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diazona's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Ready Player One took a few pages to get going, but once it did, I was hooked! This is the first book in a long time, not counting rereads, that got me to stay up late reading when I should have been sleeping.
Ernest Cline does a great job of immersing readers in the fantasy world he's constructed. The writing style is comfortable and easy to follow, and the characters feel real and relatable for the most part. They're unnaturally good at what they do, sure, but it's no different than you get in any "chosen one" story - although to its credit, this isn't a "chosen one" story; our main character Wade got where he is through talent and dedication, and a little bit of plot armor. The world of the novel, as well, feels different enough to be exciting but familiar enough to be understandable - and here I'm talking primarily about the virtual world of the OASIS where most of the action takes place, rather than the dystopian "real" world, which has little to do with the story. Granted, I'm a nerd; I suspect someone who isn't might find all the references to video games and old movies a bit too much, but you pretty much know what you're in for right from the beginning.
Given how well the world and characters drew me in, it's no surprise that I found myself getting heavily emotionally invested in Wade's quest. It's an exciting one, with almost nonstop action, so at every turn I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. And I could feel the enormity of the stakes, which is something that not a lot of authors can pull off. Tolkien of course does this masterfully in LOTR; Robert Jordan in Wheel of Time; J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter; and Ready Player One is right up there with the same ability to convey just how much is riding on the outcome. I will note, though, it was really refreshing to read what is essentially an epic fantasy set in a futuristic world as opposed to a historical one.
The one thing that detracts from the experience of reading this book is that sometimes it will drop in to pages-long expository monologues. It's somewhat understandable since Wade is kind of a loner - in fact one of the themes in the book is how little real human interaction he gets much of the time - so things that would otherwise be demonstrated by the interactions between characters might have to get explained explicitly. But the exposition kind of drags on for a while. I think some of it could be left out. These are just a few isolated parts of the story though, and they do at least provide relevant information, so I don't mind that much. It doesn't take away a whole lot from the overall reading experience.
All in all, it just comes back to the fact that I haven't been this excited to read a new book in a long time. I'm definitely keeping this one around for a future reread.
Ernest Cline does a great job of immersing readers in the fantasy world he's constructed. The writing style is comfortable and easy to follow, and the characters feel real and relatable for the most part. They're unnaturally good at what they do, sure, but it's no different than you get in any "chosen one" story - although to its credit, this isn't a "chosen one" story; our main character Wade got where he is through talent and dedication, and a little bit of plot armor. The world of the novel, as well, feels different enough to be exciting but familiar enough to be understandable - and here I'm talking primarily about the virtual world of the OASIS where most of the action takes place, rather than the dystopian "real" world, which has little to do with the story. Granted, I'm a nerd; I suspect someone who isn't might find all the references to video games and old movies a bit too much, but you pretty much know what you're in for right from the beginning.
Given how well the world and characters drew me in, it's no surprise that I found myself getting heavily emotionally invested in Wade's quest. It's an exciting one, with almost nonstop action, so at every turn I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. And I could feel the enormity of the stakes, which is something that not a lot of authors can pull off. Tolkien of course does this masterfully in LOTR; Robert Jordan in Wheel of Time; J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter; and Ready Player One is right up there with the same ability to convey just how much is riding on the outcome. I will note, though, it was really refreshing to read what is essentially an epic fantasy set in a futuristic world as opposed to a historical one.
The one thing that detracts from the experience of reading this book is that sometimes it will drop in to pages-long expository monologues. It's somewhat understandable since Wade is kind of a loner - in fact one of the themes in the book is how little real human interaction he gets much of the time - so things that would otherwise be demonstrated by the interactions between characters might have to get explained explicitly. But the exposition kind of drags on for a while. I think some of it could be left out. These are just a few isolated parts of the story though, and they do at least provide relevant information, so I don't mind that much. It doesn't take away a whole lot from the overall reading experience.
All in all, it just comes back to the fact that I haven't been this excited to read a new book in a long time. I'm definitely keeping this one around for a future reread.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
hazardpossum's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
soton's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Slavery, and Transphobia
kyletav's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
pamnc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
First half moved at the usual slow fantasy pace with a lot of world building within the existing world; second half flew
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
HOLY SHIT. Well gooddamm. So this is probably one of the best books I have ever read (well listened too but same difference). Wade Watts is a socially awkward poor 18 year old boy living in the year 2045. In this not so distant future, a immersive reality video game has taken over most of the planet. The Oasis was invented by James Haliday and Oggden Morrow. When Haliday died, his will revealed that he will leave all of his fortune and the entire Oasis game in the hands of the player who can find the egg he hid. Wade, and most of the Oasis population, has been searching for the first key for 5 years and when he accidentally stumbles upon the answer everything changes. This is a beautiful tale of love, friendship, perseverance, and ambition along with the message that reality is better than even the best recreations. I definitely thought this would be a boy book, based on the movie (which I have seen and can safely say this is almost nothing like it), but it pleasantly surprised me with how entertaining and emotionally deep Cline goes. This is a fantastic read/listen and I will be rereading this soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
elyssam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was fun to read! I loved the supporting characters and the adventure aspect was cool.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death and Death of parent
melist6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, and War
Minor: Slavery
imkedogger's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this book for school, so obviously I wasn't too stoked at the beginning. The concept seemed interesting enough, but when something is for school I just can't be bothered. I actually got really into it though. The plot was very engaging and kept me interested the entire time. The main characters actions are a bit questionable sometimes, but he had some character development that definitely redeemed him a little. You could definitely sense this book was written by a man, because everything about women or romance cringed me the fuck out, but I'm willing to overlook that part. A solid 4 stars, really liked the ending and the message it sent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Drug abuse
caitlaird's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Before I get into this I should state I did actually enjoy this book a lot. The word building is amazing and so well done. I can truly see how realistic of a possibility this world could be. It’s an amazing take on how media and video games can take over and rule society, especially in a world ruined by capitalism, overconsumption, and environmental destruction; and how much easier it is to try and escape from it all rather than facing it.
The use of 80’s media was truly the best part of it all, made for such a cool and fun world.
That being said (possible small spoilers ahead but warnings any moral person might want).
This book is an incels wet dream of a y/n - self insert action hero whatever, complete with casual usage of transphobia and homophobia to really finish it off. Specifically the phrase “twinked out” when talking about people who are just dancing at a club (that he’s at no less!!) and multiple instances of blatant transphobia that you’d hope and think wouldn’t exist in 2045. Also every inspiration listed in this book is a male creator. Science fiction wouldn’t be what it is without women, Mary Shelly, Ursula Le Guin, I could go on. Do men just not think of women? Honestly curious.
I would put this book at the top of my list “so obvious it was written by a man it’s actually physically painful”.
The character Artemis is a queen amongst men. She is however a victim of the manic pixie dream girl ideal but that’s NOT her fault. She is the one voice of reason in this whole book and it feels like that might be the only reason she’s there, other than to be something to lust after and prove that the “nerd” boy can actually get the girl.
That being said Wade is obsessed with her and is totally in love with her so at least he gets one thing right. (This isn’t a spoiler he says it like in the first chapter okay).
And shoutout to Aech, who is just the coolest best friend of all friends.
I kept waiting for Wade to learn the lesson that was the real world is essential to truly living , something you don’t need to read the book to know I think. But he might actually just be the most dense man that’s ever existed ever. At one point, he admitted that he’s an agoraphobic geek and hates it but then changes absolutely nothing about his life. Also why does he have to make such a point that he’s not a fatty. Like realistically he’d be fat. That’s okay. What’s with the fat phobia my guys?
This feels like an Incel boys Bible of what you should do to be the main character. He is a very bad friend to his best friend and he doesn’t even get better. It’s very much a scary look into the mind of a man.
I originally rated the book 4 stars so it’s not that bad I guess, but zoo wee mama it’s like a punch in the gut sometimes. I really have to pause sometimes and go “huh, I know you didn’t just say what I think you did”, but of course he did.
And after a few days processing what I read I actually decided this book deserves 2.75 stars. How can a book be 4 stars when the protagonist is literally the worst person in the world.
Like any other character would’ve been a more interesting protagonist, especially Artemis, not that I want Ernest Cline to write a book from a woman’s pov. The only thing worse than wades pov would be a woman’s pov written by Cline. I think he would really benefit from reading some books written by women with female protagonists.
And after a few days processing what I read I actually decided this book deserves 2.75 stars. How can a book be 4 stars when the protagonist is literally the worst person in the world.
Like any other character would’ve been a more interesting protagonist, especially Artemis, not that I want Ernest Cline to write a book from a woman’s pov. The only thing worse than wades pov would be a woman’s pov written by Cline. I think he would really benefit from reading some books written by women with female protagonists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Body shaming, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts