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Review | Ready Player One

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Author: Ernest Cline.

Length: 374 pages.

“Going outside is highly overrated.” 

Goodreads Synopsis

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. 

But 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.

My Thoughts

This book was in by TBR pile for a really long time before I read it. But, unsurprisingly, I didn’t get around to it until after I saw the movie. However, if I’m being honest, I’m glad that I saw the movie first because otherwise, I don’t know if I would’ve finished it. Do not get me wrong, this is an amazing story, I enjoyed it very much, but it definitely isn’t an easy read.

What I Liked:

This book takes place in a technologically advanced future, in which life outside of virtual reality isn’t as exciting as it used to be. In my opinion, this is a very cool premise, and definitely enhances the importance and reliability of OASIS in this society. The world created and the immeasurable opportunities that it presents definitely challenges many of the utopian worlds we have already read about. And, the best part about all of this, is the game that the creator invents. I think this is such an interesting idea and it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are many twists and turns and it is really hard to try and figure out what will happen next. Also, there are so many references and they are all relevant and important throughout the story. It really amazed me how intricate the writing was and how EVERYTHING was woven together. Somehow, everything is so evident, but not enough for the reader to figure it out on their own.

What I didn’t like:

The main reason that I didn’t give this book four stars is that it’s kind of too long. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but it is a very long read, or at least it was for me. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed all the references and the author clearly put a lot of work into those. However, I do think there were a bit too many and they made me have to stop, think, and try to remember everything that I was reading and had read before. Also, there is a lot of descriptions and barely any dialogue. Due to the magnitude of the situation and how complicated the game was, the author had to explain a lot to ensure the comprehension of the reader. I understand this and admire the effort that was put into this book, but it was too much too fast. I think the story could’ve been shorter and easier to grasp if it wasn’t so cluttered.

Lastly, and this might be kind of controversial, I’m not sure if I prefer the book to the movie. The adaptation was very good, but they changed a lot. It was much easier to follow the story in the movie and they did keep the element of surprise, but, obviously, it wasn’t as complicated and explained as it was in the book.

This was a great story, kind of long, but worth it. I do recommend it to those willing to commit to the endless descriptions and minimal dialogue.