Monday, July 23, 2012

READY PLAYER ONE

Author: Ernest Cline
Genre:  Sci-Fi, Standalone
Published:  2011
Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)
Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Wil Wheaton
Yearly Count:  64


Halliday, the creator of OASIS (virtual reality that is used by all members of society) has passed away and has left a fortune to one winner who can beat his last game.

This is a perfect book for those that love 80s video games and/or is a geek at heart. I don't fall into either category, so it turned out to be just a "good" audioread for me.  All the 80s references were interesting, and I enjoyed going along for the hunt, but ultimately it was a bit too much.  The plot was fun and unique; however, it was dragged down with all the details and made it feel too long. Also, I was surprised at the young adult feel it had.  I enjoy YA, but was not expecting it in this book.  Overall, it went well for a diversion audioread. 

11 comments:

  1. I am a geek so I loved this book.

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    1. Bermudaonion ~ I can see why it is a hit with so many people.

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  2. I'll take this as a positive. ;) I really enjoyed this one but have been having a tough time recommending it. My book club read it (against my advisement) and everyone loved it. I admit I'm still shocked. Just doesn't seem to be a book for everyone.

    Think I heard recently that there have been some YA campaigns for this one. I met the author at an event and he noted he is constantly surprised at how many young people are reading this one (and having to google the references).

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    1. Trish ~ I will only recommend it to a specific audience. I don't understand why he would be surprised. The main characters are high school kids, hello?! That certainly isn't the only criteria for labeling a book YA, but . . . it should, at the very least, remove the surprise!

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  3. I'm still listening to this audio, but I can already say that my rating is going to be much higher than yours. I'm lovin' it! And I'm not a computer geek or an 80s fan. I'm just having so much fun listening to the reader and this narrative. It does have a bit of a teen feel to it, but not in the way the Twilight series felt. Or The Hunger Games. At least, not in my opinion. :) Sorry you didn't love it. Don't you think it'd make a great movie, though?!

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    1. Les ~ Soooo glad you are loving it! I think it'd make a great movie for those that are geeks and love 80s video games! LOL HA! Just teasing you. I don't know. What would we see? Avatars on a computer screen? You're pushing it, Les. :) Enjoy the rest of it!

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    2. Les and Joy - About a month or so ago I went and saw Cline speak at my local bookstore and he talked a great deal about the movie which has been optioned by Warner Brothers after a bidding war. He said that it'll be a big summer blockbuster along the lines of Hunger Games! He doesn't have any more say now that he's sold the rights but said that it will probably be a lot of computer generated graphics--afterall, the Oasis had better resolution than the real world!

      Sorry--a small fan girl here. ;)

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    3. Trish ~ I think you just made Les's day!! :) Don't get me wrong, I thought it was good -- just not something I was really impressed with like many others. If Mr. Joy wants to see it at the movies, then I'll go, but otherwise, I'm going to pass. I did enjoy the Hunger Games movie, though.

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    4. Yahooooo!!!!! I think this will be a fantastic movie. I loved Minority Report and The Matrix and envision that sort of filmography for this book. Yep, you made my day, Trish! :)

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  4. Anonymous11:42 PM

    I want to read this one but wonder if I'll feel let down a little (like you) after all the hype. Maybe I'm not geeky enough for it.

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    Replies
    1. Stacybuckeye ~ So many people thoroughly enjoyed this one (including my husband), but it just didn't make for a terrific audioread for me. If you read it, I hope it goes better for you.

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