The Connection Game: A Novel by S.S Turner | Book Review ~ Author Guest Post ~ Giveaway ends April 18, 2023
A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours.
Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. 
Book Details
The Connection Game by S.S. Turner
Published by The Story Plant on 03/21/2023
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Humorous, Literary Fiction
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 336
Source: iRead Book Tours, Received from the author or publisher for review.Benny Basilworth makes connections. A rare intellect, he sees things that others don’t see and draws conclusions that others completely fail to grasp. He has the kind of mind that can make a person a national sensation on the television gameshow "The Connection Game"– and the kind of mind that can be the target of predators.
Despite his brilliance, Benny and his family find themselves destitute, living in a basement apartment with one tiny window that affords them only the view of the feet of passersby on the street above. It is from this vantagepoint that Benny once again starts making connections. Mad, inconceivable connections. Connections that can change lives. .. and turn the entire world upside down.
Humorous, surprising, wise, and remarkably perceptive, The Connection Game is a novel unlike any other and one that you are unlikely to forget.
Content Rating: PG: There’s some violence and a small bit of profanity.
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Purchase Links for The Connection Game
Amazon-OneLink for all countries BookShop/IndieBound
The Connection Game: A Nove...Shop on Amazon
Indigo Kobo BN The Story Plant Book Depository
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My thoughts on The Connection Game
I’m slow to post this review. The Connection Game is a book that requires mental processing.
The author created a fantastic tale of mental illness, manipulation, conspiracies, and love. Benny and Bell (readers of the story earn the right to call her Bell) are polar opposites that find love in the midst of the craziness of life. When their perfect world is shattered and all they have are themselves and their children, chaos reigns amongst the data-fueled world.
This story is important for many reasons, but mostly to prove the resilience of family. If you enjoy conspiracy theory fiction, and the intricacies of brilliant brains subjected to incredible challenges, you will adore this book.
The story, while many times confusing, is pulled together in the final chapters. This is what makes it a fantastic tale. Once you reach the end, you can reflect and process on all you have read. The pieces come together with a relief like the final click in solving a Rubik’s Cube. You will probably experience several of those “How did I not put that together?” moments that define a well-written, engaging, psychological thriller
I recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a mind-challenging tale of humanity vs data, normal vs abnormal, creative writing, suspense, and most important, the power of family.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love to read books through my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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About S.S. Turner
S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life, which has been spent in England, Scotland, and Australia. He worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn't align with his values.
In recent years, he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations.
He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens.
He is the author of one previous novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer.
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Guest Post
The unsung importance of daylight
by SS Turner
One of the themes in The Connection Game is the impact restricting access to daylight has on people. While most people understand humans need exposure to daylight, particularly direct sunlight, just how important it is may be a surprise to some. Did you know that exposure to sunlight offers a vast array of benefits including a mental health boost, increased energy, better sleep, and improved healing? Most people would regard those benefits as key parts of a healthy lifestyle. So what happens when you take access to daylight away from people for a prolonged period? The Basilworth family in The Connection Game live through that particular challenge with surprising results…
One of the first things that happens to the Basilworths the longer they spend in their dark basement flat is that three of them lose their desire to leave the flat at all. It’s as though the darkness drains them of their energy as well as their ability to miss the outside world, including sunlight. This lethargy and apathy is clearly connected with their mental health. It’s well known that mentally unwell people are likely to keep doing the things that made them mentally unwell in the first place. The Basilworths come to know this vicious cycle well.
As their journey in the darkness continues, the husband and father in the family, Benny Basilworth, becomes more and more paranoid that there are bad things happening just outside their window. The longer Benny resides in the darkness, disconnected from the outside world, the more his paranoia grows. Whilst Benny’s journey is also uniquely about him, it’s clearly acerbated by the lack of daylight in his life.
And finally, there are the physical changes the Basilworth family go through during their journey in the darkness. When they first moved into the dark basement flat, they were a reasonably healthy family. However, after many months of not leaving the flat, Benny, Will and Wendy Basilworth become weak, pale, and glassy-eyed. At this point, they’re a long way from a picture of health, and they’re literary proof that access to daylight is essential for all of us.
The good news for readers is the Basilworths put their bodies on the line so you don’t have to. The four of them prove beyond all doubt that daylight, and direct sunlight in particular, offer us a vast array of health and wellbeing benefits which are hard to overstate. I recommend reading The Connection Game in a sunny location to offset the feelings the prolonged darkness and disconnection may otherwise inspire.
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Purchase The Connection Game online from a local bookstore.
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Easy Amazon Links
Amazon-OneLink for all countries
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Please send me a note if your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
The Connection Game: A Nove...Shop on Amazon 
Secrets of a River Swimmer:...Shop on Amazon
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Giveaway!
Win an ebook copy of THE CONNECTION GAME (one winner) (ends April 18)
Official Tour Page for The Connection Game
Please visit more tour stops for extra chances to win!
THE CONNECTION GAME Book Tour Giveaway
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Book Title: The Connection Game: A Novel by S.S Turner
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 272 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: The Story Plant
Release date: Feb 2023
Tour dates: Mar 21 to Apr 11, 2023
Content Rating: PG: There’s some violence and a small bit of profanity.
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Gina, thank you for your thoughtful review of The Connection Game….