Hey guys,
Today I want to write a review on 'Armada' by Ernest Cline.
The most challenging thing about having such a great début novel- 'Ready Player One' (also by Cline) is that it can sometimes rival following books. The second novel by Cline feels different in a way, which made me wonder if this was the same author. The quintessential first novel was full of 80's reference, had some of the best characters and was packed to the brim with action. Cline's second novel seems to drift from cliché to cliché, quoting notable Sci-Fi films and the odd mention of Stephen Hawking. I think it's important to bare in mind the future aspect of the first novel though, as 'Armada' hinges on a closer to the present scenario.
The challenging thing about Cline only having published one novel, is it easier to compare two novels side by side. Were this to be a review of a Stephen King novel, it would be a much harder
comparison.
It would be wrong to say that I hate it, because 'Armada' follows the template of his first novel. It is essentially revolving around a form of game, normally with a strong minded character, who has to conquer difficult challenges. Yes, this formula has been applied before in different ways, but what made the first novel so refreshing was that I had never read a book like this before. It was a complete change of pace, narrative, and it simply gripped me.
So what did I like about it? Once again, Cline brings an original concept to the table- at least to my knowledge. Reading reviews online there is a number of comparisons to 'Enders Game', a book that I have no interest to read, for numerous reasons. However, it is refreshing to read something original, the use of imagery is still there, something that Cline is strong at. I liked how the story was fast paced, balancing action with story.
The negatives sadly outnumber the things I loved about the novel. It was FAR too clichéd for my personal liking, there was a number of tropes that I could have guessed from the beginning of the novel. With news that 'Ready Player One' is being adapted into a film, I feel that Cline published this second novel, in hope it would eventually be made into a following film. This is just a pure amble guess. I didn't like either how there was a cross-over to the real world, with notable figures being mentioned and reference to film and culture. I know this is what half the story is pinned on but it seemed cobbled together, a number of ideas simply glued together.
The ending! I was so disappointed at the quick turn right at the end. In fact, the last fifty pages felt immensely hasty. It seemed that Cline couldn't settle on a good ending, he had to produce something so did what he could in the time limit he had. This is what it felt like to me the reader, and the writer could have had an entirely different overview for the novel.
The whole thing left me feeling slightly hollow in comparison to the phenomenal success of the first novel. Please read 'Ready Player One' before you embark on reading this.
Love,
Grace xxx