mees_grows's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed it very much. The tone of the characters was interesting and engaging.
quailtea's review against another edition
3.0
addictive, and love the VR world. still written by a white guy tho.
andystehr's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! I have heard from two camps about Ready Player One, those who love it, and those who hate it. For me, I thought it was fast paced, I enjoyed the characters and very much enjoyed the 80s game and pop culture references. I actually listened to the book read by Wil Wheaton which added a bit to the style and flavor of the text.
mitchrmalek's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
melthebeloved's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stephhreads's review against another edition
4.0
Really good, but not great, if only because this book is exactly what you'd expect it to be, but doesn't bring that something more, that something deeper, that would make it 5 stars. I really loved the description of this near-future world, the description of the games, and the underlying notes of discord that are shown and not told, such as Wade referring to OASIS as his real life instead of his real world life. But with all of this comes the potential to say something more than what the book ended up saying, and that left me a little disappointed.
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Epic. Retro. Breaks down walls.
Story: Wade is a young adult, who would rather spend his time in the online world than the real world. This is quite normal, as all the rest of the planet does the same. That's because the billionaire who invented the online world has created a contest, and everyone is after the prize, especially Wade.
Language: Readers who enjoy this book will enjoy it for it's 80's references - movies, tv shows, video games, computers, consoles, comics, music, and so on. This book could have been written in the 80's. For fans of 80's and 90's spec fiction featuring VR, such as Piers Anthony's Killobyte.
Characters: Wade is our main character, a big fan of the online world's Creator and background, and a student by day. He lives with his aunt in a trailer park stack, his mom died when he was young, and his only friends exist in the online world.
I surprisingly enjoyed this, not as a current spec fic trend, but as on homage to the old books I used to read, that were then considered drivel and nonsense. I am the target audience for this book, growing up in the 80's and living through most of what Cline refers too, including the gaming and anime references. While I'm not sure if this book is ideal for the older or younger crowd, or the non-geek crowd, this book definitely fills a niche, that has been needed for 30 years.
Story: Wade is a young adult, who would rather spend his time in the online world than the real world. This is quite normal, as all the rest of the planet does the same. That's because the billionaire who invented the online world has created a contest, and everyone is after the prize, especially Wade.
Language: Readers who enjoy this book will enjoy it for it's 80's references - movies, tv shows, video games, computers, consoles, comics, music, and so on. This book could have been written in the 80's. For fans of 80's and 90's spec fiction featuring VR, such as Piers Anthony's Killobyte.
Characters: Wade is our main character, a big fan of the online world's Creator and background, and a student by day. He lives with his aunt in a trailer park stack, his mom died when he was young, and his only friends exist in the online world.
I surprisingly enjoyed this, not as a current spec fic trend, but as on homage to the old books I used to read, that were then considered drivel and nonsense. I am the target audience for this book, growing up in the 80's and living through most of what Cline refers too, including the gaming and anime references. While I'm not sure if this book is ideal for the older or younger crowd, or the non-geek crowd, this book definitely fills a niche, that has been needed for 30 years.
bcbartuska's review against another edition
4.0
I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. Based purely on personal taste, this is not something I would normally pick up; nor do I particularly want to read more like it. I read it as part of a reading challenge that prompts, “a book outside of your genre comfort zone,” and this fit the bill for me. I was surprised by how much I didn’t hate it. The story drew me in and I flew through it because I wanted to know what happened next. Even though much of the story was based in virtual reality, there was just enough characterization to keep me invested in the outcome. So although it’s not my cup of tea, reading it was definitely a surprisingly fun experience.
standardman's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because everyone on Earth recommended it to me and I can see why they did.
It's a fun, light cyberpunk story obsessed with my obsessions and has a lead character I'm - sometimes unfortunately - pretty similar to, we even share the same birthday, give or take a few decades.
I was hoping they'd be more to it, but it's a fun adventure if you share those obsessions.
It's a fun, light cyberpunk story obsessed with my obsessions and has a lead character I'm - sometimes unfortunately - pretty similar to, we even share the same birthday, give or take a few decades.
I was hoping they'd be more to it, but it's a fun adventure if you share those obsessions.