Review by bclayton13 -- Superhighway by Alex Fayman

[bclayton13]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Superhighway" by Alex Fayman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Superhighway by Alex Fayman is a fascinating novel following the exploits of Alex Fine, an L.A. orphan who realizes he possesses some remarkable abilities. With these abilities, Alex changes the course of his own life and finds out much about himself along the way. I was hooked on this book from the beginning; from the first chapter I wanted to know anything and everything about Alex Fine. Who was he? Where did he come from? In order to find that out, the reader has to go on an incredible journey.

The main character himself, Alex, is of above-average intelligence and stands out in the orphanage he was raised in. Despite this, he's still an eighteen-year-old and, when he discovers his powers, makes many questionable decisions. He's a fantastic character, with multiple layers of complexity. Even more, he's completely believable; like an eighteen-year-old would, Alex doesn't always use his abilities responsibly or make responsible choices. As the story progresses, we watch him lose his innocence and it affects us just as much as it does him. While he struggles to come to terms with his powers and his feelings for the girl of his dreams, we realize - he's just a kid.

The scientific explanation given behind Alex's abilities is also surprisingly believable. Without obsessing over it and digging deeply, it wasn't hard for me to suspend my disbelief and accept how his powers came to be. The book is written well enough and with just enough research behind it that the science fiction aspects of the novel seemed anything but ridiculous. As Alex explores his powers, we want to see what else he can do. We want more, and so does Alex.

This 'more' aspect proves to be Alex's undoing. He often jumps without realizing the potential consequences of his actions - as an eighteen-year-old would. Through this, we watch the world he's created for himself come crumbling down as he realizes that his abilities can hurt others just as much as they can help them. It's a very tragic, and very real, fall from grace. The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I know I'm dying to read about what happens next.

Superhighway is certainly a page-turner, and a worthwhile read. Fayman is a master at reeling the reader in, and it worked on me. The first book of the trilogy, it makes the next two books look promising indeed. I did find a few errors, but not enough for me to complain. All in all, I rate Superhighway by Alex Fayman 4 out of 4 stars.

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Superhighway
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[JR Mercier]

"While he struggles to come to terms with his powers and his feelings for the girl of his dreams, we realize - he's just a kid."

I think a lot of us forget that he's only eighteen and that his actions or of someone that feels very alone. It's actually so sad. And I love that you mentioned how the power seems believable because it really does! It sounds so crazy when I say it out loud but in the book, it sounds amazing. Great review!

[Ginnamassa19]

This sounds like an incredible read--something I'd definitely pick up if I was in the mood for a YA sci-fi! Alex seems like a very well-developed character from your description, and that's hard to pass up; I find that very few authors can accurately capture the tumultuous emotions of an eighteen-year-old, so this is definitely going to be refreshing Thank you for your critique--I like your writing style, and I enjoyed reading your review

[gen_g]

Thank you for the amazing review - I've read many reviews of Superhighway, and yours makes me want to pick it up. Alex seems like our average 18-year-old boy, so it is only natural that he might not be as mature as we would like him to be. Afterall, we all had our moments!

[Dael Reader]

I just finished reading and reviewing this one too, and I almost feel like we read different books. While I liked the idea of elctroportation, I thought Alex was one of the worst examples of a hero ever. He's a self-absorbed, arrogant jerk who doesn't seem to be learning from his mistakes at all. Yes, he's a teenager. But we're supposed to believe he has above-average intelligence. And I suspect most idiots would change their ways immediately after being kidnapped by gangsters and watching a girl get shot right in front of you. But, it's interesting to read reviews from someone with a totally different perspective.