BOOK REVIEW: WARCROSS BY MARIE LU

Warcross

by Marie Lu

Published September 12, 2017

Hardcover, 368 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 5/5 STARS

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

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.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first book I’ve read by Marie Lu, and boy I should have jumped on her bandwagon much sooner! I went into this book thinking “Ready Player One”, which is a book I absolutely adored. I was pleasantly surprised, I got those vibes with the in game play, but it is its own unique story.  I loved the world-building, in game and out of game. At times during the Warcross Championship I felt like I was there trying to help my team win.

The character development was amazing. I really enjoyed getting back stories on what I would consider the two main characters. I also loved that it wasn’t thrown at you, it was given in time like we were gaining their trust. I also loved each character, even the ones I wanted to dislike. They all were just perfect pieces to this puzzle. Emi was such a unique character, a bounty hunter, hacker, and an amazing Warcross player. Tanaka was mysterious enough at first to really draw me into his life. I wanted to know everything I could about him, just like Emi.

Overall this book completely blew me away! From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat, needing to know what was going to happen next. I’m not a huge gamer, but I understood what was going on and I thought that was super helpful. I highly recommend this book to everyone… just go read it and thank me later. Also I must note after reading this I immediately got the Legend Trilogy, that’s how much I loved Marie Lu’s writing style and story development.