From Goodreads: In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
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Ernest Cline’s bestseller, Ready Player One, packs a serious punch that any gamer in our Galaxy can easily get behind. But what about non-gamers? No worries, you’ll still be drawn in as the characters are fleshed out and their story between the real world and the virtual OASIS intertwines. I’m not an avid gamer; I haven’t played video games in probably ten years, but the idea behind a society where people are jacked into a virtual game, where they can live their entire lives, going to school, working a job, etc., and at the same time, immerse themselves in the past, mainly the 1980s, well, that kind of tickles my fancy. Especially because for us, right now, the 1980s isn’t that far in the past, and for me, it’s still fresh in my memories, so traveling down memory lane, focusing on movies and other fun 80s mementos makes for a fun background to the story.
I really liked how Cline began his novel, stating the ending outright, and then circling around to explain how everything came to be. Yet, even though I was aware of how it all would end, the novel was still fraught with suspense as Wade fights his way through both the game and the real world as well. With many friends and foes, this novel is really a non-stop ride, one I highly enjoyed and hope that you’ll give a try, especially as this novel is slated to hit the big screen in 2018. This is one I’ll be watching on release night, but just remember, the book is always better than the movie! Five stars.
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