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ravensandlace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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I wish I hadn’t watched the movie of this book first. Normally, I read the book first and then watch the movie. I didn’t mean to. My boyfriend was looking for a movie to watch and we decided on this one. I really enjoyed the movie but after reading the book, I realized how different they are from each other. Watching the movie first might have hindered my enjoyment of the book. I might have rated this book higher if I had read it first and then watched the movie.
With this book, you have to be a bit of a geek with technology and the eighties in order to have even the vaguest understanding of what all the references mean. And I mean, there are so many references. I’m a bit of a geek myself but even the references were lost on me. It got to be a bit much at times. Sure, Wade explained most of the references but it was just...a lot. It was like Cline was trying to prove just how much he knew about the eighties and wanted to talk about how much he loved it.
One of my favorite things about this book was the OASIS and concept of it. James Halliday, the founder, made sure it was available to everybody for free. He put libraries and educational things on there so everybody could learn anything they wanted too. I loved that and it shows that technology can be an awesome tool. Because the Lord knows I am tired of people complaining about how technology is ruining the lives of the youth. It’s a topic that makes me so annoyed. Maybe one day, I’ll post something about it.
Overall, while I enjoyed the book, it had some flaws. Like the absolute crazy amount of geek and eighties references. The ending was also kind of abrupt but I wasn’t too bothered by it. I recommend reading the book first and then watching the movie. Because they are very different things.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Grief
Minor: Terminal illness
There is the use of the word "fag" in the book. Happens quite a bit and isn't challenged.