Ready Player One (2011)

“You know you've totally screwed up your life when your whole world turns to shit and the only person you have to talk to is your system agent software!”
― Ernest Cline, Ready Player One

I had serious reservations reading this. I have to say I have never played a video game in my life. I worried if I'd understand it. It sat on my book shelf for months before I could pick it up.

Once I did I discovered I need not have worried. Did I understand everything? No way. I could not make heads or tails out of some of the "video game speak". But what I discovered is it doesn't matter. This book is just such a blast to read.

I can't believe this is the author's first book. I had a field day with this and although it did not make me want to play a video game, I loved the whole delightful story from beginning to end.

Reading this also showed me do not discard something just because you think it may not be for you or you may not understand it. Had I given in and ignored the book I'd have missed out on a truly wonderful story. ( )

Loved it! Slow start, for me, but after the first quarter it quickly became better and better. Good stuff!! ( )

I think this book is fun to read and it definitely kept me interested to see what would happen next, but I think the nostalgia at times overshadowed the plot of the book. Still worth reading though. ( )

Fun! Fun! Fun! Loved it! ( )

So this book builds itself as a futuristic look back at '80s nostalgia. And while it does reference '80s pop culture it is in no way immerse in the world it builds up. Let's start with the overall writing. It reads like something I would have written when I was in high school. And while that is something that could work for a book that is in 1st person POV such as this one, I don't think that's what the author intended. The plot relies too much on a single person knowing way too much about a great number of items of pop culture. Too much of too many subjects to be believable. I have a feeling that the plot, writing, and good guy/bad guy characters will attempt to be explained away as being an "homage" to 80s style movie and writing. Phooey. The world exists in a futuristic time where the author's one sided liberal views are clearly expressed and at times detracts from the overall story as they are very simplistic and at times contradictory. The overall story isn't terrible and could have been more interesting. The most interesting aspect of the book is in the last portion of when the main character's plan unfolds. Anything up to that reads like a young kid who's writing himself as a perfect hero of a story. It's not that I didn't enjoy the book for what it was, but it isn't the book the geek community is making it out to be. This one is a pass. Final Grade - C- ( )