I know what you’re thinking–Why is this Jane Austen-loving, Downton Abbey-watching girl reviewing a sci-fi novel that is based on 80s pop culture and classic video games? Well, sometimes reading outside of your wheelhouse pays off. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is not my normal type of book, but I’ve been seeing it everywhere, so I decided to check it out. I used an Audible credit to buy the audiobook version, but about halfway through the book I realized I would definitely be rereading this one.

The book is set in the future, when Earth is a mess and everyone resorts to an online video game called the OASIS. The creator of the OASIS, before he died, left a hidden “easter egg” inside the OASIS that gives the person who finds it control over the whole game. The main character, an 18-year-old kid named Wade, enters in the hunt, and the rest of the book is an insane, virtual scavenger hunt.

One of the major themes of the book is nostalgia. The creator of the hunt was obsessed with the 1980s, so each challenge in the hunt deals with classic 80s movies, video games, and music. For all of the nostalgic references and video game terminology that I didn’t understand, this book is action-packed and exciting. Cline does a great job of building a world, which is a difficult feat, considering how many different elements interact in this novel.

While I know this book won’t be for everyone, I’m glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and read it. This was also my 25th book of 2016, so I’m officially halfway finished with my goal!

Have you ever stepped outside your reading comfort zone? Was it a good experience?

Keep Reading!

Sarah