balamaqab's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Slavery
naychapman's review
adventurous
funny
informative
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? Yes
5.0
Set in a dystopian future, technology has evolved to the point where no one really needs to set foot outside in the real world anymore with the brilliant invention of the OASIS - a fully immersive, multidimensional virtual reality experience that allows users to escape their dull, often poverty-stricken existence and become whoever they want to be. Every introvert's paradise.
Very cleverly written, this book is akin to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - if Indy were a teenage computer hacker. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS (James Halliday) dies, he bequeaths his multi-billion dollar ownership of the OASIS to whoever can solve his riddles to find a hidden Easter egg within the system. This sparks a major hunt and 17-year-old Wade, aka Parzival, joins the heated competition. As a fan of all things 80s, all of Halliday's references in the clues are to past video games, movies, songs, and TV shows from that decade. Making this book a fantastic trip down memory lane!
The book, in my opinion, is MUCH better than the recently produced movie adaptation. Although also very entertaining, there are major scene and sequencing changes to the movie, and a lot of great content was left out. My guess is due to copyright issues!
Very cleverly written, this book is akin to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - if Indy were a teenage computer hacker. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS (James Halliday) dies, he bequeaths his multi-billion dollar ownership of the OASIS to whoever can solve his riddles to find a hidden Easter egg within the system. This sparks a major hunt and 17-year-old Wade, aka Parzival, joins the heated competition. As a fan of all things 80s, all of Halliday's references in the clues are to past video games, movies, songs, and TV shows from that decade. Making this book a fantastic trip down memory lane!
The book, in my opinion, is MUCH better than the recently produced movie adaptation. Although also very entertaining, there are major scene and sequencing changes to the movie, and a lot of great content was left out. My guess is due to copyright issues!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Death of parent and Murder
Virtual reality violence.jasminrain's review
adventurous
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
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. I think it's a very beautiful portrayal of the gaming community and an ode to pop culture. It was researched really well and it was just an absolute joy to immerse myself to the story even though I have little to no connection to the world.
I was a bit hesitant to read the book having seen the film, but the storyline was actually quite different to the film adaptation and brought more layers to the story. I listened to the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton and it just really brought the story to life in all the best ways possible.
All this being said, there was some problematic language and transphobia that were left completely unaddressed, which I found really problematic considering the target age and audience of this book. So not a five star but really good read.
I was a bit hesitant to read the book having seen the film, but the storyline was actually quite different to the film adaptation and brought more layers to the story. I listened to the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton and it just really brought the story to life in all the best ways possible.
All this being said, there was some problematic language and transphobia that were left completely unaddressed, which I found really problematic considering the target age and audience of this book. So not a five star but really good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Transphobia, Cursing, Violence, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, Murder, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism, Addiction, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
ruthieelisa's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, and Suicide
sp4ceprince's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Sexism
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Series: Ready Player One, #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: August 16th 2011
T H R E E • W O R D S
Inventive • Gripping • Compulsive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Flashforward to the year 2044, the world is a dark and ugly place, a real dystopia. In fact, many choose to escape to a virtual utopia known as the OASIS, a place where you can choose to be anything you want. Ready Player One follows Wade in his ultimate quest to discover a secret egg, hidden somewhere within the OASIS, and inherit creator James Halliday's fortune. A nostalgic, high-stakes, action packed adventure of heartache, friendship, and determination.
💭 T H O U G H T S
It takes a special kind of book, for me to feel fully engaged within the first few pages, thus was the case with Ready Player One. The writing was intriguing and fast-paced, the character development was on point, and the references to 80s pop-culture and video game culture were fantastic. I certainly wish I could have appreciated all of the references to their full potential though. The trio of Parzical, Aech, and Art3mis has great chemistry, and I would have to say Arch was my favourite character, even more so as the story progressed. I listened to the audio simultaneously while reading, and the narration definitely added an extra dimension and really brought the story to life. Given the book is quite long, I am not sure if I'd have enjoyed it as much without the audio. This isn't a genre I typically gravitate towards, so there was apprehension going in, but it quickly dissipated. And this book ended up being just the escape I didn't know I needed.
I'd recommend this to anyone craving retro vibes, an escape from reality or who reads science fiction on a regular basis. And I'll definitely be adding Ready Player Two to my TBR for the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for retro vibes
• Science Fiction lovers
• those not too sure about Science Fiction
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real. Do you understand?'"
Author: Ernest Cline
Series: Ready Player One, #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: August 16th 2011
T H R E E • W O R D S
Inventive • Gripping • Compulsive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Flashforward to the year 2044, the world is a dark and ugly place, a real dystopia. In fact, many choose to escape to a virtual utopia known as the OASIS, a place where you can choose to be anything you want. Ready Player One follows Wade in his ultimate quest to discover a secret egg, hidden somewhere within the OASIS, and inherit creator James Halliday's fortune. A nostalgic, high-stakes, action packed adventure of heartache, friendship, and determination.
💭 T H O U G H T S
It takes a special kind of book, for me to feel fully engaged within the first few pages, thus was the case with Ready Player One. The writing was intriguing and fast-paced, the character development was on point, and the references to 80s pop-culture and video game culture were fantastic. I certainly wish I could have appreciated all of the references to their full potential though. The trio of Parzical, Aech, and Art3mis has great chemistry, and I would have to say Arch was my favourite character, even more so as the story progressed. I listened to the audio simultaneously while reading, and the narration definitely added an extra dimension and really brought the story to life. Given the book is quite long, I am not sure if I'd have enjoyed it as much without the audio. This isn't a genre I typically gravitate towards, so there was apprehension going in, but it quickly dissipated. And this book ended up being just the escape I didn't know I needed.
I'd recommend this to anyone craving retro vibes, an escape from reality or who reads science fiction on a regular basis. And I'll definitely be adding Ready Player Two to my TBR for the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for retro vibes
• Science Fiction lovers
• those not too sure about Science Fiction
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real. Do you understand?'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Violence
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia
overdose, crimerbacon's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book had a potential to be even better than it is by cutting out the half-assed romance storyline and building on the apocalyptic/social issues/eco crisis going on and working out how to actually deal with that rather than running away from it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
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