Warcross
Author: Marie Lu
Published: September 12, 2017
368 pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
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 Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. 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.
In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.
Kim’s Review:
I have been putting Warcross off for months. I saw it on EpicReads, Margot Wood recommended it, booktubers recommended it . . . and I fought it! I’m not a sci-fi kinda person. Yeah I’m a gamer, but I don’t get into gaming fiction. I’m not even in to the Asian-inspired fiction. I just didn’t want to read it! But then, I got it for Christmas. Margot Wood talked about it more in depth in one of her videos and sang its praises . . . so I decided to just read it. Best. Decision. Yet. This. Year. I love Warcross!!!
And who knows how long I have to wait for the sequel since Goodreads doesn’t have a publishing date!!!! Warcross sucked me in like few books do. Many times, I tend to skim. Obviously, I pick up details and read enough to fall in love with characters and enjoy stories, but this book drew me in and refused to let me go. I was immersed in this future world where our brains create the details of the game and virtual reality becomes actual reality.
Emi is a relatable character that goes through the story as a real person, who struggles with everyday things like money and job security and rent, and when faced with the separate world of wealth and privilege, reacts like all of us regular peasants would. She never loses sight of real life or her skillset just because of some fancy gifts from a rich dude. The story kept me turning page after page, barely registering the passage of time. I’m incredibly proud to say that I called one of the twits at the end! BOOM! Yet I was still surprised and excited and annoyed and frustrated . . . the ending was really good ok! The reasons I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is 1. because of the similarities to Hunger Games that I just couldn’t get out of my head. I’m not going to insult Marie Lu by saying that her story is unoriginal, I’ll just say that Hunger Games has such a huge cultural influence, that even great books like Warcross show unintentional similarities. 2. I had a hard time getting past some of the practical issues of the Neurolink glasses. I couldn’t tell if you had to move in order to make your avatar move, as in tapping the table to get a keyboard to appear or using a hand to pick a door, or does the mind control the avatar since you can’t really run around the room all while trying to make your avatar fly and climb buildings and defeat huge animals. And 2. is super weird because I’m not that practical of a person! Other than that, I loved this story! I can’t wait for the sequel to come out! There are some language and a very tiny “adult” scene that isn’t really that “adult” since it doesn’t really go into detail, but I think this is the perfect book to get middle and high schoolers into reading. I absolutely recommend this book to everybody!
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