"Ready Player One" Chapter 0005-0009 Reaction

The progression of the story really picks up in these few chapters. We get some answers about character death (and wow! Reverting to level 0 is a huge deal. It means that people who have spent a large amount of money in the OASIS could just lose it in moments), and we gain more insight into what leads Wade / Parcival to discover and gain the copper key.

Out of these chapters, my favorite part of the story so far has been Wade using his knowledge and expertise to explore the tomb of the lich. Having played D&D and having fought a lich, I know just how lucky Wade is that he only must play a game of Joust. Reading the description of Wade’s journey from school, to him finding out how to teleport, and his discover and exploration of the tomb is a fun ride, only more so when Art3mis appears.

Art3mis is a great character! She (presumably) and Wade have great chemistry and I really hope they find a way to work together in the future (and that Art3mis isn’t a spy, or some creepy middle-aged man). I really enjoyed how he geeked out at meeting her, and how the scene between the two of them was filled with just the right amount of tension. Both characters were so well written in this scene.

I liked the development of this OASIS world - the rules, the boundaries, the artistry into the game. I can tell that the author of this book loves these things just as much as the characters, or at the very least respects the material enough to do the research. These chapters do good things for the depth of Wade’s character. They show that he is a thinker in the areas that matters. Smart enough to get by in school, but attentive enough to catch small details quickly (in fact, much quicker than anyone I know).

My concern here is that our hero Wade may be a tad bit overpowered, or OP to use the proper abbreviations. He knows way too much, and on top of that is skilled at gaming. I am a 27-year-old nerd who was raised in the 90s and I don't know half of this stuff, though objectively I am not really an80s nerd / geek in true to form fashion. Either way, Wade's knowledge makes me look like a padawan. Sometimes it works, but sometimes he knows too much too fast. It was cool to see him solve the riddle.

These chapters were certainly Wade's Ordinary World, and once he gets the Copper Key, he has Crossed the First Threshold. His Character's name is out there, but there still may be time for him to have a refusal of the call. At least he is higher level now.