speech patterns too. All of them are pretty much exactly what I’d expect for the characters’ time periods and birth places.
Speech doesn’t exactly a character make, so as to the substance behind the words, that’s pretty impressive too. Janus is immediately likable. Her character – confident, decisive and abrupt – comes alive from the first page. The villains however, are in a class of their own. There are three major antagonists and they all have their own quirks, goals and motivations.
There is so much room for another novel in this world and I really hope that it eventuates. This novel was an amazing adventure, but it’s only whet my appetite for a more definite conclusion.
Then, when everything becomes too much, Nell falls through a doorway and finds herself in another world.
If Nell’s new friends, Janus and Fox are to be believed, Refuge is a terrifying fantasy world created from the mind of a madman. But the further Nell explores, the more Refuge looks like something else. A haven from the loneliness of her real life.
I went into Refuge knowing nothing about it, but with a glowing recommendation from a friend. I read a bit of Middle Grade but only the novels that transcend their target audience. Refuge does.
I love the lively imagination of Refuge. It’s a world that opens for any young person who feels vulnerable or superfluous. The history behind the world is unique and complex, which renders the characters living in the world unique and complex. Mather works shades of grey into her novel with exquisite skill. All of the children in her novel are lost, but Mather doesn’t mistake being vulnerable with being good.
Characters are pretty amazing in this novel. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and eras. Playing guess-the-time-period based on their speech patterns is a lot of fun. Though time period isn’t the only thing to guess. Social standing and nationality come out in the speech patterns too. All of them are pretty much exactly what I’d expect for the characters’ time periods and birth places.
Speech doesn’t exactly a character make, so as to the substance behind the words, that’s pretty impressive too. Janus is immediately likable. Her character – confident, decisive and abrupt – comes alive from the first page. The villains however, are in a class of their own. There are three major antagonists and they all have their own quirks, goals and motivations.
There is so much room for another novel in this world and I really hope that it eventuates. This novel was an amazing adventure, but it’s only whet my appetite for a more definite conclusion.
April 16, 2017
Opening a normal-looking door into a whole new world is one of my favourite trope because there are just so many possibilities. In this novel, Refuge, our heroine, Nell McLennan, wanted to run away from her problems, her life. I bet each one of us has felt like that at one time or another... escape the daily drudge or any relationship difficulties and see how they cope when we're not around or will they miss us at all?
Nell did not have a particularly close relationship with her parents. In fact, they were too busy with work to bother too much with her. And then, just before Christmas holidays, she managed to botch things with her best friend who won't ever speak to her again. The final kick came when her parents decided to go on a holiday without her. She is being sent to a grandfather she's never met who lives in woop woop. When the chance of escape was presented, Nell jumped for it.
It was a bit of a slow start or maybe I was just too impatient to get to the other world behind the door. It felt like there were too much setting up in the beginning; a steamrolling of events to drive Nell to truly want/need a 'refuge' from ever having to face up to her troubles. However, 'Refuge' really isn't a haven where you do not have problems instead Nell came across a set of different yet the same sort of issues. Refuge is a dark world filled with madness and supernatural talents. Everyone came to Refuge for the same reason and all have their own sets of secrets, enemies, and allies. Who can Nell trust? Will she stay or will she return home?
I didn't expect Refuge to be such a dark world but I do love the variety & dynamics of characters in this world. Nell was a little frustrating but it's one of those passenger-driver issue, if you get what I mean. I am fascinated by the mad scientist and ever curious on the backgrounds of the other Refuge-ans (we don't get to hear very much about them). The ending also makes me think that this is really only the first in a series; am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more Refuge tales.
My sincere thanks to the author for providing e-copy of this book in exchange of honest review
Nell did not have a particularly close relationship with her parents. In fact, they were too busy with work to bother too much with her. And then, just before Christmas holidays, she managed to botch things with her best friend who won't ever speak to her again. The final kick came when her parents decided to go on a holiday without her. She is being sent to a grandfather she's never met who lives in woop woop. When the chance of escape was presented, Nell jumped for it.
It was a bit of a slow start or maybe I was just too impatient to get to the other world behind the door. It felt like there were too much setting up in the beginning; a steamrolling of events to drive Nell to truly want/need a 'refuge' from ever having to face up to her troubles. However, 'Refuge' really isn't a haven where you do not have problems instead Nell came across a set of different yet the same sort of issues. Refuge is a dark world filled with madness and supernatural talents. Everyone came to Refuge for the same reason and all have their own sets of secrets, enemies, and allies. Who can Nell trust? Will she stay or will she return home?
I didn't expect Refuge to be such a dark world but I do love the variety & dynamics of characters in this world. Nell was a little frustrating but it's one of those passenger-driver issue, if you get what I mean. I am fascinated by the mad scientist and ever curious on the backgrounds of the other Refuge-ans (we don't get to hear very much about them). The ending also makes me think that this is really only the first in a series; am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more Refuge tales.
My sincere thanks to the author for providing e-copy of this book in exchange of honest review
March 14, 2017
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, in the finest traditions of CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll and even JK Rowling, AV Mather spins into life a rich and vivid realm of twisted reality a heartbeat from our own. From the young Aussie Nell, an imminently relatable character for all lost souls, a cast of beautifully polished and fascinating characters drive this adventure through an enchanting landscape unbound by either time or social convention. Not sure which I loved more, the initial unique, modern Australian setting or the clever blend of historic cultures and amplified personalities of Refuge, yet altogether these unarguably make for the most engaging contrasts. A genuine unputdownable page turner you will not regret taking the time to enjoy.
May 21, 2018
Fantastic Read
Absolutely loved this book - great Australian setting and characters with a good dose of fun and fantasy thrown in and add some life affirming lessons for good measure.
Absolutely loved this book - great Australian setting and characters with a good dose of fun and fantasy thrown in and add some life affirming lessons for good measure.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews