Freaking Fast by David Pereda is a fascinating thriller featuring strong and memorable characters, the story of a woman who sets out to kill the love of her life, but why? Freaking Fast is set in the year 2066 in Asheville, North Carolina, and thirty years after the religious war that saw the world divided into six confederations. The story starts with the conflict, the protagonist declaring that she is going to kill the love of her life and that she has already selected the best weapon for the job. She says it’s a premeditated crime and that she is not doing it under any pressure. It is her birthday and the anniversary of their first kiss. Now follow her as she indulges readers with details of her exciting life and sets out to visit the three men she’s loved deeply — Xavier, Vitali, and Andrew. She plans to kill one of them, but will she succeed?

When you create an intelligent character, readers want to see that intelligence come across in the character development and speech, and this author doesn't fail here. Doctor Alexandra Martin, nicknamed Alex, is a medical doctor with a string of successes to her name and three doctorates — one in pure mathematics, one in applied mathematics, and one in quantum physics. Through a fascinating stream of consciousness and reminiscences, she takes readers back through her life, her struggles to get admission into a reputable school, her love life, and the war that claimed millions of lives and her role in it. The story is told in a highly compelling voice. The narrator pulls the reader into the point of view of the protagonist and keeps their attention until the last page. Elements of the story like the setting, the plot, and character are brilliantly handled. Freaking Fast is the page-turner that will keep readers up through the night.

Freaking Fast by David Pereda is a young adult novel that thrusts us into the future, reminiscing about today. Alexandra Martin is a successful mathematician living in Asheville, North Carolina, in the year 2066. As she drives her flash robot car to shoot the man whom she describes as the love of her life, she begins to reminisce about her middle school years, her friends, and the day she met the boy who would have such an influence over her life, Ukrainian Vitali Borzov. Back in middle school Alex was your typical nerd; incredibly smart and bright, but equally totally uncoordinated, shy and doubtful about her looks and her personality. Eager to obtain a scholarship to an elite high school, Alex is dismayed when she is told she needs to be a more “well-rounded” teenager if she is to guarantee the scholarship – her high grades will not be enough. She knows she’s a faster runner than her schoolmates so in desperation she decides to give track and field a crack, sprinting in particular. Alex remembers her friends and her time as a rising sprint star, along with her new friends and the impact they had on her life, as she heads over to kill the man she loves more than anything in this world.

David Pereda has produced a fascinating story in Freaking Fast that gives us a peek into what the future might hold, but also spends much time reflecting on the angst and self-doubts that are part of any teenager’s makeup. The characters he creates are typical young teenagers, anxious to prove themselves to their peers, but equally terrified of not being accepted, or of being ridiculed. The author’s style is simple and flowing, as should be the case for a target market of young adults. As anything but a young adult, I still found the story compelling and especially enjoyed the deep and meaningful analysis of how Alex faced her sprinting races and dealt with both success and failure. The author made subtle references to how to deal with perceived “failure”, which I appreciated. I also found the little asides, relating to current events of today both relevant and clever on the author’s part. This was an extremely easy book to read and I can definitely recommend it for not just young adults, but for all those young at heart and especially anyone who tried to follow their dreams as a young teenager. Freaking Fast is an excellent read.