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theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was so much fun!
Ready Player One was unlike any other book I'd ever read. It seamlessly meshed together adventure and pop culture in a way that just had me coming back for more. My husband and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton on a road trip and it made the time fly!
When I heard there would be a sequel, I didn't know what to expect. It felt as if the story had ended. I wondered if there would be another cast of characters or a completely different world or what?! If we're being really honest, I didn't go into this one with high expectations because I didn't think anything could capture my attention as the first book had.
I was wrong. This is how you write a sequel, people! Once again, I chose to listen to the audiobook (because no one narrates quite like Wil) and it was phenomenal from beginning to end. Action-packed and quick-paced, never a boring moment!
There were two tiny elements that I didn't adore and those were: the back-and-forth between avatar names and character names. It got confusing when the narration didn't stick with just one of them so at first, I couldn't even remember who "Samantha" was and it wasn't until she was titled "Artemis" that I was able to recall who they were speaking of. In addition, I didn't like Wade and Samantha's relationship. It was all so dramatic and chaotic. I realize that it was fundamental to the plot, but for most of the story, it didn't feel like that was the case and I kept getting frustrated with their immature tendencies.
I really loved the ending. It was not at all what I expected, but it was super cool and the epilogue really fascinated me. It felt like it was totally wrapped up and there couldn't be any more story... but maybe there could be? Could we have a story for just the Low Five in the future? We'll see, I guess!
Ready Player One was unlike any other book I'd ever read. It seamlessly meshed together adventure and pop culture in a way that just had me coming back for more. My husband and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton on a road trip and it made the time fly!
When I heard there would be a sequel, I didn't know what to expect. It felt as if the story had ended. I wondered if there would be another cast of characters or a completely different world or what?! If we're being really honest, I didn't go into this one with high expectations because I didn't think anything could capture my attention as the first book had.
I was wrong. This is how you write a sequel, people! Once again, I chose to listen to the audiobook (because no one narrates quite like Wil) and it was phenomenal from beginning to end. Action-packed and quick-paced, never a boring moment!
There were two tiny elements that I didn't adore and those were: the back-and-forth between avatar names and character names. It got confusing when the narration didn't stick with just one of them so at first, I couldn't even remember who "Samantha" was and it wasn't until she was titled "Artemis" that I was able to recall who they were speaking of. In addition, I didn't like Wade and Samantha's relationship. It was all so dramatic and chaotic. I realize that it was fundamental to the plot, but for most of the story, it didn't feel like that was the case and I kept getting frustrated with their immature tendencies.
I really loved the ending. It was not at all what I expected, but it was super cool and the epilogue really fascinated me. It felt like it was totally wrapped up and there couldn't be any more story... but maybe there could be? Could we have a story for just the Low Five in the future? We'll see, I guess!
Moderate: Torture, Death, and Violence
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
shadyeglenn's review against another edition
0/10 Just Plain Bad
Straight, white, cis man writes self-indulgent and philosophically bankrupt piece of nostalgia porn featuring racist, sexist, and homophobic ideologies.
For a good SF book written by a white man with similar-ish SF tech, I would recommend:
-An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
For all around excellent SF to get the homophobic/sexist/racist taste out of your mouth:
-The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
For hard SF:
-The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken
For thrilling SF that is a great catharsis for releasing anger (with a satisfying ending):
-The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Please value your time and read something other than this book, see above suggestions for a valuable use of your time.
Straight, white, cis man writes self-indulgent and philosophically bankrupt piece of nostalgia porn featuring racist, sexist, and homophobic ideologies.
For a good SF book written by a white man with similar-ish SF tech, I would recommend:
-An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
For all around excellent SF to get the homophobic/sexist/racist taste out of your mouth:
-The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
For hard SF:
-The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken
For thrilling SF that is a great catharsis for releasing anger (with a satisfying ending):
-The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Please value your time and read something other than this book, see above suggestions for a valuable use of your time.
Moderate: Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, and Misogyny
honeybeatslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It touched on so many social issues: sexism, racism, LGBTQIA+-phobia. I laughed, I cried, I felt every emotion. One of the messages that really stuck with me is that if you had to see yourself through someone else's eyes--how would they experience you? Would you be a monster? It highlights the power of social media/or in this case the ONI system--but also highlights how it can be truly terrible and truly great. A book of social commentary wrapped up in amazing gaming and film references--it was honestly everything.
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Domestic abuse
kaylamoran's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was worried about this book when I heard about it, because I felt like Ready Player One was one of those books that should remain a standalone. After reading this, I think I was right.
Ready Player One was, in my opinion, better than this book in every single way. It was paced better, the story was more exciting, more happened (this one felt repetitive, like it was the same thing over and over with very little variety). It was funnier, and the characters had more personality. There weren't many surprise twists and big reveals. All in all, I'm left feeling disappointed.
I didn't hate this by any means. I still give it 3 stars. But, given that the first book was much better, and Cline had the better part of a decade to write this, I had hoped for a lot better.
Ready Player One was, in my opinion, better than this book in every single way. It was paced better, the story was more exciting, more happened (this one felt repetitive, like it was the same thing over and over with very little variety). It was funnier, and the characters had more personality. There weren't many surprise twists and big reveals. All in all, I'm left feeling disappointed.
I didn't hate this by any means. I still give it 3 stars. But, given that the first book was much better, and Cline had the better part of a decade to write this, I had hoped for a lot better.
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Violence, Medical trauma, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexism, Racism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Terminal illness
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