Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Pages: 579

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Science Fiction / Futuristic

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, violence, and some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenager 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.

But 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.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The major motion picture was released in March 2018.

What’s good?

Wade Watts is a witty and likeable protagonist who is easy to relate to in part because he displays a great deal of resiliency. Wade is an ordinary kid who leads an unfortunate life. He has no real family, no money, no safe place to live. But he finds ways to survive and doesn’t wallow in his adversity. Strong supporting characters, like Aech and Artemis, lend hope to this David versus Goliath story. The world-building is well done, allowing readers to easily envision Wade’s real world, and the OASIS. The plot is straight forward, and is full of adventure, romance, friendship, mystery, and epic battles. Escapism and consumerism are key themes in what is ultimately a high-tech treasure hunt between the forces of good and evil.

Best Part: Wade.

What isn’t good?

There’s a lot of telling as opposed to showing, especially in the first half of the novel, which slows the pace. Luckily, the pace picks up significantly when the hunt begins. There’s a ton of tech talk, computer jargon, and game references that went over my head, but it didn’t affect my understanding of the action. The premise, the plot, and even the future are not new ideas, but the originality is in the details.

Worst part: There didn’t seem to be a good reason for most of the 80s references.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

I did not expect to enjoy this one. In fact, I almost gave up about 50 pages in. But the interesting world-building made me hang on, and soon the action and adventure picked up and eventually built to explosive levels. I became fully invested in the outcome by the time I was a third of the way through. I was fascinated by the setting – 2044, a grim world of our own destruction with a civilization in decline thanks to the inevitable energy crisis and global warming. I also appreciated the escapism question – is it good? Is it bad? Is it inevitable? This was a great story. Highly recommended.

Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One. New York: Broadway Books, 2011.