Ready Player One
Trigger warnings: murder, indentured servitude
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Billionaire James Halliday dies and leaves the key to his fortune inside a video game.
Wade Watts is a gamer residing near Oklahoma City in the year 2044. After the death of his mother, Wade goes to live with her sister who takes him in for the extra food stamps. Because Wade's aunt can't see him with anything of value, he keeps his video game paraphernalia hidden in an abandoned van at the base of their vertical trailer park.
When billionaire video game creator James Halliday dies and leaves the key to his fortune inside the game, many of the diehard gamers begin hunting for Easter eggs. Interest wanes after a year but Wade keeps hunting. Wade is obsessed with Halliday and his creation -- the immersive digital world called OASIS. Wade becomes a student of the 1980s, studying the video games and movies Halliday was a fan of as a teen.
Five years after Halliday's death, Wade is the first person to discover a key that leads to the next clue. The public scoreboard for the competition puts Wade's avatar Parzival at the top, and he becomes an instant worldwide celebrity.
Wade and his friends in the OASIS quickly realize that large corporation IOI is willing to do anything, including murder, to gain the financial power of the OASIS and its parent company.
For those who have already seen the film, the book's plot is very different from the movie's. The competitions in the novel are more cerebral and would not transfer as well to a visual medium, so the contest is more action-packed in the movie.
Wil Wheaton is the perfect choice of narrator for this book. He captures Wade's teenage angst and sarcasm flawlessly. Because of the first-person narrative, it sounds as if Wheaton is telling a story around a campfire rather than reading a novel.
Highly recommended for teenagers, adult geeks, and video game aficionados. Science fiction fans, lovers of underdog stories, and 1980s enthusiasts will also find something to appreciate.
Ernest Cline is a "full-time geek" who lives in Austin, Texas.
Series: Ready Player One, #1
Publisher: Ballantine (print); Random House Audio
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Running Time: 15 hours, 30 minutes
Length: 384 pages
Release Date: August 16, 2011
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I received a digital audio recording of this title from the publisher through the Volumes App as a librarian review copy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.