Review by Kyrenora -- Superhighway by Alex Fayman
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Kyrenora
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Review by Kyrenora -- Superhighway by Alex Fayman
[Following is a volunteer review of "Superhighway" by Alex Fayman.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway by Alex Fayman is the first in a trilogy chronicling the riveting adventures of Alex Fine. An orphan of unknown parents, Alex is raised in an orphanage – never quite fitting in with any of the families who considered adopting him. Under the care of the head administrator, Ms. Jenkins, his innate intelligence flourishes and he grows into a bright young man, sought after by highly respected educational institutions.
Of course, everything begins to change the day he first finds himself alone with a computer. He discovers the ability to actually move through the internet to distant areas of the globe in the blink of an eye, interacting with any and all data he passes along the way in any manner he chooses. Upon realizing what he's capable of, Alex sets out with altruistic motives, doing his best to right wrongs entirely in secret. As the old adage goes “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
I have to rate Superhighway 4 out of 4 stars. This is a book that sucks the reader in and refuses to let go. For those who are fans of technology and science fiction, the premise alone is enough to pique their interest. It's not one that's completely unheard of, but it is one that has only produced a scant handful of enthralling works. Fayman may have outdone them all.
From the very first page, the reader is invited into the mind of the protagonist, where they are then compelled to set up their own little nest and watch as events unfold. Alex Fine first greets the reader at a very low point in his life. Rather than explain how he arrived at that point, he steps back and brings the reader along with him on the journey.
Fayman is incredibly skilled at making the reader feel exactly the way that Alex Fine does at any given moment. Whether he's glowing with confidence, barely concealing anxiety, or struggling through inebriation, the reader experiences his world just as he does. That's why he becomes so easy to cheer on so quickly. His ideals are noble and his admittedly half-formed plans are selfless. That's also why it's so agonizing when Alex Fine makes decisions that can't possibly work out well for him in the long run. The reader can feel the conflict inside of him both when he makes a misstep, and then again when he does his best to make amends to rectify the resulting situation.
By giving the reader this particular view into the life of Alex Fine, Fayman is able to demonstrate to the reader the slippery slope away from morality. Each choice that Alex Fine makes seems sensible, or at least reasonable in the moment. It's easily understood why he makes all the decisions he does, so even if the reader knows it to be a wrong move, they still find themselves nodding along while he does it.
In short, I found this book exceedingly difficult to put down. It was so action-packed and fast-paced that many times I started to feel breathless while my pulse quickened. Everything else could wait. I needed to know what happened next. As I approached the last page, I began to dread the end of the book, because I was not yet ready to let go. Fortunately, the story doesn't end with Superhighway, and I'll find my nose in the next installment very soon!
******
Superhighway
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
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4 out of 4 stars
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Superhighway by Alex Fayman is the first in a trilogy chronicling the riveting adventures of Alex Fine. An orphan of unknown parents, Alex is raised in an orphanage – never quite fitting in with any of the families who considered adopting him. Under the care of the head administrator, Ms. Jenkins, his innate intelligence flourishes and he grows into a bright young man, sought after by highly respected educational institutions.
Of course, everything begins to change the day he first finds himself alone with a computer. He discovers the ability to actually move through the internet to distant areas of the globe in the blink of an eye, interacting with any and all data he passes along the way in any manner he chooses. Upon realizing what he's capable of, Alex sets out with altruistic motives, doing his best to right wrongs entirely in secret. As the old adage goes “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
I have to rate Superhighway 4 out of 4 stars. This is a book that sucks the reader in and refuses to let go. For those who are fans of technology and science fiction, the premise alone is enough to pique their interest. It's not one that's completely unheard of, but it is one that has only produced a scant handful of enthralling works. Fayman may have outdone them all.
From the very first page, the reader is invited into the mind of the protagonist, where they are then compelled to set up their own little nest and watch as events unfold. Alex Fine first greets the reader at a very low point in his life. Rather than explain how he arrived at that point, he steps back and brings the reader along with him on the journey.
Fayman is incredibly skilled at making the reader feel exactly the way that Alex Fine does at any given moment. Whether he's glowing with confidence, barely concealing anxiety, or struggling through inebriation, the reader experiences his world just as he does. That's why he becomes so easy to cheer on so quickly. His ideals are noble and his admittedly half-formed plans are selfless. That's also why it's so agonizing when Alex Fine makes decisions that can't possibly work out well for him in the long run. The reader can feel the conflict inside of him both when he makes a misstep, and then again when he does his best to make amends to rectify the resulting situation.
By giving the reader this particular view into the life of Alex Fine, Fayman is able to demonstrate to the reader the slippery slope away from morality. Each choice that Alex Fine makes seems sensible, or at least reasonable in the moment. It's easily understood why he makes all the decisions he does, so even if the reader knows it to be a wrong move, they still find themselves nodding along while he does it.
In short, I found this book exceedingly difficult to put down. It was so action-packed and fast-paced that many times I started to feel breathless while my pulse quickened. Everything else could wait. I needed to know what happened next. As I approached the last page, I began to dread the end of the book, because I was not yet ready to let go. Fortunately, the story doesn't end with Superhighway, and I'll find my nose in the next installment very soon!
******
Superhighway
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Kyrenora's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: House of Eire by June Gillam
