3 out of 4 stars
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Alex Fine, the name given to him by a loving orphanage director, finds he has an unusual gift. An intelligent young man, who has worked hard to overcome the difficulties of growing up as an orphan, is looking forward to his summer and starting his college career in the fall at Stanford, with his well-earned scholarship. Things suddenly change when he unexpectedly finds he has the ability to travel through the Internet. Zapped into a world of moving packets of information, Alex finds he can retrieve, retain and manipulate information stored within the vast networks.
Written in first person narrative, this Sci-Fi novel, Superhighway, by Alex Fayman, (book 1 of the Superhighway Trilogy), takes us on a journey through the Internet superhighway to various parts of the globe where he lusciously describes the scenery, people, actions, and food in each location. His descriptions are so realistic, I found myself getting hungry with the meals he described, I could feel the warm Caribbean breezes, and even the pain and emotion of the characters. My rating is 3 out of 4 stars.
Arriving at an orphanage, just hours after accouchement, Alex, is curious about the mystery surrounding his birth. As a young adult, with a new gift, Alex is now pulled into a world of temptation and secrecy. He finds himself doing things, good and bad, that he never thought he would do. Teetering on the walls of justice versus injustice, good versus evil, his new life seems to be filled with difficult and emotional decisions. Each page brings some new adventure from infatuation, organized crime, and philanthropy to love, murder, and Federal cover-up. This new gift might also help him find information that may reveal the secrets surrounding his family and why he was abandoned at the orphanage.
At first, I wanted answers as to how Alex is able to travel through the Internet. Though we do get some answers as the book progresses, I was troubled, and I still am to some degree, with how he and his clothing and anything else he carried could turn digital or optical and back again. However, because you are brought so quickly into such an engaging story, you eventually don’t care how it works and just want to know what’s going to happen next. The book had a few typos and inconsistencies within the text of the book, nothing too distracting, but enough to keep the rating at 3 out of 4 stars. With additional editing, I’d gladly give 4 stars. I will warn that there are some mildly graphic violent descriptions, sexual encounters, and use of marijuana and alcohol throughout the book that may not be appreciated by all audiences.
Fayman’s writing is smooth and the story flows well. I particularly enjoyed how well each main character seemed to pop out of the page as he chronicled their attributes. While other characters could be visualized, he did not waste prose with too much detail for characters with minor roles. I particularly liked the introduction of Alex and his feelings of being raised in an orphanage and participating in the “foster parent lottery” and also later when awakened to the disparity between real poverty and wealth, he is moved with compassion to do something, turning him into a sort of Robin Hood.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book was Fayman’s use of real historical events paralleling and interacting with the storyline. Overall, a fascinating story that will absorb you into its web of intriguing events.
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Superhighway
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