Warcross (Warcross #1) By Marie Lu [Review]

RELEASE DATE: September 14th 2017
AUTHOR: Marie Lu
GENRE: Young-Adult,  Sci-fi, Adventure.
PUBLISHER: Penguin Australia

SUMMARY :

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.

 

 

“Every locked door has a key. Every problem has a solution.”

Marie Lu is one of my favorite authors and I knew this won’t disappoint me. Warcross was an entertaining Sci-fi read filled with action, adventure, and romance. The story was quite addicting!  I really enjoyed the characters and the awesome world building. Although I loved this book, I need to be honest that this book isn’t without flaws but I’m glad that they didn’t hinder my enjoyment. Warcross has a lot of Ready Player One vibes but still unique in its own way.

Eighteen year old Emika Chen is a hacker and a bounty hunter who tracks down illegal players who bets on the warcross games. Her father died when she was only thirteen years old. She’s currently dirt poor and there’s only few weeks left before she becomes homeless. She’s in desperate need of money to pay for her rent which is on due for three months. Due to her criminal record, she wasn’t qualified to enter the Warcross games. When she hacks into a Warcross game on the opening day Ceremony, she accidentally glitches herself into the game and becomes an overnight sensation. Her action catches the attention of a young billionaire Hideo Tanaka{21), creator of Warcross game and  CEO of Henka Games. Emika can’t believe that she’s finally going to meet her idol. She was soon whisked to Tokyo  and gets an opportunity to work for him. Hideo wants to hire her as a Spy so that she could find the hacker who wants to sabotage the games. Emika is skilled in tracking down people so she quickly agrees to the deal. She enters the game as the wildcard and spies on the team members. During her investigation she uncovers a sinister plot and soon things takes a dangerous turn.

This book has a diverse set of characters. Emika is Chinese American, Hideo is Japanese, Asher is a disabled character, Roshan is a queer character(I think he’s Indian but i’m not sure), and Hammie is Latinx. Our main protagonist Emika is a enjoyable character. She’s smart, brave, and totally badass. I like female hackers in my books and she was awesome. I really loved her style,  her tattoos, and Rainbow hair. Hideo was a broody guy with a traumatic past. He’s a complex character. He doesn’t trust people easily except for Kenn, warcross creative director. I’m sucker for broody love interests. I enjoyed the romance between Hideo and Emika but I wish there was more interactions between them because it kinda seemed unrealistic with how quickly they fell for each other. Nonetheless, I’m still rooting for these two. I really liked most of the supporting characters in this book especially Phoenix riders team. I enjoyed the banters and the friendship between them.

The plot was engaging and action packed. From the first page, I was hooked to the plot. There’s never a dull moment throughout. I wasn’t invested in the Warcross game because I didn’t find the games too complex but It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy them. The story was  interesting. The major twist about Zero’s identity was easy to guess,  but the last twist at the end really surprised me. I didn’t see that coming! The writing was amazing, as always. I’m fan of Marie’s writing style. The book was written in Emika’s first person POV.  I wish there’s also Hideo’s POV. The science in this book was pretty awesome. I really loved the Neurolink concept! It sounds fascinating and extraordinary. People enter into virtual reality via Neurolink. It is a brain-computer interface and software used to play Warcross, and helps the brain manipulate images and renderings almost indistinguishable from reality. It kinda sounds a bit similar to OASIS but still loved the whole technology in this book.

Overall, this was a great read! I enjoyed every aspect in it and I can’t wait to jump into the next book.

Recommend it?

I highly recommend this book to all the readers who loves action packed YA sci-fi books!

MY RATING:

[4/5 Stars]

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