Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Nov 12, 2016 Jordan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-0-rating-or-higher

This was not my typical read...I'm not usually into sifi novels but this was kind of hard to catalogue into one specific genre. I guess it was more of a futuristic/dystopian/sifi, packed full of 80's trivia, and it had some realistic possibilities with the way technology continues to advance.
The whole book took place in a future United States where our society, and our planet as a whole, is falling apart after years of abuse and neglect from humans. Gasoline and energy are precious resources, f This was not my typical read...I'm not usually into sifi novels but this was kind of hard to catalogue into one specific genre. I guess it was more of a futuristic/dystopian/sifi, packed full of 80's trivia, and it had some realistic possibilities with the way technology continues to advance.
The whole book took place in a future United States where our society, and our planet as a whole, is falling apart after years of abuse and neglect from humans. Gasoline and energy are precious resources, few and far between and extremely expensive and most humans find there escape and refuge in a virtually reality world called the OASIS where many people spend the majority of their time working, playing games or going on quests, attending virtual school, shopping, exploring the 29 sectors of countless planets, all from the anonymity of the personal avatar of their design. The main character, Wade aka Perzeval, is trying to find the ultimate Easter egg, hidden in the Oasis by its founder, J. Holiday who informed every Oasis user of its existence and that he had hidden it somewhere within his vast creation. Whoever finds this hidden gem will inherit Holidays entire fortune worth multi billions! However, the nemesis of Perzeval, and all other Gunters (a term defining gamers who search for the egg professionally) are called the "Sixers", an organization also trying to find the egg so they can take over the Oasis, commercialize it and begin charging everyone who uses it a fee. The sixers are a powerful rival with many members, nearly endless resources, and they are willing to do anything to find Holiday's egg, including killing not only Avatars in the Oasis, but also the actual players controlling the avatars IRL.

One thing I loved about this book, being a child of the 80's myself, was all the 80's references and there were tons! From video games to movies, music, computer models, cartoons, toys, even cereal prizes, it was very nostalgic.

However , one thing that bothered me, and this really isn't a spoiler because it's mentioned in one of the first chapters, maybe even the first chapter, is that we are told right from the beginning that Perzeval won the inheritance by finding the hidden egg. The rest of the book is just an account of how he did it. I don't know why the author set it up like that, maybe because it would have been so obvious that that was what was going to happen he didn't want to insult the readers intelligence so he just put it out there, but whatever the reason it took away all the suspense and anticipation when you know from the beginning how a book is going to end. Regardless of that one little complaint I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone even if you're not into video games or sifi because this book really does have something for everyone. I have read there is going to be a movie adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg I believe, and I can't wait to see that not only because I loved the book so much but also because I can't even imagine how they will translate it from book to movie format. There will definitely be some crazy over the top special effects and if I had to guess I'd be inclined to assume it's going to be fantastic especially if the book is any indication! I gave this book a 5 star rating because it was such a fun, unique, creative read and completely unlike anything else I've ever read before (in a good way) and even though nothing like the OASIS exists today, Cline did such a great job describing it that I feel like I've been there myself, seen and experienced it, and can still recollect it in my minds eye when recalling this book. ...more

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Jul 08, 2018 Jenn G rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, read-in-2018, borrowed-from-library, 5-stars

4.5

This book was so full of geeky things I loved it! I have a thing for books set around a game and this one was such a fun one. I wasn't crazy about all the battle scenes (I can't picture them in my head and I lose some of the action) and the ''love'' story. Also, I don't know a lot about 80's culture but the explanations really helped me understand the references and it made me want to watch some of the movies mentioned in the book. ...more

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Apr 21, 2016 Cecily Black rated it really liked it

I am not really sure where to start with this review, so mind my rambling.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this novel.
I will be the first to say that when I started reading this book I honestly thought it was going to be a DNF. I was thinking that I was going to hate it as soon as I realized that "Oasis" was similar to the games League of Legends or World of Warcraft. I personally, don't play either one of those games or any games like it. Honestly, I think the only g I am not really sure where to start with this review, so mind my rambling.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this novel.
I will be the first to say that when I started reading this book I honestly thought it was going to be a DNF. I was thinking that I was going to hate it as soon as I realized that "Oasis" was similar to the games League of Legends or World of Warcraft. I personally, don't play either one of those games or any games like it. Honestly, I think the only game system I ever had was a Sega Dreamcast, so my knowledge on this topic is quite limited. (My ex tried to get me to play WoW once, I didn't even last 30 mins before I decided that a game like that was something I was not going to be able to invest my time in.)
Though I must give credit where credit is due, and applaud Ernest Cline for supplying so much information in his novel. There are many and I seriously mean many references to several topics like tv, music, computer and gaming systems, movies, and other pop culture references all throughout the book. I didn't feel like I was lacking information and I really got into the book.
The book is set in a futuristic world that has gone to shit, and everyone basically lives on their online world and does most everything through the internet. The money, the school system, work, all done online and in this world of Oasis. The creator of Oasis died, and there is a competition that if someone can figure out this game and get the magical egg, they will become rich and uncover secrets related to the entire system. Of course there's the corporate mongers who want to win to control the whole game and get rid of the failsafes that protect the users from an industry controlling it by charging users for their accounts or changing the game in anyway. (And of course the billions of dollars up for grabs in an impoverished world.) I could see how this book would make people intimidated and I know certain people won't even give it a chance. But as a person dead set against those kinds of games on my own personal level, this book was really good and I could not put it down. I even had a crappy sleep because I was just picturing how I thought it was going to end.
I also have to mention that the end was my favourite part. No, not because it was over but for the fact that it gives me hope for the future! (I won't give it away... just go read the book!)
Decent Read!
P.S. I had a better review for this but my internet crapped out and I lost it! BOO!! ...more

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Jan 22, 2016 ❤ Aly ❤ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 21st-two-month-reading-challenge, a-to-z-challenge-2016, 2016

Great book! I had been debating a long time whether or not to read this book. I didn't know if I was going to get some of the references and I didn't know if I was going to like it. To my surprise, I really liked the story and I understood most of the references. I am glad I finally read it. I recommend this book!

(view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 08, 2017 Heidi rated it really liked it

Nostalgic chocolate. Will definitely be a reread.

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Feb 20, 2018 Lindsey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, sci-fi

This was an interesting yet terrifying look into society's future. In the not-to-distant future (2044), the world is experiencing an energy crisis-dwindling natural resources, lack of food and widespread poverty. So to escape their bleak lives, most people spend their time immersed in the OASIS, an online virtual reality where they can be whoever or whatever they want. There is a whole sub-culture in the OASIS devoted to solving the riddles (based on the 1980s) of its deceased creator that promi ...more

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Feb 19, 2018 Lindsey rated it liked it · review of another edition

There was nothing too unpredictable, but a good, fun book.

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Nov 03, 2018 (Mellifluous Grant) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, bc-picks, scifi-fantasy, series-unfinished

I cannot begin to tell y'all how much I enjoyed this novel! I mostly listened to Will Wheaton narrate because I was having trouble getting into it. Once I started listening to Will though I couldn't stop! It was fast-paced, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved everything about this book. The 80s throw back, the characters, the highly emersive environments, the challenges...it was full of action and adventure and took to me place I could see myself living in (not that Id want to)... Overall ...more

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Dec 17, 2015 Jessie the Bibliophile ♥ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, sci-fi, audiobook, 2016, library, read-in-english

Wow! Absolutely loved this! I laughed out loud more than once, the characters were great, I could really feel with them. I was hooked from start to finish!! So sad for it to be over... :(

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