Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 367
My rating: 5/5 stars
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
I was going into reading Warcross expecting to enjoy the novel but not as much as I actually did. Reading Warcross transported me into a different world of culture, technology and society so well developed I forgot that it wasn't real (unfortunately).
I don't really know where to start with Warcross because it was TOO GOOD FOR WORDS. Warcross locked me in from the first chapter and after that I didn't dare put it down. Marie Lu had managed to create such an interesting and developed world in Warcross that was so complex yet still made perfect sense to me as a reader that I was immersed straight away. It was so entertaining and fun to read about the Neurolink and the wardraft as for me at least I'd never read a book like this before. The awesome virtual reality aspects of this book were fascinating to read about and really allowed for an unpredictable story to unfold.
Speaking of unpredictable, THE PLOT!!! Not one but TWO plot twists that I never in one million years saw coming. The story of Emika Chen and how she does her job were nothing far from pure gold (can you tell I enjoyed this book?). I felt entertained throughout the whole book even when nothing major was happening but even so the big events and plot twists in this novel were even more satisfying. Warcross took so many twists and turns all throughout the book that made me frequently put the book down in fear that my brain would explode.
Emika was a stellar main character that I loved almost instantly. She was super smart and independent as well as having rainbow dyed hair so...what's not to like? I was so so so down for the relationship that blossomed in the book and enjoyed reading about it so much and even about how it progressed towards the end of the book, as shocking as it was and loved Hideo individually too even when I was questioning myself for doing so. Her friends and teammates were such great characters and I especially loved Hammie and Roshan, they were so badass and lovely I can't wait to see them in the next book (aaaah!!!!).
The main reason for me loving the book to pieces is how I felt after I had finished it. I not only wished that I could read it all again from scratch, but also it made me think long and hard about the themes of the novel and what I would do in the characters situations after the shock plot twist ending. The relevancy of the story to the real world stuck with me days after finishing the novel and am still not quite over Marie Lu's masterpiece of a novel.
I urge anyone and everyone to pick up this book if they have a chance even if you do not think it would be your cup of tea because as far as I can think brilliant characters, an amazing world, a delicious plot and shocking plot twists is everyone's cup of tea!
Happy Reading!
-Lily
