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brandongryder's review against another edition
4.0
Worth reading for the 80's references alone. Throw in old school gaming and computers and you have a winner.
khueanhtran's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
very much geek heaven, very much reliving my middle school YA era
some of the writing feels a little juvenile reading it at this point in time but actually….it was really entertaining! like i finished it so fast
the thrill i experienced when recognizing a singular reference (the monty python one) really goes to show why/how this book would be so beloved by gamers/geeks (i say this endearingly)
some of the writing feels a little juvenile reading it at this point in time but actually….it was really entertaining! like i finished it so fast
the thrill i experienced when recognizing a singular reference (the monty python one) really goes to show why/how this book would be so beloved by gamers/geeks (i say this endearingly)
margaretcampbell's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
5.0
I really, really, enjoyed this book. I'm so glad I decided to finally read it!!
nepiche's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Pretty good! A few cringey parts with Art3mis and all. Very teenage boy coded in a painful way. But overlookable. Cool story. Company towns and indentured servitude and mid-decline of the USA—all feels very relevant right now.
elley_14's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jaklindberg's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
1980s' nerd porn
gatekeeping
incel
agoraphobic
recluse
gaming addiction
escapism
depression
masturbation
identity theft
low self-esteem
seeking social approval
stalking
misogyny
ableism
hyperfocus
There are many ways to describe this scary dystopian novel, which serves as a warning against relying too much on computers and how people become the humanoids from WALL-E, the 2008 Pixar film, by making connecting to the internet their sole aim in life. This got two stars because the storyline was easy to read/understand.
"In real life, I was nothing but an antisocial hermit. A recluse. A pale-skinned pop culture-obsessed geek. An agoraphobic shut-in with no real friends, family, or genuine human contact. I was just another sad, lost, lonely soul, wasting his life on a glorified videogame."
"You know you've totally screwed up your life when your whole world turns to shit, and the only person you have to talk to is your system agent software."
"I'd been offline for eight whole days- a personal record."
"...an obsessive-compulsive geek with no life."
"...I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized that, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place to find true happiness. Because reality is REAL."
gatekeeping
incel
agoraphobic
recluse
gaming addiction
escapism
depression
masturbation
identity theft
low self-esteem
seeking social approval
stalking
misogyny
ableism
hyperfocus
There are many ways to describe this scary dystopian novel, which serves as a warning against relying too much on computers and how people become the humanoids from WALL-E, the 2008 Pixar film, by making connecting to the internet their sole aim in life. This got two stars because the storyline was easy to read/understand.
"In real life, I was nothing but an antisocial hermit. A recluse. A pale-skinned pop culture-obsessed geek. An agoraphobic shut-in with no real friends, family, or genuine human contact. I was just another sad, lost, lonely soul, wasting his life on a glorified videogame."
"You know you've totally screwed up your life when your whole world turns to shit, and the only person you have to talk to is your system agent software."
"I'd been offline for eight whole days- a personal record."
"...an obsessive-compulsive geek with no life."
"...I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized that, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place to find true happiness. Because reality is REAL."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, Addiction, and Sexism
jsdrown's review against another edition
1.0
This has the distinguishing characteristic of being the first book in a long time I couldn't read past the 25 page mark. From what I've read the writing never improves, so I doubt I've missed much. What I did find in the first twenty-five pages of this monstrosity was endless references to 80s pop culture. This was an obvious ploy to pander to that demographic and it obviously worked.