Review Armada – A Nerd Dream

Over the past week I have spent around 14 hours riding on a train. As I prepared for my last train ride I was facing 7 hours on my way home and so I decided to read a book I have been meaning to read for a long time, “Armada” by Ernest Cline. Two years ago I read his first novel “Ready Player One” and I absolutely loved it. It was book for nerds like me, full of amazing references and a very fun concept. In “Armada”, I had heard before reading the book that it was not as good as the previous one, t going into this book I was just expecting to have a good read, have some fun and enjoy all the nerdy references.

“Armada” did not disappoint. I loved the concept as it was basically the dream of all nerds, a world facing an alien threat that can only be saved by gamers who have unknowingly been training for this event through videogames. This of course is not an original concept, it can be seeing in a similar fashion in “Ender’s Game”, but the way it is told was beautiful. I loved the fun the author has throughout the book, the exciting dialogues full of references to Star Wars, Star Trek and other movies and comics, and most of all I loved the characters.

The main character in this book is a kid about to finish high school who loves pop-culture, videogames and a character that I could relate to very much. There is a quote at the beginning of the film that I wish to share with all of you since I felt that it described my school years perfectly: “I had been hoping and waiting for some mind-blowingly fantastic, world-altering event to finally shatter the endless monotony of my public education.” This thought by the main character made me relate to him throughout the whole story and feel identified in his reactions to the challenges he faced. His characters, those of his friends, and other around him gave this whole story a fun vibe that I fell in love with.

This book is by no means a great book, but if you go to read it with an open mind, expecting to be entertained, to laugh and to be invested in the story you will enjoy it immensely. After all as part of this nerd world, it is incredibly easy to relate to the characters, and their fun vibrant dialogues. The story also has moments full of heart that are great to read and that give an important depth to the story.

Overall, in “Armada”, Ernest Cline delivers a fun, epic, nerdy story that is an easy read and by no means boring. Reading this book on the train ride was great and it helped make the long trip easier. “Armada” gave thought to many of my nerdy dreams and is a book that has somehow encouraged me to continue dreaming of a world where my nerd skills are actually useful. I for one, can’t wait to see the film that is being prepared for this book.