FICTION
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline is published in hardback by Century, priced £20 (ebook £9.99)
ERNEST Cline is back with the eagerly anticipated sequel to Ready Player One, adapted into the 2018 movie of that name directed by Steven Spielberg. It follows a similar story arc, but does lack the character development needed to connect emotionally with the players. After skimming through several years in just a few chapters, protagonist Wade Watts is unrecognisable from the down to earth hero of the first novel, and old favourites Aech, Art3mis and Shoto are effectively sidelined. Nonetheless, delving back into the virtual universe of OASIS is a nostalgic delight. Cline packs in even more pop culture references, while a dark vein communicates the cultural shifts from his debut to present day. Most notably, Ready Player Two feels like a gamified case study on the danger of AI and the immortality of tech. Diehard fans will love returning to Cline’s virtual world, while others might find it falls short of the hype.
8/10
Rebecca Wilcock
NON-FICTION
Hungry by Grace Dent is published in hardback by Mudlark, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99)
WHILE Guardian columnist and MasterChef judge Grace Dent doesn’t deny that being a food critic is one of the best jobs in the world (you’re paid to go out for dinner!), in her memoir Hungry, she makes it clear that everyone – no matter how well fed – has their challenges. She traces her childhood in 80s Carlisle (a time of Sara Lee desserts and going to the supermarket as a night out) to her London escape, the hedonism of the 90s, and her journalistic rise. Food and its impact – positive and negative – is both dogged and uplifting throughout, couching the confusion of family dynamics and Dent’s father’s slide from eccentricity into dementia. By turns nostalgic, witty and scathing, Hungry is a jaunt of a read, containing within it hope, joy and sadness. It’ll also make you rather peckish.
7/10
Ella Walker
CHILDREN’S
The Cousins by Karen M McManus is published in paperback by Penguin, priced £7.99 (ebook £4.99)
KAREN M McManus’s latest thriller draws you in from the start. Cousins Audrey, Mildred and Jonah – all 18 – are virtually strangers, and they’ve been invited to their grandmother’s prestigious resort to work during the summer holidays and get to know her – and each other – a little better. This is a big deal, because their parents have all been mysteriously disinherited by their grandmother. The trio attempt to unravel the mystery and restore their family – but it soon becomes clear life is a lot more sinister than the glamorous East Coast island would suggest. McManus’s real strength is her witty and sharp dialogue that delivers the plot at a punchy pace. She adds just the right level of detail and character growth to make a thoroughly enjoyable read for teens and adults alike.
8/10
Nicole Whitton
