Higher Power

Higher Power
by Claire Lachance
(4/5 Stars)

You could probably describe "Higher Power" as being like "Inception" only without all the gun battles and car chases and fight sequences ripped off from "The Matrix." And contrary to what the title might suggest there's nothing in there about religion.

The story focuses on a blind man name Max Caldwell. Like a lot of blind people, when Max lost his sight, his other senses became more acute. In his case he actually developed a new sense: Max can see into people's dreams. Not only can he see the dreams, he finds he can control them as well. Unfortunately he discovers this power at a young age and ends up turning it against his parents in a fit of childish angst that proves deadly.

After which Max ends up in a loony bin. But now that he's a grown man and hasn't had any problems in a good while, the state has decided he's "cured" and is turning him loose. Max still has to go to the hospital periodically to meet with a therapist helping him to reintegrate with society.

One day at the hospital, though, Max finds himself drawn into the dreams of a coma patient named Sarah. Though he's sworn to not use his power again, Max can't help himself when it seems like Sarah is about to die in her dream.

From there Max begins spending more and more time around Sarah, using his power to keep her safe. At first he does relatively simple things, but soon he decides the only way to make sure she's safe is to build a whole new world for her, a "perfect" world inside her mind. But how do you make a perfect world? And how long can the illusion really last?

You might think it's a little creepy that this guy is obsessing about a woman in a coma, but it's not like he's actually doing anything to her in real life. He's not fondling her or any of that. And he doesn't try to make her fall in love with him, at least not until she inadvertently sees him in the dream world. Like I said at the beginning, this isn't a violent action story. It's more of a romance between Max and Sarah. It's also kind of a superhero type story as Max learns with great power comes great responsibility.

Anyway, this is an enjoyable fairly light read. It won't have you questioning reality either and make you wonder whether the end was a dream or anything like that. So that's a plus.

That is all.