I'd give this a solid 4.5 starts. Was it Ready Player One? No. But I don't think it's fair to compare them either. Yes, it's a sequel, but it's a sequel that came out nearly a decade later, after we had all had time to continuously fall in love with the first book. When I first read Ready Player One, it was one rolling, nerdy, 80's reference. It made Sci-Fi and video games feel accessible, and it was unlike anything I had ever read before.

With that, I genuinely enjoyed Ready Player Two. I read it in just a handful of sittings, and I am so happy to add it to me Read list. Be warned: there are places where you wish Cline would have skipped the in-depth explanation of some of the references, but I think they will help someone who doesn't have very much existing knowledge of the decade.

All in all, I loved saying hello to some of my favorite characters again, and it was interesting to see a fiction novel geared towards the younger generation cover AI. Same formula, new peril, more grown up revelations. That's a win for me.