Eighteen year old Zack Lightman has never known his
father who was killed when he was just an infant. He spends his days playing a
video game with his two best friends and millions of people around the world.
He is one of the top ranked players of all time. He wonders how this skill
really help him when he gets older. Little does he know, his skills will
determine that fate of all humanity.
I really enjoyed Ernest Cline’s most recent book, Armada. I have not yet read Ready Player One, so this was my first
introduction to his work. This book had me reading whenever I possibly could. I
am not a gamer, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story line, most of the characters
were well drawn out. The underlying message of humanity was brilliant.
The whole book really read like a young adult novel,
which I think will appeal to both younger and older fans. The main character is
18 years old, so it really is a coming of age story. Zack has to come with terms in regards to his
relationship with his mother, his future, and a surprise that will rock his
world. Zack goes from an unsure adolescent to a well-rounded, mature adult in
this novel. Even if circumstances are farfetched (or not?) readers will see
resemblances of themselves in Zack.
I am not a huge sci-fi fan, though I am slowly being
converted, so I was not getting all the references, but so much of it is
popular culture, that I at least recognize it. It makes me never want to watch
another alien move in my entire life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and
entertaining summer read. I really look forward to reading Ready Player One. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
**I was given a free copy by Blogging for Books in exchange for an unbiased review.**
(http://blogs-images.forbes.com/insertcoin/files/2015/07/armada.jpg)
