1 minute read
Ready Player One
By Julia D'Aloisio
How will the world appear in 2044? Earnest Cline attempts to answer this question in his New York Times bestselling dystopian Ready Player One Cline’s novel follows the life of Wade Watts, a young teenage boy living in “the stacks” (a condensed trailer park of vertically stacked trailers) Although he lived most of his early years in the “real world,” after the introduction of the OASIS, “a globally networked virtual reality,” his life never looked the same. After being granted a school issued OASIS to attend classes, he spent most of his days hooked into the OASIS, scouring the internet for clues to solve James Halliday’s quest. At the outset of the novel, Halliday, the creator of the OASIS, has recently died, leaving no heirs to inherit the wealth generated from the OASIS His quest: solve a series of puzzles in order to reach an elusive Easter egg hidden deep within the OASIS. And after hearing of this quest, Wade, living in poverty in his aunt’s trailer, embarks on a journey to reach the egg.
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From the novel's conception, Cline masterfully develops the plot By providing context of Wade’s world through the use of dialogue and descriptive accounts of Halliday’s past, one becomes immersed in the world Cline creates Along with impressive world building, Cline’s writing style also drives the plot forward. With each new idea introduced, the pace becomes more thrilling, quickly turning the novel into a page-turner Cline's immersive writing style allows one to feel as if they are right alongside Wade, gathering clues, uncovering mysteries, and solving Halliday’s quest Furthermore, the word inclusion of subplots serves to extend this pace while exploring the themes of friendship, love, and loyalty. Cline has also packed references to the time in which Halliday grew up - the ‘80s.
Anyone who read the Harry Potter series or enjoyed The Matrix is sure to appreciate Ready Player One. With its rich themes of nostalgia, identity, reality vs illusion, and corporate power, Cline’s novel is an engaging page-turner with mysteries to discover at every corner 100% recommend
