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clues_and_courtship's review against another edition
4.0
Good, a little confusing (i didn't live in the eighties nor am i obsessed with it) but the plot and the action were very good
lah123's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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
4.0
bperl's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining story all in all. The third act suffered, but I enjoyed the overarching plot. This book is a clear love letter to the ‘80s pop and gaming subcultures, but Cline builds the story around this compellingly enough.
It’s an interesting premise - when the entire world would rather be in a virtual simulation, what happens to the real one? Cline makes a few observations, but the question is brushed away too quickly for a satisfactory answer. Worth considering, as our current world is swiftly heading down this road, and I’d like to reserve a moment or two for reflection before taking the plunge.
It’s an interesting premise - when the entire world would rather be in a virtual simulation, what happens to the real one? Cline makes a few observations, but the question is brushed away too quickly for a satisfactory answer. Worth considering, as our current world is swiftly heading down this road, and I’d like to reserve a moment or two for reflection before taking the plunge.
sashapasha's review against another edition
5.0
So I have a confession: it took me 2 months to get through the first 70 or so pages, and 2 days to finish the rest. This is because there is a giant, 70-page info dump at the beginning, during which nothing much happens but the world is built and the story is setup. Then, from pretty much one page to the next, the actual adventure begins and it's non-stop action until the end.
It's well worth the slow beginning. Wade Watts wasn't initially the most likable protagonist to me, because he started off as pretty much a one-dimensional fanboy, as in, 100% made of fan, with nothing else to his personality. But, as time goes on and you get to know him a little better, you see that while he is an ubergeeky, obsessive fanamaniac, he's also pretty courageous and has some believable flaws that make him much more bearable. The other characters get somewhat developed as well. I never warmed up completely to Art3mis, but I found Aech (particularly the mystery surrounding his character) a nice surprise.
As for the plot, it was fast paced and cleverly laid out. I admit, I noted the author's hints and guessed where he was taking the story before the halfway point, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book at all, if anything it made me more interested to see how it'd all play out. The book has some important messages, first and foremost being to remember to enjoy the real world every once in awhile and not get too interred behind screens, because you never know, maybe one day the world will go to shit and everyone will end up spending all their time in a giant simulation. Quite relevant in this day and age. And on that note...
It's well worth the slow beginning. Wade Watts wasn't initially the most likable protagonist to me, because he started off as pretty much a one-dimensional fanboy, as in, 100% made of fan, with nothing else to his personality. But, as time goes on and you get to know him a little better, you see that while he is an ubergeeky, obsessive fanamaniac, he's also pretty courageous and has some believable flaws that make him much more bearable. The other characters get somewhat developed as well. I never warmed up completely to Art3mis, but I found Aech (particularly the mystery surrounding his character) a nice surprise.
As for the plot, it was fast paced and cleverly laid out. I admit, I noted the author's hints and guessed where he was taking the story before the halfway point, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book at all, if anything it made me more interested to see how it'd all play out. The book has some important messages, first and foremost being to remember to enjoy the real world every once in awhile and not get too interred behind screens, because you never know, maybe one day the world will go to shit and everyone will end up spending all their time in a giant simulation.
Spoiler
Or was it the simulation that caused the world to go to shit? Chickens and eggs and all that...sarahmascara's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read. Once the contest gets going, it's tough to put the book down!
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastic and I will recommend it to anyone.
I'll be honest, I didn't get all the references (I'm a child of the 90's and wasn't introduced to much 80's pop culture by my parents) but this didn't effect my overall enjoyment.
I listened to the audio book, which I highly recommend, Wil Wheaton's narration was perfection.
There were times when I questioned the premise, how selfish it was of James Halliday to withhold his possibly world saving inheritance from the poor & starving just so he could force people to watch all the movies & games that he enjoyed. I suppose it was needed to create the whole novel so I didn't question it too hard. (Still think it's a dick move Halliday)
The OASIS was amazing construct and seems like a realistic way of how our technology may develop with virtual reality. People already 'log in' I suppose to many different types of platforms to escape the real world, the OASIS is just a more immersive version of what we already do.
The plot was fantastic and I wasn't bored at any point. The 6er villains were perfectly evil and the Heroes of the story were multidimensional and well developed. I got to have a squee at the small romantic parts as well so I was happy.
I'll be honest, I didn't get all the references (I'm a child of the 90's and wasn't introduced to much 80's pop culture by my parents) but this didn't effect my overall enjoyment.
I listened to the audio book, which I highly recommend, Wil Wheaton's narration was perfection.
There were times when I questioned the premise, how selfish it was of James Halliday to withhold his possibly world saving inheritance from the poor & starving just so he could force people to watch all the movies & games that he enjoyed. I suppose it was needed to create the whole novel so I didn't question it too hard. (Still think it's a dick move Halliday)
The OASIS was amazing construct and seems like a realistic way of how our technology may develop with virtual reality. People already 'log in' I suppose to many different types of platforms to escape the real world, the OASIS is just a more immersive version of what we already do.
The plot was fantastic and I wasn't bored at any point. The 6er villains were perfectly evil and the Heroes of the story were multidimensional and well developed. I got to have a squee at the small romantic parts as well so I was happy.
jennakay09's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
4.75
haley_s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was the rare book set in the future that is actually realistic. I loved the setting and the 80s pop culture knowledge the central challenge required. I do play PC games occasionally, but you don't have to be a gamer to love this mystery quest-adventure. I listened to this, but I wouls recommend reading the hard copy. The reader only gave some characters different voices and the way they said 'capsule' drove me nuts, but they were otherwise fine. Didn't really add much to the story for me personally.
hopesfail's review against another edition
4.0
Not a literary work of art, but a fun, easy, fast read. Lots of nostalgia for a gamer like myself.
lauraborkpower's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a number of reviews of this book that called it boring, vanilla, and not very well written. I'll agree with the "not very well written"--this is not high literature and Cline isn't exactly a word smith (he uses the description "armed to the teeth" no fewer than three times, making an already cliched phrase even more so). But it is a hell of a lot of fun and pretty exciting for what it is.
It's an adventure game, pure and simple. It employs decently drawn and likable characters to take us on an adventure in the easy-to-imagine year 2044. It's fast paced and drops '80s pop culture nuggets like mad. There's a context for the nuggets--the game itself--and while another reviewer mentioned that many of them didn't go anywhere, I didn't care because I just enjoyed them. I came of age in the world that Halliday coded and Wade is navigating, and I totally loved being dropped into it again for this book. It made me smile every few minutes; it made me cringe with the tension of the race; it made me cheer (out loud) for the hero and his pals. Those reactions made it worth the read for me.
It's narrated by Wil Wheaton, and while I was worried that his voice would be too smug (he always seems smug when I see him on t.v.), he was perfect for this book. (It helped that I'd just watched Stand By Me and remembered him as sweet and skinny and anti-smug.)
It's an adventure game, pure and simple. It employs decently drawn and likable characters to take us on an adventure in the easy-to-imagine year 2044. It's fast paced and drops '80s pop culture nuggets like mad. There's a context for the nuggets--the game itself--and while another reviewer mentioned that many of them didn't go anywhere, I didn't care because I just enjoyed them. I came of age in the world that Halliday coded and Wade is navigating, and I totally loved being dropped into it again for this book. It made me smile every few minutes; it made me cringe with the tension of the race; it made me cheer (out loud) for the hero and his pals. Those reactions made it worth the read for me.
It's narrated by Wil Wheaton, and while I was worried that his voice would be too smug (he always seems smug when I see him on t.v.), he was perfect for this book. (It helped that I'd just watched Stand By Me and remembered him as sweet and skinny and anti-smug.)