Review: #905
Title: Armada
Series: N/A
Author: Ernest Cline
Comments: Armada takes place in the present day and currently, there are two VRMMOs that have taken the world by storm. One is a spaceship dogfighter, while the other has players take control of machines on land. It follows Zack, an temperamental and unstable character who’s one of the best players of Armada. Eventually, it is revealed that Armada is a warfare simulation in order to train civilians for an impending alien attack. The book throws in a lot of pop culture references, mainly gaming references. Unfortunately, these feel forced, especially if you have some knowledge of what it is referring it. The author also tries to shoehorn in actual real life people into the story but again, it feels so unlikely that it becomes laughable. The whole novel seems to take on an amateurish quality in its writing and plot. As the plot continues, it feels more and more like fan fiction or something from the imagination of a young child. Everything is too idealistic and predictable, from the romantic interest that the author tries to develop but doesn’t quite achieve it to the climax and big reveal. You actually don’t want what you expect to happen to happen because it is something you would feel is too lame to happen. Yet that is exactly what the plot devolves into, a big case of self-wish-fulfillment. Granted, the background of the aliens and the program was intriguing and when the characters start giving out the answers, it hooks you. Armada isn’t a bad book just a very average one.
Rating: 6/10