This was such a fun book! Would I say it was as good as Ready Player One? Probably not. I think that one still comes out on top. But do I think that this book can hold its own? Absolutely. It's every videogamer's dream come true, only to be shown that it isn't such a dream after all. 

Armada is the story of a boy named Zack Lightman, a boy who lost his dad before he was even a year old. As he grows older, he becomes obsessed with his father, trying to learn everything about him. When he discovers his father's notebook in the attic, he uncovers his dad's suspicions of a conspiracy involving videogames, the military, a training program and an alien invasion. Could his dad have been right? 

The pop culture and nerd culture references abound, just as they did in Ready Player One. Ernest Cline is the master of reference humor. It's so subtle that sometimes you miss it. But I laughed out loud multiple times when I did catch them. Especially within the first chapter - that's what really got me hooked. 

I thought this book was really well done. The flow and pacing were perfect, never slowing down enough for you to get bored. The characters are witty, the plot is intriguing and there is just enough mystery that needs to be uncovered to keep you going to the end. Lovers of Ready Player One are sure to love Armada as well. 

p.s. There were 39-40 f-bombs (I might have missed one or two) and slew of swearing in general. I was expecting that, due to all the main characters being teenaged gamers... There are a couple referencing to people "boning" as well, though it is nothing explicit or descriptive. Just more like "the world is ending, so of course people are boning" - that kind of thing. The language is really the only thing I would say you need to worry about in this book.