Warcross (Warcross #1)
By Marie Lu
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Ages:18+

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.

The Gist

Warcross is an action-packed story that takes you on a heart-pumping ride into the middle of a virtual reality video game. Along for the ride is a fierce female main character and a heart-breakingly sweet billionaire boy. This book far exceeded my expectations. It was entertaining and gripping the whole way through and I can’t wait until book 2 comes out!

What I Liked:

I connected with Emika almost immediately. She was a likeable, real character that didn’t get too whiny or annoying in my opinion. Hideo was a big sexy question mark for a while. Watching Emika and Hideo’s relationship grow was a treat that didn’t go to fast and didn’t drag either. I thought the pace of the book was excellent as I never found myself bored, only thristing for more. The story was interesting and attention grabbing. As her relationship with Hideo grew the stakes for her grew which made the book that much more interesting. And the end. At first I was mad. Mad in like a that’s-not-where-I-wanted-it-to-go-but-it’s-still-an-excellent-story way. But then I got to thinking, and I was like “Oh, wait, this could be really good.” Part of the big twist I saw coming, part of it I didn’t. Well played Marie.

What I Didn’t Like:

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this book. I’m actually struggling to think of something. Okay, I thought of something. But it’s super minor. Even though I LOVED the main characters, I think it would have been cool to see more of the supporting characters. Some of the people on Emika’s team seemed cool so I hope I get to read more about them in the next book. It seemed like she didn’t really have any friends, and having friends makes things better in my opinion. Gives the character something to lose.

LunasLuckyRating: 4.5/5 Lunas
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