READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

  

      The book took me two days to finish. I hardly had time to post that I started reading this on Goodreads. It's not because the book was hard to get through, but because there’s plenty to soak in. I mean, there are literally worlds of information to soak in. I cannot simply zip through it without enjoying it, right? There are worlds within worlds, as much as there are games within games. Arcade games are played in 3D; there are virtual schools and libraries; players get to have armors, swords, and magical powers; spaceships too; and 80’s music and movies. And that Og guy is ridiculously a-ma-zing. His estate was modeled after Rivendell. He is one of my favorite guys right now because he plays Duran Duran and Billy Idol…  
...Am I making any sense here?

Okay, let me back up a little…

The setting is 2044, the Earth is a mess. There’s an energy crisis, food crisis, and the rest of the crisis we can think of to add on the list. Possibly, the only good thing about that age ahead is the existence of OASIS, a free online simulation of a virtual utopia, wherein anyone can log in and escape their ugly reality.

OASIS was created by James Halliday, who died without an heir to his vast empire and fortunes. After his death, his last will was released to the world. Within the OASIS, Halliday hid an Easter Egg, whoever finds it will inherit everything that he owned, including OASIS itself. Naturally, people want to get their hands on the egg. These egg hunters are called gunters, and among them are Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, Shoto, and Daito. The book is narrated from Parzival’s POV, so it mostly chronicles his adventures. His adventures can be rated from amusing, to excitingly dangerous.

For a bunch of hairless apes, we've actually managed to invent some pretty incredible things.

This book also has everything from 80s pop culture references, to a futuristic dystopian world with virtual and real-life danger, plus plenty of mysteries and quests. The main characters are likable with distinct personalities and typical young-adult angst. This is simply one of those fun books -it’s not particularly deep or thought-provoking. It’s just a plain enjoyable ride.

READY PLAYER ONE is one incredibly detailed and well-thought-out virtual world, constructed with astounding creativity and imagination. For an 80’s kid like me, it feels like coming home. 

Book details: 

Title:  Ready Player One

Author:  Ernest Cline

Publication:  August 16th, 2011, Random House NY 

Genre:  Science Fiction, YA

Rating:  ★★★★

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Say It With A Book #5 | READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

Guest Book Reviewer | Grace Dela Rosa

   

I know it should've been rounded up but it's just not a 5-star read for me. But not a 4-star either, thus the half star on my actual rating.

This was like reading an anime with an all-important game and the imperfect and ordinary (who's really not so ordinary) hero who wins the game. It reminded me of Flame of Recca's Ura Buto Satsujin, Naruto's Chunin exam, Yakitate Japan's bread battles, and all those other animes that made me hooked up on an all-consuming competition. So despite being perpetually confused and lost on all the '80s and videogame references, I really enjoyed it. Even being a non-gamer, I appreciated the intense competition the whole plot was centered on. Aside from this, I also enjoyed the riddle solving and trivia bombs dropped all throughout the story. I enjoyed this so much I slept at 6am just to finish this. :)

My only complaint was the almost clinical and sterile interactions between humans when they were not in the OASIS world. They were more human-like in OASIS and this disturbed me a bit. I know they were socially inept young adults but the conversations amongst them all when they finally met were stilted at best. One instance is when Wade and Aech met. Despite Wade saying that they were already comfortable with each other after the initial tension, I still did not feel the camaraderie that best friends have. I guess the best parts of the book were when Wade was operating on his own.

I have a gamer friend who really enjoyed this so I guess I would definitely recommend this book to all gamers out there. This is a real gem for you. :)

P.S. I'm so excited for the movie. Hihi.

Book details:

Title:  Ready Player One

Author:  Ernest Cline

Publisher:  Crown

Publication:  August 16, 2011

Genre:  Fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars

About Grace:

Hello there! I'd like you to meet a girl who shares my birth month, and one of those people I know with a big bright smile... Grace, better known as Gwaxa. 

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?  

Grace: Favorite genres are YA and romance. I also dabble in mystery and some(times) fiction. I rarely venture in other genres because I'm a slave of the familiar.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Grace:  I'm a very moody reader. I do not have any reading plan because I can't read a book if I'm not in the mood for it. You can also say that I'm an unadventurous reader because, as I said in my answer for the previous question, I'm a slave of the familiar. This also shows in my rereading habit. I have trusted books which I reread when I'm in a reading slump. My reading resolutions for this year include lessening my rereads (so I have to search for other ways to get out of my reading slump) and exploring other genres (classics and Filipiniana are among them). Good luck to me. :D

TPW:  Thank you for taking the time to do this, Grace. I am grateful! ♥

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