4 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway by Alex Fayman is a science fiction novel that explores the excitement, opportunities, and challenges of having an extraordinary ability. The main character, Alex, discovers by accident that he has the ability to physically travel around the world through the internet.
The story begins at the end. Alex is sitting on his private Caribbean island contemplating the consequences of his reckless actions. The rest of the story is told as a flashback. Alex grew up in an orphanage, not knowing anything about his parents. It was here, as a teenager, that he first discovered his gift. He is looking at a beach scene in Hawaii when he is literally pulled into the web by way of the internet cable. The description of his trip through a maze of lighted passages is quite creative. Alex lands in Hawaii safe, sound, and hungry. This is only the first taste of his adventures. Hardly considering going back to his old life, Alex must find ways to survive. His primary problem is lack of money, but his new gift gives him opportunities to find it. Stealing from corrupt gangsters for his own lavish desires as well as generously helping others are the main themes in the first half of the book. It wouldn’t take much guesswork to realize that this life is fraught with danger. The author also winds in questions about Alex’s family history and where the power came from originally. This is the first book in a series and it ends on quite a cliffhanger.
I love the premise of this book, and it was executed well. The latter portion of the book where mysteries are revealed and the action heats up was quite exciting. In addition, I found that the author made good use of figurative language. For example, when Alex is returned to the orphanage after a failed attempt at adoption, he says he feels like “a defective product being returned to the store.”
Unfortunately, the main thing I did not like about this book was the protagonist. He was immature and superficial. He spent too much time admiring himself and chasing a new girl in every country. He went way over the top with spending on himself for my taste. Still, I can’t blame the author for my personal preferences, and the opening scene does show him contemplating his actions. Perhaps his character will develop more depth in the sequel.
This novel had very few editing errors, and the plot was well done. Despite my own misgivings, I am rating it 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and science fiction.
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Superhighway
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I really liked how your review mentioned that it was a flashback. Very clever to describe it that way. Great review!
