Sean

Superb.

A pretty great action/adventure/special forces romp that fit the bill for exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. I see myself coming back to this series again.

I really enjoyed aspects of this book, but as a whole it didn't quite grab me and I found that I was really forcing myself to push forward instead of being lost in the story and characters. The parts dealing with mysticism and jinn were especially interesting, but Alif's central story and struggle just didn't do it for me.

Maybe I'm just drinking Mother Culture's kool aid, but reading this book felt like I was at a party and listening to the slightly stoned and drunk guy who is holding court and telling everyone how it is and how it should be.

Ready Player One was pretty mixed bag for me. On one hand, it was a very quick and entertaining read that I couldn't put down until I was finished. On flip side and even though I cruised through it, I can't really say that it was a great book.

I loved all the references and nods to some of my favorite movies and games, though some of them went over my head as the 80s-centric focus of the references were a bit before my time. While Cline does a good job of explaining a lot of them, it was the subtle nods that I found most rewarding (nn particular two references to Brazil that I noticed due to just watching the film before I started the book).

Unfortunately, all these references mask what otherwise is a pretty standard story. Its been a few days now since I've finished the book and I can't say that it has really stuck with me at all. I'd recommend this as a quick, easy read for people looking for something along those lines or to serious pop culture junkies, especially if the 80s are your thing, but I'm really surprised how little impact this left considered how quick and excitedly I actually consumed the material.