Book Review | NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE by Preston Norton

NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE

BY PRESTON NORTON | PUBLICATION: JUNE 5, 2018
DISNEY HYPERION | GENRE: YA FICTION
RATING: ★★★★★

"It will take you on an emotional journey in various directions."

____________________________________________________________________

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS--Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

____________________________________________________________________

NEANDERTHAL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE UNIVERSE addresses many elements common in contemporary high school dramas. It will take you on an emotional journey in various directions. Yet, high school wouldn’t be high school without its dramas. I appreciate how Preston Norton managed to weave everything together and deliver a thoughtful exploration. He was straightforward, and all the parts fit cohesively. The story contains intense emotions, and I genuinely believe many readers will find value in it, regardless of their belief in God.

Cliff is an extraordinary character. A Neanderthal. Everything about him is larger than life, including his kind heart and sharp mind. He has a balance (Luke Skywalker would be proud) that many overlook. However, he also carries pain and guilt. Often, I felt like embracing this giant and reassuring him that his intentions are good.

This book is both deeply touching and humorous. I found myself both sniffling and laughing at times, sometimes simultaneously. I highlighted numerous passages because I couldn’t get enough of Norton’s cleverness. He created a diverse cast of intriguing characters and tackled important topics, with BIAS being a central theme. This is a significant issue made up of many factors, making life difficult for many, especially young people.

I highly recommend this book. Sensitive readers should be aware that it contains a lot of swearing, but also understand that such language reflects real life.

We’re all going to die. And we only have so many cares to give in a lifetime. So care about what truly matters.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Preston Norton teaches environmental science to fifth graders. He is the author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, Where I End & You Begin, and Hopepunk. He is married with three cats.

*Thank you Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the DRC,
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | SELECT by Marit Weisenberg

October 3, 2017
Charlesbridge Teen

“It had always been a fact of life that we were biologically different—better—and that it had to be kept secret.”  

Seventeen-year-old Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. She’s beautiful, freakishly athletic, and extremely smart. That’s because she comes from a race of highly-evolved humans living in the heart of Austin, Texas.  

In order to protect their anonymity and preserve their elite society, Julia’s powerful father forces her to suppress her abilities. When she accidentally demonstrates her super human prowess in public, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school. Thrust into the confusion and humiliation of a normal high school, Julia is just trying to keep her head down when John Ford strolls into her life. (Read complete synopsis here.)

This book basically has that Star-Crossed-Lovers trope. Julia Jaynes was born to a billionaire family with genetically superior genes than common humans. For decades, her kind is hiding in plain sight among the populace. And despite their great fortune and efforts, they are close to extinction. Meanwhile, John Ford is your average senior high school guy struggling to get into college through a scholarship.

The book synopsis said it all. Readers don’t have to look very far and grasp that this book has all the trending YA elements:  (1) a certain group of people with inhuman abilities, (2) they need to keep their identity a secret, (3) intermingling is a big no, (4) angsty teenagers, (5) stunning beauty, and (6) a love triangle. If you are into all of that, then, this book is for you. However, I am looking for something… more. I was looking for something outstanding in the story that may trump those previous YA books. Something absolutely exciting or may shock the senses, that will remain with the reader for a long period of time.

Now, I am not saying that there is nothing great about this book. The story is really well-paced. I read the whole book for only a few hours without any backtracking. The general plot is very interesting. Julia came from a group of people who experienced genocide. Their number is small and nearing extinction. Now, that’s a huge topic to explore, given with all the issues in the world today. I was actually hoping the story to explore more of this perspective, rather than the love pursuits of the characters.  And speaking of characters, I like them. They need more depth, not just their life grievances. But yes, I do like them.

Overall, this is okay. It has plenty of potentials and hopefully, Ms. Weisenberg explores them all.

Book detail:

Title:  Select

Author:  Marit Weisenberg

Publication:  October 3rd, 2017 by Charlesbridge Teen

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★

Book #2: Select Few

*Thanks to Charlesbridge Teen and Netgalley for the copy.

Read more →

Book Review | A LIST OF CAGES by Robin Roe

     

January 10, 2017
Disney-Hyperion

A LIST OF CAGES is not your average contemporary young adult novel. With deep raw emotions and a loud call for compassion, Robin Roe wrote a debut that may mark every reader forever.

Fourteen-year-old Julian is reclusive, anxious, and suffers from self-esteem attacks. Five years ago, he lost both of his parents in a car accident and he was immediately folded into foster care. As a high school freshman, school is very difficult for Julian. He has learning disabilities, which makes him an everyday target for bullies, and, sadly, his teachers never cared enough to help him.

Adam, meanwhile, is a high school senior, whose present elective is to help the school psychologist track down Julian and make sure he doesn’t (conveniently) miss more appointments. It should help that Adam was once Julian’s foster brother, but the present Julian that Adam is trying to engage is too different from the one he remembered. So, despite their age difference and preferences, Adam threw in some effort in including Julian into his circle of friends and adds some sense of normalcy into the boy’s life. 

As the story unfolds, Adam suspected that things are much worse than Julian lets on, but Julian is frantic in keeping his friend at arm’s length. Undeterred, Adam is resolute to find out the answers to his worrying questions.

"I know it’s pointless, but I find myself doing it now.

Projecting thoughts and whispering names.

Trying to send out a message that will never be received."

This book caught me off guard. I didn't know when the tears start spilling, but they certainly did. Julian’s story squeezed my heart; it was so painful that at times I wanted to shout.  What happened to him was harrowing. I terribly wished for him to open up, tell the truth, to call for help. I could feel his anguish and fear -his list of cages- that entraps him. This book could hurt you too. 

Statistics says (1) that there are estimated 400,000 kids in (USA) foster care right now; (2) that foster kids can suffer from PTSD at almost two times the rate of returning veterans; (3) that the average age of a foster child is 9-years old; (4) that half of all foster kids are in non-relative foster homes. Julian’s story may not be real, but there are thousands that undoubtedly are. I highly recommend that you read A LIST OF CAGES, too.👍

Book details: 

Title:  A LIST OF CAGES

Author:  Robin Roe

Publication:  January 10, 2017; by Disney-Hyperion

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★★★

*Thank you, Disney-Hyperion, for the galley.
*This review contains a quote from an uncorrected copy.

Read more →

Sneak Peek Review | WHAT LIGHT by Jay Asher

  

October 18, 2016;

Penguin Young Readers Group

Click here.

Read more →

Say It With A Book #10 | All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

With Guest Book Reviewer | Mawi Lopez

   

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES is the story of how one event joined the lives of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. I kept on coming across reviews that say this book is The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park, but honestly I don't see the comparison with either of the two. Sure there are similarities with some of the characters but the themes presented between all three books were dissimilar. Nevertheless, I liked all three of them. On with this book's review… Btw, I don't really do book reviews so please bear with me :)

I highly recommend this book to people who have gone through and have coped with loss, to readers who love young adult themes and to everyone who wanted a little glimpse of what it's like to have someone so special change your life forever.

The book tackled issues about teenage suicide, bullying, mental/emotional disorder, the feeling of being alone despite having people around, loss, divorce and the effects of broken families on the children. It was done in a way that, I think, young people would appreciate and relate to. The author’s note at the end even included organizations one can contact if they’re experiencing said problems and needed help, which is a really nice thing. On the bright side, the story of how Violet and Finch touched each other’s lives was lovely (because lovely is a lovely word that should be used more often). I can’t help but root for them and hope that everything will turn out well for them both. I, also, was utterly pained by the ending as I was so hoping for it to end the other way. I’m not saying the ending was bad, it was good, but I just wished it did not end that way.

I will end this review with a really lovely quote from the book: 

You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.

PS. I totally love the part where they did the Before I die I want to _______ thing. Because it was a really lovely scene and because it has some Jimmy Page reference (please pardon this JP fan) in it.

Book details: 

Title: All the Bright Places 

Author:  Jennifer Niven

Publication: January 6, 2015; Penguin Random House

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating: ★★★★

...

About Mawi:

Born as Maridon Lopez, but we lovingly call her Mawi. We share a common love for dogs, and we both adored the above-reviewed book. Remembering how she felt when she first joined our TFG activity, back in January 2015, she thought that she'd be an oddball. Little did she know that we're all oddballs in our own little ways. She belongs!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Mawi: I will have to say historical fiction and YA, depending on the theme though, nothing too mawkish please.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Mawi:  I always make it a point to read for pleasure alone. If someone asks me to read a book and at some point found it unbearable, I will put it down and find something better to read. Although, sometimes, I find myself finishing just for the sake of finishing, but that happens very rarely. And I never read two books at any given period, as in I have to finish one first before starting another. 

TPW:  Thank you very much, Mawi!

Read more →

The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

  

A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller, bookish, and an easy target for bullies, Alex hasn't had the easiest childhood.

But when he meets curmudgeonly widower Mr. Peterson, he finds an unlikely friend. Someone who teaches him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make it count.

So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the front seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing ...

Introducing a bright young voice destined to charm the world,The Universe Versus Alex Woods is a celebration of curious incidents, astronomy and astrology, the works of Kurt Vonnegut and the unexpected connections that form our world.

The opening introduced the supposedly missing Alex Woods at 1 o’clock in the morning, held up by border police in Dover -with a stash of weed, an urn of human ashes, and the Messiah blasting off to a maximum out from the car-  inadvertently during a seizure attack and bad weather. And he thinks it was Fate’s funny joke.

Well, it seems I began at the ending, too, the same way Mr. Extence did. Anyhow, Alex took a time lead and showed us when it all began –from a meteorite that pierced their roof and his skull, to the bullies that broke a neighbor’s greenhouse, and the shared admiration for Kurt Vonnegut. What started as a punishment grew into an unconventional friendship with great respect and profound understanding, even when circumstances are grave and irreversible. Maybe Alex is right, after all, Fate had something to do with it.

Alex is such a unique individual with a heart like a sponge. He provides space for people and accepts them for who they are. He looks at people and tries very hard to see the person in them instead. I believe Mr. Peterson is a very lucky old man to have him as a friend, especially during his most feeble state. Likewise, Mr. Peterson is exactly what Alex needed at his age -a fatherly figure that treats him as an equal and indulges his uniqueness. And the love…well, that happened unsurprisingly.

I honestly find it hard to come up with the right words to describe how much I really love this book; that even though I’ve read it eight months ago, I still can’t shake it off me. Whichever hit me more, the moral dilemma or the faithfulness grounded on true friendship, I can’t rightly point out. Maybe both. Two things I am sure though, this book is one of my best reads and I highly recommend it. 

Book details:

Title: The Universe Versus Alex Woods

Author: Gavin Extence

Publication:  January 31st, 2013 by Hodder & Stoughton

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating:  ★★★★★

Read more →

Say It With A Book # 8 | Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Guest Book Reviewer | Ingrid Mae Membrere

     

It's one of those books about summer that well, isn't all about summer.

It's about a friendship between Anna and Frankie and Matt. Anna the shy one, Frankie the more outgoing one, and Matt the brother of Frankie and the bestfriend-that-is-a-boy for Anna. Happy and Sad. Befores and Afters. But it talks about grief too. I'm not entirely sold about the grief part, but this book did capture the summer vibe. The characters weren't as likeable, or relatable, as I thought they would be (or maybe it's just me outgrowing the YA genre). I could quite say it was a similar read to The Sky is Everywhere so if you've read that book and liked it, you might want to read this book. Also, if you want to know how to find summer flings (20 boys in 3 weeks at The Golden City), then this is the book for you, haha!

Book Details:
Title:  Twenty Boy Summer
Author:  Sarah Ockler
Publication:  June 1, 2009; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre:  YA Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

About Ingrid:

     

Hi everyone, meet Ingrid! She is one of the youngest members of TFG, and more of a daughter to me, since my own is just about the same age too. As it happens, this charming young lady recently passed the Occupational Therapist Licensure Examination and hooked the 3rd highest rank. We're all very proud of her!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Ingrid:  My favorite genre would be young adult (Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, John Green, to name a few). I'm probably a wee bit too old for this genre (?) but what I like about these books is that they're relatively easier to read. Most of the time, I read for pleasure; some young adult books would give me warm and fuzzy feelings, some others ignite the thrill-seeker in me through the intense action-packed adventures, but all of which simply take my mind off things.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ingrid:  As mentioned earlier, I read mostly for pleasure. I guess with that, I could say I'm quite picky and can be a book snob. Life's too short to read books you don't really like, or so someone said. You'd rarely catch me reading philosophical, historical, "heavy" literary works, and other books which would make one think, unless otherwise required (i.e. books of the month) by my book clubs (The Filipino Group and Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books, based on Goodreads). 

When I'm in the mood for reading, or when a book is really, really engaging, I'd make sure to finish it within the day (given the free time) or as soon as I can. But like all readers, I also encounter reading slumps which could go on for days, or weeks. I'm not overly conscious of how I get out of it. I just read what I can, when I can because the only way to get out of a reading slump is, well, to read!

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ingrid, for sharing. Again, congratulations and Godspeed!

Ingrid:  Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog!  ♥♥

Read more →

Book Review | THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig

February 16th, 2016 by Greenwillow Books

March 3rd, 2016 by Hot Key Books

It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveler. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just too distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever. ~Goodreads

Heidi Heilig penned a very impressive debut. Creating a seamless timeline for time-traveling is not easy, but she effortlessly did it. Heilig introduced a new sense of time-traveling that details every curve and rocks of a shoreline, possible only through a meticulously-inked map. The authenticity of the settings is vivid and concrete, both the scenery and culture.

The incredible premise is made stable by the steady building plot. It’s easy to follow and very convincing. Replete of poetic prose with the addition of the characters’ easy jibe and wit, the narration is simply enjoyable.

I love this diversity of characters, their individual distinction is engaging.  They are fleshed out enough to retain a certain amount of mystery. Perhaps, it’s Heilig’s unspoken promise for the coming sequel. Their relationships are very intriguing as well, especially, Nix and Slate’s stained father-daughter partnership, which is exceedingly fascinating since there is also an unquestionable amount of respect moving around their ship. And although there is also romance on the plot, I really like how Heilig downplayed it to give more focus on the adventure and the gathering details.

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE is a product of both hard research and great imagination. You can’t go wrong with that! Pre-order your copies now.

Book details:
Title:  The Girl from Everywhere
Series:  The Girl from Everywhere #1
Author:  Heidi Heilig
Publication:  February 16th, 2016 by Greenwillow Books
                         March 3rd, 2016 by Hot Key Books
Genre:  YA, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

*Thanks to Hot Key Books and Netgalley for the digital galley in exchange for this unbiased review.

Read more →

Sneak Peek Review | THE FORBIDDEN WISH by Jessica Khoury

  

• February 23, 2016, 
• Razorbill

I have this unspoken love for reimagined fairy tales, myths, and legends. So when NetGalley offered a sneak preview of this book, I took it without any hesitation.

This is a retelling of Alladin, narrated from the Genie’s point of view. Finally, the genie was given a history, a backstory that goes beyond the Lamp. Ms. Khoury’s added twists are really intriguing. After reading the first eight chapters, I can readily say that she has a very cohesive plot. A lot has been put together to plausibly answer some millennial-old questions without losing any of the magical elements that made Alladin a beloved story for all time.

A few cleaning up, here and there, and this book is ready to go. Something great and exciting to look forward coming February 2016.

Book details:

Title:  The Forbidden Wish

Author:  Jessica Khoury

Publication: February 23, 2016; by Razorbill

Genre:  YA Fiction / Fantasy

Rating:  ★★★★

*Thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for the preview.

Read more →

Book Review | NIRVANA by J.R. Stewart

Final Draft

  

November 10, 2015; 
Blue Moon Publishers

When I read the 1^st draft, I have to be honest, I was not excited enough despite the authenticity of the premise. Then, I got offered to read it again, because JR Stewart basically rewrote the whole book based on the reader’s feedback.

I’m glad that I agreed!

Nirvana is the 1^st installment of a three-part series. Everything started with the extinction of bees. It seems irrelevant, but no. Without the bees, there was zero pollination in our future. Soon the whole ecosystem got affected. There are people fighting to bring it all back, but there are powerful people who work to amass great profit from the situation. Instead, most people are pacified by the virtual reality world, Nirvana, created by the big corporation Hexagon.

The perspective of the story is not far-fetched from the reality we live in right now. The environmental issues we are facing, the voracious appetite of the society for computer-generated escape, and big companies taking advantage of the aforementioned situations -these are the reality of our present lives. Relating to this story is not difficult.

Find out who fights along with Andrew and Larissa to gain back what was lost. Find out where reality ends and make-believe begins in this new exciting series.

Book details:

Title:  Nirvana

Author:  J.R. Stewart

Publication:  November 10, 2015; Blue Moon Publishers

Genre:  Science Fiction

Rating:  3.5 stars

*Again, thanks to Blue Moon Publishers for sharing a copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

Read more →

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

   

I’d like to start by saying that Aristotle (Ari) is a lonely boy, but it wouldn’t be fair and accurate. At the beginning of the story, he seemed to be content wallowing in his aloneness, bitterness, and own confusion. He rarely speaks with his family, although his mother tries. Ari’s only brother is in prison and his family avoids that story; his sisters are both far too senior from him and already married; and his father is disconnected, not by distance, but by an emotional barrier. Not that Ari himself didn’t have his own wall erected. He’s afraid of emotional attachment or emotional investment that will force him to be responsible for people’s feelings towards him. But he has too many emotions hidden inside, beautiful and sad, waiting to be let out.

I had learned to hide what I felt. No, that's not true.

There was no learning involved. I had been born knowing how to hide what I felt.

Dante, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. His perspective is nothing but positive. Talk about optimism at its heights here. He is crazy in love with his parents, whose opinions and support he highly values. He has a beautiful mind, emotional, loves reading, and enjoys art. Dante met Ari at the local swimming pool, offered the latter swimming lessons, and they quickly clicked as friends. Throughout the story, Dante spends every effort to breakdown Ari’s wall of fear, uncertainty, and bitterness.

And it seemed to me that Dante's face was a map of the world.

A world without any darkness.Wow, a world without darkness.

How beautiful was that?

This is a slow but steady plot-driven mostly by its characters, whose likeability was a true investment. I love reading the stark difference between these two boys and their families, and how one influenced the other towards dealing with their problems. I love the realness and openness of each character. The breaking down of walls came with moments of self-discovery and life assessments.

This was what was wrong with me. All this time I had been trying to figure out the secrets of the universe, the secrets of my own body, of my own heart. All of the answers had always been so close and yet I'd always fought them without even knowing it.

Sáenz employed lyrical prose and tone that is most appealing to follow. Not everything was humorous, of course; there are plenty of hidden heartbreaks, mostly from Ari’s, but every moment can make the reader believe in the human race once again. There is something miraculous and brave about the ordinary, of friendship being rather liberating, and of discovering sexuality being worthy of some great effort, therefore inspiring.

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE is a charming read -a reflective and insightful journey of two pragmatic boys as they stagger and fight trying to discover who they really are, and was rewarded to know that the secrets of the universe weren’t hard to discover after all.

Book details:

Title:  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Author:   Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Publication:  February 2012; Simon & Schuster

Genre:  YA Fiction

Rating:  ★★★★★

...

F2F41, @Milkyway Cafe, Makati.
Moderated by the very preggy Maria.
Photo courtesy of Maria Ella.

Read more →

Book Review | FLAWLESS by Sarah Lemmon

     

Upon arriving in Grimaven, Katerina (Kat) almost got kidnapped by a couple of scientists. Thanks to Kaithe, a cat-like human hybrid, intercepted and rescued her. Kaithe isn’t the last astonishing person Kat is going to meet on that eventful day, and they all live in a warehouse, hiding from the grid.

This is that kind of story wherein the reader has to take the dive first and then figure things out along the way. The premise of the story is quite interesting. Ms. Lemmon created an alternative reality very much like our own. It was set in the future, wherein people had moved beyond human aesthetic improvements to full human perfection, by adding animal DNA and advanced technological capabilities into the mix. Unfortunately, perfection came with a price, experimentation has to be done along the way, and naturally born humans have to play as lab rats, whether they agree or not.

The plot moved along nicely, it was practically a breeze, but my questions kept piling up as I move along, leaving holes, and eventually weakening the aforementioned nicely moving plot. I also felt that the characters were not fully realized. No backgrounds to speak of either, other than the fact that they were among the imperfect experiments.

Although I wish the climax had more oomph into it, there were some exciting parts too. This wouldn’t be a dystopian piece without any full-contact fight scenes and actions, which Ms. Lemmon managed to execute rather convincingly. So, yes, the book could use some further tweaking, especially the cover, but it promises some good potential too, generally speaking.

Book details:

Title:  Flawless

Author:  Sarah M. Lemmon

Publication: December 20, 2013

Genre:  Sci-fi, YA

Rating:    ★★★

*An ebook copy was sent by the author in exchange for my honest review.

Read more →

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

  

      The book took me two days to finish. I hardly had time to post that I started reading this on Goodreads. It's not because the book was hard to get through, but because there’s plenty to soak in. I mean, there are literally worlds of information to soak in. I cannot simply zip through it without enjoying it, right? There are worlds within worlds, as much as there are games within games. Arcade games are played in 3D; there are virtual schools and libraries; players get to have armors, swords, and magical powers; spaceships too; and 80’s music and movies. And that Og guy is ridiculously a-ma-zing. His estate was modeled after Rivendell. He is one of my favorite guys right now because he plays Duran Duran and Billy Idol…  
...Am I making any sense here?

Okay, let me back up a little…

The setting is 2044, the Earth is a mess. There’s an energy crisis, food crisis, and the rest of the crisis we can think of to add on the list. Possibly, the only good thing about that age ahead is the existence of OASIS, a free online simulation of a virtual utopia, wherein anyone can log in and escape their ugly reality.

OASIS was created by James Halliday, who died without an heir to his vast empire and fortunes. After his death, his last will was released to the world. Within the OASIS, Halliday hid an Easter Egg, whoever finds it will inherit everything that he owned, including OASIS itself. Naturally, people want to get their hands on the egg. These egg hunters are called gunters, and among them are Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, Shoto, and Daito. The book is narrated from Parzival’s POV, so it mostly chronicles his adventures. His adventures can be rated from amusing, to excitingly dangerous.

For a bunch of hairless apes, we've actually managed to invent some pretty incredible things.

This book also has everything from 80s pop culture references, to a futuristic dystopian world with virtual and real-life danger, plus plenty of mysteries and quests. The main characters are likable with distinct personalities and typical young-adult angst. This is simply one of those fun books -it’s not particularly deep or thought-provoking. It’s just a plain enjoyable ride.

READY PLAYER ONE is one incredibly detailed and well-thought-out virtual world, constructed with astounding creativity and imagination. For an 80’s kid like me, it feels like coming home. 

Book details: 

Title:  Ready Player One

Author:  Ernest Cline

Publication:  August 16th, 2011, Random House NY 

Genre:  Science Fiction, YA

Rating:  ★★★★

Read more →