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kalkn's review against another edition
3.0
Hard not to compare to RP1. It was a good book and a fun read, but nearly as addicting. Still happy to have read it and glad to have it as part of my library.
rembrandt1881's review against another edition
2.0
I read Ready Player One and was excited to see what else Ernest Cline had in store and finally grabbed a copy from the library. As I was reading I became aware of some things then came over to Goodreads and saw many reviews that echoed the things that I was seeing. While he has moments when he is a good writer, Ernest Cline can be too engrossed in trying to show off his more geeky side and the things that seem to be stereotypical for nerd culture these days.
Early on in the novel he shovels so may pop culture references it makes your head want to explode. They aren't used in any insightful way but just to have a shared moment for those who also enjoy the obsessions unlike in his previous novel where at least there was some basis and explanation to them and why they were integral to the story. In Armada, they are superfluous and not needed at the level which they are used. In fact a lot of this reminds me of ET. A main character who idolizes an absent father who is also a nerd who has suppressed rage which he uses against a bully. He also ends up meeting and impressing a girl with the same interests immediately upon encountering her. It's all a ridiculous fantasy for a pop culture dork which still could have worked at some point had we really developed a feeling for the main protagonist.
That is probably the worst thing, the characters are never fully fleshed out at any point other than they love pop culture and are excellent at this video game Armada. Even the eventual female interest is just a shell of what an introverted boy might desire and doesn't have any real reason to behave the way she does or have loyalty to our main character. That's just rushed writing it seems to me, even when there are action sequences, they end and it doesn't feel like we have gone anywhere even though the stakes are incredibly high, and the ending just comes from no where and stops the book. It isn't satisfying in any real way. I had real high hopes and I was very disappointed by this novel. The 2 stars is because there is some fun in the action sequences and during some of the middle of the book but the characters nature of "they can because these are our heroes" doesn't work for me.
Early on in the novel he shovels so may pop culture references it makes your head want to explode. They aren't used in any insightful way but just to have a shared moment for those who also enjoy the obsessions unlike in his previous novel where at least there was some basis and explanation to them and why they were integral to the story. In Armada, they are superfluous and not needed at the level which they are used. In fact a lot of this reminds me of ET. A main character who idolizes an absent father who is also a nerd who has suppressed rage which he uses against a bully. He also ends up meeting and impressing a girl with the same interests immediately upon encountering her. It's all a ridiculous fantasy for a pop culture dork which still could have worked at some point had we really developed a feeling for the main protagonist.
That is probably the worst thing, the characters are never fully fleshed out at any point other than they love pop culture and are excellent at this video game Armada. Even the eventual female interest is just a shell of what an introverted boy might desire and doesn't have any real reason to behave the way she does or have loyalty to our main character. That's just rushed writing it seems to me, even when there are action sequences, they end and it doesn't feel like we have gone anywhere even though the stakes are incredibly high, and the ending just comes from no where and stops the book. It isn't satisfying in any real way. I had real high hopes and I was very disappointed by this novel. The 2 stars is because there is some fun in the action sequences and during some of the middle of the book but the characters nature of "they can because these are our heroes" doesn't work for me.
kitkar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mizz_performer's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't find it as enthralling as Ready Player One, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once again it delivers a rich detailed world with impactful characters.
goobearmilltato's review against another edition
4.0
I can't justifiably give this a lower rating because I couldn't put it down, but I have some serious gripes with Cline's writing. Mostly I don't think he can write a compelling character at all. The set up to both Ready Player One and Armada had me feeling like I was reading the script to a Big Bang Theory episode. It felt like 90% pandering to the audience he wants to get to buy his books and 10% character development. No one in real life drops sci-fi movie quotes every other sentence. I wish he would concentrate more on making his characters seem like real people and less on telling me all the shows and books they like.
Once the story gets going, though, it sucked me in and didn't let go. It isn't a brilliantly original masterpiece of storytelling, but it is interesting and delivered at breakneck speed. It might be too groan-inducing for some, however.
Once the story gets going, though, it sucked me in and didn't let go. It isn't a brilliantly original masterpiece of storytelling, but it is interesting and delivered at breakneck speed. It might be too groan-inducing for some, however.
jonny422's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I listens to the Audio book which was narrated by Will Wheaton who did a great job in my opinion. The book itself was good. A little slow in the first half but the you stay interested with a lot of the pop culture references that are important for the setting. I had a lot of fun listening to this one.
afkehuldrike's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
cpascual's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Ernest Cline’s books are so fun! I love that the heroes are always teenagers, and I really appreciated the familial relationships in this.
divvydavvy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0