Log In

Reset Password
BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

For gamers especially, Ready Player One is a good read

Dynamic and unpredictable: Ready Player One tells the story of society in 2045, a world dominated by a virtual reality simulator

Book Review: Must Reads For Youth

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (13+)

This spellbinding virtual reality adventure (also a major motion picture!) will dazzle ‘80s fans and engross video game lovers. Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One tells the story of society in 2045, a world dominated by a virtual reality simulator: the Oasis.

In 2045, war-torn Earth is scarred by climate change, conflict, and poverty. As such, Oasis offers an escape from the real world.

James Halliday, the Oasis’s creator, has developed a contest to find an Easter egg that he has hidden in the virtual world in exchange for ownership of the Oasis company.

Wade Watts, the main character, is an 18-year-old orphan addicted to video games. Wade and his allies try to win the contest before an evil corporation can beat them to it and take away the joy of virtual reality.

The competition contains many 1980s pop culture references, as this made up the majority of Halliday’s clues to win Oasis.

Ready Player One is split into three parts: Level One, Level Two, and Level Three. As Watts progresses through his years-long quest for the Easter egg, his emotions fluctuate from elated to despaired, to hopeful.

Between Wade falling in love with his online crush, who plays on the Oasis under the name Art3mis, and life-and-death conflicts with evil corporations vying for control of the Oasis, the virtual world is dynamic and unpredictable.

An important theme in Ready Player One is the struggle of finding happiness; Wade’s reality as a poor orphan is depressing, stressful, and lonely. As such, he finds refuge in the Oasis.

This escapism persists throughout the novel until Wade begins to experience different sources of cheerfulness and develops into a generous and altruistic adult.

If you found Ready Player One entertaining, you might also enjoy virtual reality cautionary tales such as Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, or intense competition like Warcross by Marie Lu and Nyxia by Scott Reintgen.

Especially for youth who love video games, exciting books like Ready Player One tend to be great gateways into the world of reading.

You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.

Published April 03, 2023 at 7:45 am (Updated April 03, 2023 at 7:42 am)

For gamers especially, Ready Player One is a good read

What you
Need to
Know
1. For a smooth experience with our commenting system we recommend that you use Internet Explorer 10 or higher, Firefox or Chrome Browsers. Additionally please clear both your browser's cache and cookies - How do I clear my cache and cookies?
2. Please respect the use of this community forum and its users.
3. Any poster that insults, threatens or verbally abuses another member, uses defamatory language, or deliberately disrupts discussions will be banned.
4. Users who violate the Terms of Service or any commenting rules will be banned.
5. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted.
6. To understand further what is and isn't allowed and the actions we may take, please read our Terms of Service
7. To report breaches of the Terms of Service use the flag icon