Note: This is really a 4.5 star review. 
 I could go on about how, technically speaking, this book is mediocre and, in some instances, not very well written at all. It didn't challenge my mind, the plot structure is a little familiar and there were a couple of instances of cringe-worthy dialogue, but I truly think it would be pedantic to do more than mention it. I am hard-pressed to think of a time when I had more fun reading a book. 
 Sure, Ernest Cline makes plenty of references that serve as nothing more than self-congratulatory winks to his readership, but true geeks will eat that stuff up. I count myself among those who did. I do, however, see how this might be potentially annoying to someone not familiar with geek culture. Why this someone would be reading this book is another question. 
 The only true issue I had with the book was the reveal of the identity of Aech. I won't ruin it except to say that, while handled a touch more gracefully than other instances I've seen, I wish the social implications of it had been explored more. In fact, that is a criticism of the entire book for me. The social and cultural implications of a world with its head buried in the sand is fascinating but is little more than window dressing here. That being said, Ready Player One isn't really that kind of book, but it would have been nice. 
 The overall wildly fun tone of the book and its world mostly make up for any shortcomings. I was reminded of how I used to play my uncle's copy of Super Mario Bros. on his NES long after I had played Super Mario 64. I had seen better graphics and more immersve gameplay, but there is just something inherently magical about playing a simple 2-D adventure with 8-bit characters. Ernest Cline knows this and draws upon that magic to full effect, making my reccomendation of Ready Player One a hearty one.