Review: Ready Player One

I'm sure it's not escaped the notice of many of you that Ready Player One by Ernest Cline has been an extremely popular book of late. I've seen reviews just about everywhere, all of which have adamantly sung the book's praises. Once I'd gathered the book's premise, it seemed to me the perfect book to get for my brother (who can sometimes be less than enthusiastic about reading) for his birthday. Then, in true sibling fashion, I immediately borrowed it back, I was that impatient to read it!

So, what did I think?

I must admit, I went into this book with rather high hopes. And it did not disappoint! The world was interesting and (mostly) believable, the dialogue was fun, the characters were good, and the plot itself kept me on the edge of my seat. I actually considered canceling plans with friends because I wanted to keep reading it. That's how gripping it was!

I think part of what was so enjoyable, though, was seeing how much fun the author had obviously had with the book. Every page was crammed with geeky 80s pop culture references and the narration had a layer of snark to it that just added to the effect. To be honest, a lot of the references went over my head (since I wasn't around in the 80s) but I still found them really fun. I imagine the experience would be even better if you got all the jokes.

Let's be honest, this book was pure wish-fulfillment. The nerdy, unpopular, poor, unattractive gamer beating the odds and winning the most epic game in history, while getting a girlfriend and perfect body to boot, is straight out of a stereotypical nerd's cliché daydream. But so what!? It worked! And I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

What did you think of Ready Player One?