3 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway is a science fiction fantasy written by Alex Fayman. Alex Fine grows up in an orphanage in Los Angeles. He is a brilliant promising young man all set to pursue his studies in Stanford. Through a freak accident, he discovers his ability to electroport himself and his life is never same again. His newfound power changes the course of his destiny while unlocking the mysteries of his past as well. Alex Fayman weaves an engaging narrative that promises and delivers a heady concoction of science fiction and superhero action.
The first part of the book narrates Alex Fine’s newfound powers and his initial exploits. He fashions himself like a Robinhood looting money from the bad and appeases his inner guilt by helping the underprivileged. However, after a few exploits, the narrative gets a tad boring. The protagonist and the writer seem to be in a wish-fulfillment mode indulging their wild self. Thankfully, just when we feel the book getting a tad boring we are presented with Alex Fine’s parentage. His past manages us to keep us engaged and revive the interest in the plot. Not only does it lend direction to the briefly wandering plot but also to the rudderless protagonist. He senses a purpose in his life and the responsibility that comes with his powers.
The narration is in the first person. Hence throughout the book, we get to see only from Alex Fine’s point of view. The perception of other characters is solely his, leaving us with little insight into the minds of other characters. This affects the writer’s depiction of female characters. There is a greater focus on their appearance than the women’s traits and aspirations. The limitation of the singular point of view narration adds to these woes.
The language is prosaic and straightforward. The scientific explanations are done in layman’s terms facilitating an easy understanding for the reader. Given the premise of the genre and the need to deliver a gripping narrative the author rightly never digresses too far. Seamlessly he introduces themes of same-sex marriages and terrorism in casual conversations between the characters.
The best part of the book is definitely the ingenuity of the plot- the power of electroportation. The hero’s ability to travel through the optical passageways of the Internet is very refreshing. I also loved the writer’s ingenuity in the images. Lines like “my tongue felt like a piece of Velcro”, “my chest was like a balloon ready to burst” validate it.
The characterization is a huge letdown. Alex Fine is a cliché and boring stereotype superhero. His nerdy past, orphaned childhood and the need to avenge his parents all sound too familiar and predictable to the reader. His character definitely draws too much inspiration from our very own comic superheroes heroes like Spiderman and Batman. In the book Alex Fine often has dreams. His dreams are a result of his tormented mind. They represent his deepest longing for a family, search for identity and his moral conflicts. I am looking forward to how Fayman builds on these lines in his sequels.
I give the book 3 out of 4 stars. I have to take away a star because of its lackluster ending. The ending of the book is so abrupt and fails to invoke interest in the reader. It lacks the punch required for a cliffhanger or the suspense to egg the reader to read the upcoming series of the trilogy. Nevertheless, Superhighway is a thrilling piece of science fiction. The book is strongly recommended to all lovers of science fictions and action driven plots.
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Superhighway
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