Review by Kendra M Parker -- Superhighway by Alex Fayman
Posted: 15 Apr 2018, 14:54
[Following is a volunteer review of "Superhighway" by Alex Fayman.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway by Alex Fayman tells the story of a young man named Alex Fine, who is a sort of Millennial superhero. From the very first page, Fayman throws readers into Alex's life, immediately introducing them to Alex's super power, the ability to travel through the internet.
After the first introductory chapter, most of the story is told by Alex as a flashback to his history. As a child, Alex was raised in an orphanage in Los Angeles. Shortly after graduating high school, he accidentally discovers his super powers while checking the internet connection on a computer in his orphanage.
Once he discovers his super powers, Alex's life changes forever. Alex embarks on a journey to see the world and finds himself quickly learning about how the broader world works when you have little money and no identification. Eventually, he decides to use his powers to become a sort of modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the corrupt and wealthy and giving it to those people and causes he determines to be deserving. Predictably, Alex also manages to find some significant trouble along the way, caused by his own actions and dealings with the criminal element.
Throughout the novel, Alex's character briefly touches current events from around 2008, mentioning social, financial, and other pertinent issues. Many times, Alex considers what makes a cause worthy and looks at the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. I appreciated that the novel was willing to challenge social concerns and encourage a reader to think about their personal assumptions and religious values without attempting to strong arm the reader into any particular viewpoint. Most of the issues are presented as more of a brief summary of a discussion between the characters, leaving readers an opportunity to research and come to their own conclusions. In general, Alex tends to take a modern progressive stance on social issues once he makes his own choices, and his actions reflect that stance, working nicely with his characterization.
If this book were a movie, it would likely be rated PG-13. There is plenty of violence, though most of it is simply referenced and not graphically detailed in the book. There is also quite a bit of underage drinking, drug usage and sex, though the sex scenes are quick and only moderately detailed. Alex does turn more and more toward these vices as the book progresses, though he does admit that they are vices and attempts to self-medicate as he deals with the fallout from some of his poorer choices.
From a technical standpoint, this book was well-edited. There were a handful of minor issues with either an incorrect homonym being used or a simple typo here and there. My one comment with dialog is that it did seem slightly stilted, as the characters rarely used contractions when speaking. That said, it was not a hindrance to the tale.
Overall, this book earns a solid 4 out of 4 stars from my review. The story-telling was excellent and the pace moved well. I definitely could feel the emotions of Alex as he went through his story, and it encouraged me to keep reading it quickly so I could find out what happened next. Superhighway does leave the reader with a cliffhanger ending, and I for one will look forward to reading the next installment soon.
******
Superhighway
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Kendra M Parker's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Superhighway by Alex Fayman tells the story of a young man named Alex Fine, who is a sort of Millennial superhero. From the very first page, Fayman throws readers into Alex's life, immediately introducing them to Alex's super power, the ability to travel through the internet.
After the first introductory chapter, most of the story is told by Alex as a flashback to his history. As a child, Alex was raised in an orphanage in Los Angeles. Shortly after graduating high school, he accidentally discovers his super powers while checking the internet connection on a computer in his orphanage.
Once he discovers his super powers, Alex's life changes forever. Alex embarks on a journey to see the world and finds himself quickly learning about how the broader world works when you have little money and no identification. Eventually, he decides to use his powers to become a sort of modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the corrupt and wealthy and giving it to those people and causes he determines to be deserving. Predictably, Alex also manages to find some significant trouble along the way, caused by his own actions and dealings with the criminal element.
Throughout the novel, Alex's character briefly touches current events from around 2008, mentioning social, financial, and other pertinent issues. Many times, Alex considers what makes a cause worthy and looks at the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. I appreciated that the novel was willing to challenge social concerns and encourage a reader to think about their personal assumptions and religious values without attempting to strong arm the reader into any particular viewpoint. Most of the issues are presented as more of a brief summary of a discussion between the characters, leaving readers an opportunity to research and come to their own conclusions. In general, Alex tends to take a modern progressive stance on social issues once he makes his own choices, and his actions reflect that stance, working nicely with his characterization.
If this book were a movie, it would likely be rated PG-13. There is plenty of violence, though most of it is simply referenced and not graphically detailed in the book. There is also quite a bit of underage drinking, drug usage and sex, though the sex scenes are quick and only moderately detailed. Alex does turn more and more toward these vices as the book progresses, though he does admit that they are vices and attempts to self-medicate as he deals with the fallout from some of his poorer choices.
From a technical standpoint, this book was well-edited. There were a handful of minor issues with either an incorrect homonym being used or a simple typo here and there. My one comment with dialog is that it did seem slightly stilted, as the characters rarely used contractions when speaking. That said, it was not a hindrance to the tale.
Overall, this book earns a solid 4 out of 4 stars from my review. The story-telling was excellent and the pace moved well. I definitely could feel the emotions of Alex as he went through his story, and it encouraged me to keep reading it quickly so I could find out what happened next. Superhighway does leave the reader with a cliffhanger ending, and I for one will look forward to reading the next installment soon.
******
Superhighway
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Kendra M Parker's review? Post a comment saying so!