4 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway by Alex Fayman is a modern-day, science-fiction thriller. From the summary description, I expected the book to be an interesting read. From the first page, I knew that this would be a book would not let my attention stray. From the first chapter, I knew that the book would hold me hostage for the rest of the day. Superhighway jumped right into the action, where the protagonist arrives home starved, injured, and running away from a problem or pursuit who remains unidentified until the last few pages of the book. The second chapter then starts from the past, and the story leads us to the events that caused our protagonist to be in the harrowing situation that he is in.
I would compare Alex Fine, the protagonist, to a superhero, and consider this first book to be his origin story. I noted several parallels between his story and Batman. However, in no way is Superhighway a wannabe shadow to Batman. Superhighway goes in an entirely unique direction. Where Batman may have stopped short of committing crimes, Alex runs by a darker code of ethics. We learn that Alex Fine grew up in an orphanage with no knowledge of his parents. He first discovers his powers during his first exposure to a computer newly installed at his orphanage. At first, Alex is hyped-up off his new power of manipulating the internet to his will and using it to travel to places in seconds. As time passes, Alex sees that his actions have consequences. We see him grow as a person. By the end of this book, Alex has not fully matured, but is no longer the wide-eyed, naive teenager. I believe his journey as a person continues into the second book and will not be complete until the third book.
Even though Alex’s journey is not complete, the character development in this book was strong. I always have had a soft spot for the underdog. I felt deeply connected with the character. I found myself cheering for him during his victories, sad during his losses, and relief at his close shaves. His struggle to differentiate right from wrong in a corrupt world was fascinating. But the protagonist wasn’t the only one I appreciated.
Although the other characters were not as developed, they certainly struck a chord with me. Many of the characters reflected the good and bad facets of society and government internationally. Fayman addresses controversial issues like gay marriage, corruption, terrorism, parental roles, and human rights. The answers to these issues are not always black and white, and sometimes the path our protagonist takes causes more harm than good. These consequences and problem added a harsh touch of reality in a story with impossible things.
I searched for anything I had a problem with in this book, but I couldn’t find anything. The action had me surprised and at the edge in every chapter. On top of that, Fayman managed to humanize an individual with god-like powers with superb character development. For these reasons, there is no way I can give this book less than 4 out of 4 stars. To those who enjoy suspense and superhero novels, I would urge them to give this trilogy a try. Lastly, as a heads-up to those who are sensitive, there are some semi-explicit love scenes, but as they are minimal and short.
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Superhighway
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