Chris Ebinger

I enjoyed the original a great deal. The first book had 80's references because if the High Five didn't know their trivia, they may not find Halliday's egg. The sequel is lacking the oomph the original had. 80's references are pumped into the book to seemingly pad the length. I grew up in the 80's but I don't care much for John Hughes movies. That section of the book dragged on for too long for a non-fan. The message that really hits home is that after winning the contest, the High Five all grow up and do something to better the world. Wade, on the other hand, locks himself in his castle and discovers a gadget that allows him further distance from reality, as if the haptics gloves and immersion rigs weren't enough. Yes, he has charities but he refuses to visit the real world to see the impact of what they produce. His "Ultimate Bug Out" idea, the Vonnegut, enables him to always have the Oasis on hand even if the Earth implodes. How much of a junkie must he be before he grows up? The answer is, he may never grow up. He shows small amounts of progress in this book and I pray a third entry doesn't show the same minimal progress. Samantha is nuts to stick with Wade after all he has done and I think it's more the 80's sensibilities that make them get back together instead of real character reasons. I don't hate this book. It's a solid 3 of 5. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. It's more of the same and comfort food. Don't expect any real work to be done as far as Wade goes. He's still the paranoid addict that pushes his friends to their limit of dealing with his nonsense when he gets on a tangent.