Jonathan Daniel
I haven't enjoyed myself reading this much since I last read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game back when I was in High School. Ready Player One is a delightfully entertaining, yet though-provoking and eerily forewarning tale of a young boy who's world is rocked when he picks up on the trail of a grand quest of fame and fortune. Cline's portrayal of today's (and yesterday's) nerd/geek culture of the 80s, 90s, and 00s is spot-on and it's a rare thing to find among more notable authors who try and fail at it. I believe mainstream critics will find this novel hard to relate to as characters may seem bland and witless but anyone who has immersed themselves in this culture know that its part of the anonymity that defines it, and that there is a certain richness and camaraderie from it and that's a lot of what I love from this book. While the story line may be slightly simplified and maybe a little over-edited, it was incredibly entertaining none-the-less. Again, if you are anyone who even remotely relates to old-school gaming or 80s culture, this book will tickle those nostalgic nerves over and over again For me, a solid 9/10.
46 people found this review helpful
Koyotie Vilchock
Despite all the reviews this was a great distraction reading the paperback on my deployment, as well as many other times, everything is of course opinions. Mine is this is a great read for those who enjoy something different, but familiar take your time and read this.
Egan Dunne
Poorly developed Mary Sue protagonist solves easy pop culture puzzles with simplistic dialogue. Set in a world where a video game can't be cracked open because if it could the story would be over. Insulting to read, poorly written narration thick with shallow references to geekdom from the 80s and 90s. Contains every cliche you can think of, from the hyper skilled protagonist too cool for school to an evil corporation who wants to ruin the somehow spiritually pure video game. Naive is too kind a word.
6 people found this review helpful