Review: Armada by Ernest Cline

This book is completely, utterly amazing. I wish I could give it a million more stars, but sadly, five out of five will have to do for now. I have so much praise for this book; the story is compelling, the characters are diverse and complicated (in a good way), the plot twists keep you on the edge of your seat. Armada is the first Ernest Cline book that I have read, and one of my new all time favourite books ever, if not the best book I have read this entire year. ** CONTAINS SPOLIERS ** Zack is a Title: Armada Author: Ernest Cline Genre: Science-fiction (adult) Pages: 355 (Hardcover) Publisher: Crown Publishing Publication date: July 14th, 2015 Synopsis from Armada's Goodreads page Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe. And then he sees the flying saucer. Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.  No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it. It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar? This book is completely, utterly amazing. I wish I could give it a million more stars, but sadly, five out of five will have to do for now. I have so much praise for this book; the story is compelling, the characters are diverse and complicated (in a good way), the plot twists keep you on the edge of your seat. Armada is the first Ernest Cline book that I have read, and one of my new all time favourite books ever, if not the best book I have read this entire year. ** CONTAINS SPOLIERS ** Zack is a very compelling character, with him loosing his dad before he could ever hope to remember him, and he grows up with a slight obsession over the father he could have had. It turns out that his father has been alive all this time, and the resulting connection between the two of them, even though Zack has never known him, is astounding. The two have so much in common, they connect immediately and they have an instant bond that is not forced at all. Every single character in Armada is beautifully crafted; they all seem like they could walk right off the page and just fit right into the world as it is now. The story is beautifully written, and has aspects that will appeal to everyone; the Wars and Trek references, the humour, the teenage anger and regret, the love between family and friends, and the power of people sticking together to protect what, and who, they love. Armada is a beautifully crafted, amazing novel, and I will no doubt be reading it again and again, and enjoying it over many, many years. Overall - ★★★★★