Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: Review

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Published: 2011

Genre: Sci-Fi

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.

Thoughts:

Ready Player one was a book that I waited entirely too long to read.  But when I did finally read it, I absolutely adored it. 

The idea behind this book is amazing.  I loved the idea of a society where everyone basically lives inside this game and not actually in the real world.  (It’s actually terrible, but such an interesting and believable concept)  I was so intrigued by how the OASIS works and amazed by the technology of it.  The creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, has issued a competition to whoever can find all of the “eggs” or things hidden within the code of the OASIS.  The person who gets all of the clues and solves the puzzle, will inherit his fortune.  The players of the game who are searching for these clues are called “gunters”.

Our protagonist, Wade Watt, has devoted his life to finding these keys and solving the puzzle.  He has studied every aspect of Halliday’s life and knows pretty much everything about him.  He has watched, played, and studied everything that Halliday has every mentioned or listed as liking.  What I like about Wade is that he’s just a normal guy.  He lives in a trailer with his (aunt?) and most of the time doesn’t even hang out there.  He’s basically on his own and has very little money.  Yet, his circumstances don’t prevent him from being successful in the OASIS.  Wade is the authority on everything Halliday or pop culture of decades’ past. 

It took a couple of chapters for me to get sucked in, but once I did, I was addicted.  I was absorbed, as Wade was, into this whole different world of the OASIS.  I loved every second of this book.  I got so invested in the competition and I loved seeing the clues unravel.  Wade is best friends with a fellow gunter called Aech.  I loved the banter between them and with the collected knowledge that they have you wonder why they haven’t found the clues yet.  I thought the thing between Wade and Artemis was a little unnecessary, but it didn’t really prevent me from loving this book, because I thought Art3mis was a great character, too.  Eventually, it became cute but at first it just seemed stalkerish. 

I just love how much happens and all of the places we go in just this book.  The OASIS is such an expansive universe and it’s something that you could explore forever.  It seems like so many things happen in just this book – not even in the OASIS but to Wade personally in real life.  You see how much the OASIS is connected to and integrated into everything in this society and how much it affects what happens in the real world.  

Rating:

In Short:

Ready Player One was fast paced and addictive - I never wanted it to stop.  I really loved everything about this book and was sucked in from page one.  I really liked Cline’s writing style and was loving all of the references, even if I didn’t recognize most of them. (Though I will tell those moments when I GOT a reference were seriously so exciting). I can’t wait to read more from Ernest Cline in the future!  Ready Player one is definitely a book that I would recommend to everyone.   

Olivia