Ready Player One | Book Review

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Random House NY

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Pages: 374 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.31/5

My Rating: 4.5/5

It's 2044 and the world has gone to shit. All the environmental problems we ignore today have gotten worse and there is an energy crisis going on. In this world, everyone uses OASIS, an online virtual reality where people can escape from their boring lives without ever having to leave their home. When the creator of OASIS dies, he creates a contest in which the winner will win his entire fortune. For 5 years after his death, no one has been able to figure out his puzzle, until Wade Watts does. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was action-packed, fast paced, and unique. Ready Player One is the first legitimate sci-fi books I've read, the others being mostly dystopian. 

What I liked most was the world in which the story takes place. The OASIS is such an interesting, boundless place. It's a world where anything and everything happens. Cline did a great job with the world building. It was a little hard to understand at first and having the first 70 pages be only world building didn't help. I think it would have been better to space those 70 pages between plot, but I eventually understood it. 

The "Hunt" was a great plot device that allowed the story to keep progressing. There was always something happening, some problem to be solved. There was never a dull moment.

The characters were all very unique and I loved the unconventionality of them. They're not the typical young adult characters and I really enjoyed that. They kept the book from becoming too dark and added light-hearted humor.

I was fascinated by the social conscience of this book. Normally when technology is an important factor, books romanticize it and ignore all the bad qualities. However, Cline repeatedly talks about the degradation of society and reality through the use of the internet and online world. He doesn't fail to acknowledge that while the OASIS is a spectacular place, it also forces people away from human interaction, something very relevant in today's world.

My only problem was the romance. I felt the two characters had no real chemistry. Yes, Wade has had a crush on Art3mis for many years, but they never had any real conversations that were explored in the book. There were many "montages" in the book stating that they talked a lot and went on dates, but it failed to provide the connection one feels when two characters are in love.

Despite, the romance I really enjoyed this book. It's a bit difficult to get into but definitely give it a try!

Thanks for reading!

Hana

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