Book Review: Ready Player One

I have to say, I haven't found a book this hard to put down in a long while. I read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline as I was supposed to be studying for my in-training exam; that was the wrong time to start this book. I sped through it, loved every moment of it, and pined after I finished. The first novel by Ernest Cline, this is a futuristic science fiction novel that indulges in the past. He spins a yarn about a dystopic world where everyone lives in virtual reality yet has an obsession with the 1980s. The pop culture references he throws out - from music, movies, video games, clothing, fads - are so much fun. The story mirrors the kind of quest so often seen in early computer games that I loved. The writing reads easily, and the pages turn quickly. Like Ender's Game, this may quickly become the science fiction novel I recommend to friends. Give it a whirl - if you like the genre, the 1980s, or quest novels featuring the unlikely teenage narrator overcoming all the odds - this is for you.

Image shown under Fair Use, from Wikipedia.