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In a future of limited resources and failing infrastructure, humanity lives out its dreams in a massive virtual reality game-world. Wade Watts is a high school student, getting an elite education for free despite his impoverished real-world life, because that was the vision of the game\u2019s creator: unlimited access to knowledge, for rich and poor alike, where every kid has a genuine opportunity to make something of themselves. But not everyone wants to keep it that way.<\/p>\n
The original programmer is dead, and a prize is hidden in the game. Whoever decodes the clues first will inherit his billions\u2014and control the virtual universe. Wade has been searching for years. If he wins, he can leave his life in \u201cthe stacks\u201d behind, and he can protect the world he knows and loves. But big business is searching too. If they win, the world can say goodbye to free education. That could add up to trillions, and they\u2019ll do anything to get it.<\/p>\n
Level 1 – the N00b<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if you know nothing about gaming or 80\u2019s culture, Ready Player One<\/em> is a fantastic story that anyone can enjoy. Wade is a tremendously likable main character on an epic quest against dangerous antagonists, and the save-the-world stakes are both believable and relevant in today\u2019s world. (If you think universal access to unfettered education doesn\u2019t seem like a big deal, take it from a team that spent several years representing kids in child services cases: it is.)<\/p>\n Level 2 – the MMORPG\u2019er<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever played a video game\u2014especially a massively multiplayer online role-playing game\u2014you\u2019ll have even more to love. The virtual world that Cline has envisioned for Ready Player One<\/em> is the kind of legendary experience any gamer would drool over. I mean, the kid gets to go to school in the game. You can buy planets and literally build worlds. Do you have a favorite spaceship? Build it! A castle dream home? Live in it! An imaginary alien pet? Create it! You get the idea.<\/p>\n Level 3 – the 80\u2019s F4n4t1c<\/strong><\/p>\n Not a gamer? No problem! Level three belongs to the 80\u2019s fans, and you don\u2019t have to be old enough to remember those years to love them. (But hey, props if you were alive for the decade.) Cline\u2019s programmer character was obsessed with the 80\u2019s, so his clues are heavily grounded in the culture. 80\u2019s fans will appreciate the oodles of references to television, movies, music, and games that Wade soaks up as research for his quest.<\/p>\n Level 4 – the 80\u2019s G4m3r<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, if you were an actual 80\u2019s gamer\u2014if you remember games on cartridge tape and dial-up modems and pixels the size of your thumbnail\u2014your entire reading experience will be permeated with an added level of nostalgia. From TRS-80\u2019s to first-generation arcade games, Cline transports the reader back to the very birth of the computer age. But don\u2019t worry if this doesn\u2019t apply to you. All the plot elements are well explained. It\u2019s just an added level of fandom for vintage geeks\u2014the unsung heroes who paved the way for the modern gaming era.<\/p>\nBOTTOM LINE: One of our all-time favorite reads. An epic quest story that transcends genre. Don’t miss it!<\/h4>\n