This was an enjoyable read - I tore through it in a day, albeit a day of traveling so I didn't have much else to do with my time. It was a charming, 80s-nostalgia-fest, and the plot was nonstop action all the way through. The characters themselves were not too complex, and on the whole quite predictable, and I would have actually appreciated a little more of Aech's perspective throughout, especially with the point (view spoiler)[ she raises about it being easier for women and POC if people think they're straight white males. It felt a little like Cline threw in Aech to cover all his diversity-bases, which was rather disappointing (hide spoiler)]. And sometimes, things were just a little too easy for Wade, the protagonist who also happens to be a super programmer and virtual-reality manipulator, and who eventually has tons of money at his disposal as well. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read that kept me thoroughly on the edge of my seat, and left me in the mood for a good 80s-movie marathon. Pop culture fanatics will get the most out of this book; I had a lot of squealy geek-out moments when I caught the reference. Overall, Cline may have relied too heavily on drawing on his audience's own love for the source material he pastiches here, but it's done with such love and care that you can't really begrudge him any of it. Fun read, and I'm happy to finally cross this one off my list.