Reviews with content warning for Ableism - Ready Player One

Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

8 reviews

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."

Content Warnings

jayjayre's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

I read this book when the hype first started and it was popular in the sci fi / fantasy recommendations, and I absolutely detested it.

I hate the main character, the plot was horrible, predictable, repetitive. It's not because it's gamified, I've read litrpg that was enjoyable. This is like a smarmy nerd playing through a game they've mastered while ranting about how great they are and winning despite being the most unlikeable mess of a person. I want to throw tomatoes at the main character while he slips on banana peels every day.

I cannot imagine anyone but young boys who want to read a messy power-fantasy enjoying this, the misogyny and other forms of bigotry baked in by the author's awful views gives this a hateful undercurrent that repeatedly pulled me out of the story, even when I tried to go along with it just to finish the book.

This is the type of main character and story I will dislike to my dying days. I sincerely regret spending time reading this book.

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buela22's review against another edition

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Overt stereotyping especially of ND people, misogyny, and I can't even imagine for a moment that it would pass the bechdel test even in one single paragraph.

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skyejay95's review against another edition

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adventurous informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I thought the world was fun but overall, there wasn’t that much happening and I hated the main character. Really didn’t like being in the head of an 18-year-old incel. Also, didn’t like the way the Japanese characters were painted like stereotypes. I’m not that well versed in the culture but I doubt they bow as much as they do in this book.

It’s also difficult to build tension when for the most part the stakes are limited to a fake world. The mc literally ignores all the major major issues in the real world for a video game and it isn’t really addressed at all. Wade does not grow as a person by the end. He just made me mad

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