Review: Ready Player One

The Details

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Length: 374 pages

Release Date: August 16, 2011

Medium: Audio (Narration: Wil Wheaton)

Rating: 5/5

Pace: Medium/Fast

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone (Rumor of sequel coming)

“Being human totally sucks most of the time. Videogames are the only thing that makes life bearable.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

The Review

I absolutely LOVED the world building throughout this book. Some reviewers have claimed that it was slow to start while the world building in the Oasis and real world took place, but I really enjoyed the visuals. Being set in 2044, it was interesting to compare our current world, being so caught up in technology and gaming, to the Oasis. This is one of those, “oh man this could happen” type of stories.

The 80’s pop culture, gaming, and romance brought a completely different type of story to life for me. This book was exciting, entertaining, and adventurous. There were many hectic moments throughout the book, but they were well balanced with the slower and more relaxed situations. The heated competition to find the Easter egg kept me so entertained. Wade not only fights to win, but he is fighting to stay alive.

The Characters

Throughout the book, the characters were mostly known by their avatars. There were so many secrets that left the reader guessing and assuming many things. In the end most of the details were explained which made it a very interesting read.

Wade, the main character was interesting and we got to see his struggles throughout the book. However, I wasn’t sold on his character as he was kind of a jerk.

H, who is Wade’s virtual friend in the Oasis, was a interesting secondary character. H had great development throughout the book and I was shocked to find out more about the character.

There was one romance portion of the book, but I don’t want to give away anything, so look forward to that adventure.

The Style

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton while in a semi-truck with my boyfriend. It was extremely well narrated and we were both thoroughly entertained. The writing style was interesting with some different point of views throughout.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to all ages and types of readers. Even those that aren’t really into reading, listen to the audio book. They do a wonderful job of giving the details to allow an image to form in your head. And, if you are a gamer and an 80’s lover, this book is definitely for you! It’s amazing how quickly and intensely I was sucked into the story.