First off, yes, the title is correct -this is the sequel to Ready Player One– and no, this will not include any spoilers for either of the novels.
I read Ready Player One years ago and loved how Cline brought the culture of the 80s together with a modern-day underdog, technological fantasies, and a teenage love story. I got so wrapped up in the virtual world of the Oasis and the people existing within it and then was sorely disappointed by the film adaptation. I could fill another entry with my movie-related grievances but suffice it to say that it made me wary of infringing upon the original story, even through a sequel.
I finally took the plunge and after re-reading Ready Player One (which I would highly recommend if that wasn’t already obvious), I’m now ready to discuss its lesser-known sequel.
I love that Ready Player Two picks up right where the first one ends, which scored it several brownie points, but the pacing felt disjointed and erratic. Three years would be covered in a chapter and then one day or one video game would commandeer several pages or whole chapters. Additionally, there were times where it seemed important moments in character relationships were glossed over but then excessive detail was given to the levels of a video game.
Other than moments where it felt like Cline used the book as his soapbox for the future of AI and technology, it was fun to dive back into the world of the Oasis and the obsession with 80s culture. A new quest and a roque bit of the software provides much of the conflict for the story and I found myself getting lost in the new adventure and the riddles it contained. Massive bonus points were also accrued for the section focused on John Hughes movies.
It’s always hard to view sequels objectively without the first book coloring your opinion, and I’m afraid I’ve failed in my analysis here. Ready Player One scored so highly in my opinion that any addition would be hard pressed to live up to it, and Ready Player Two was no exception. Even though I did appreciate living in that world once again and found the content intriguing, the pacing detracted from my overall enjoyment of the novel.
Personal rating: 5/10
Recommend? Only if you were equally as obsessed with the first as I was
Re-read? Unfortunately no
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