Warcross isn’t a book that I would normally pick up, to be honest. I’m not a huge science fiction reader, nor am I interested in video game books, but I’ve already read and loved one book by Marie Lu…and the hype did get to me a bit, so I had to read it. The hype is justified, because I loved this adventure!

Warcross is set in a world where virtual reality has become mainstream. Even businesses and cities cater to it. Most people spend all of their free time in the virtual world and in Warcross game.

I liked Emika a lot. She was tough and good at what she does. She had a complicated and sad past that made her interesting. I liked that she didn’t take crap from anyone, but she still had a soft side. She was easy to root for. Emika’s teammates were a very diverse group. Marie Lu does a wonderful job adding in wonderfully diverse characters without it feeling forced. I loved seeing them interact and clash. I’m excited to learn more about everyone in the next book.

There’s also a bit more romance than I was expecting. Wow! Was it full of steamy chemistry! *heart eyes* That’s really all I’m going to say about that for now…Sorry to be vague, but I don’t want to give anything away!

The game was so creative and captivating. The players-characters-were literally thrown into a video game. There was so much action. It was so thrilling. I had no idea what was going to be thrown at them next or how they would ever get out of it. Virtual reality isn’t just limited to the game in this world. People wear their glasses all the time. Whole cities and businesses have incorporated virtual reality into everything. It’s just part or the fabric of this society. I found it a little jarring and unnerving. It definitely made me think about our society’s obsession with our phones and how we miss the world around us because we’re always looking down. Emika’s world felt very possible.

Warcross was just a fantastic read! There were just a couple of places where I felt like the plot dragged a little, but other than that I was totally hooked! The wait for book 2 is going to be a tough one!

Lu’s latest novel creates a cyberpunk future with a massively popular game and a high-stakes plot. Warcross is the titular game that becomes so popular because of the tech it uses and the escapism it provides, that there are World Championships for which millions of people tune in. Emika is a skilled hacker/bounty hunter who uses the ubiquitous connectivity of Warcross to hunt down her targets. She glitches into a game, and instantly get entered into the Championship. But her purpose for being there is as an undercover bounty hunter, who is seeking another hacker in the game.

To understand Warcross, you have to understand how the tech works for it, and there in lies a fragment of the plot. The brain-computer interface can create endless virtual worlds, relying on neuronic impulses to create virtual images. There is also an augmented reality nature to it, as shown when the setting shifts to Tokyo, where it has been embraced fully. Emika’s experience in this futuristic Tokyo is enchanting and exciting, and if you think Tokyo is magical now, wait till you see what Lu imagines for it in this novel.

Emika’s entry into the Championship is not a smooth transition, as instead she has to now learn the moves of professional players and how to work in a team. She has been mostly a lone wolf since the death of her father, and her background makes her street smart and wary. As her job is essentially spying, you are constantly on the lookout for who could be the culprit. As for her boss, Hideo Tanaka, she has idolized him since she was a preteen and he was a prodigy who created Warcross. Slowly, she gets to know him on a personal level and a romance ensues. But the nature of her job and the secrecy involved means they have to hide both sides of their relationship. Nevertheless, technology comes to their rescue and allows them for a deeper understanding and constant communication with each other.

Now, as the novel is about the game, too, we do see a couple of games. The matches are immersive, and epic in nature, with entire worlds being played. Imagine Inception but with like a game of Capture the Flag. But besides the game sphere, there is also the seedy Dark Cross – the Dark Web of the game, where almost everything is available, for a price. Here is where she makes a few appearances, and it is scary how Emika’s emotions make you too anxious about the place. As I said, high stakes and that is literally your virtual self here. The plot takes her across vividly imagined fantasy worlds, and the futuristic augmented Tokyo and the dreary Dark Web, and the possibilities of tech and the implications of it.

The plot weaves a hunt, a spy mission and gaming into a seamless story that entertains throughout. The pacing is good, relaxing in training sessions and other expositional parts but picking up when needed to skip ahead in the timeline. There are twists, and I could see a couple of them coming but there was a major one I did not even contemplate, even though looking back I realized how sneakily the author had placed the clues for it. The identity of Zero, though, poses a big question on the motives of the character itself, something which I am hoping will be clarified in future novels. In any case, this one is a must-read. and I already can’t wait for the next!

Warcross has got to be one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of books. It tells the story of a girl working behind the scenes of a virtual reality game to stop a sinister plan. The world is absolutely incredible, and no details are overlooked. The main character is so brave and comes a long way from the beginning of the book as well. This is a book that should be on everyone’s TBRs.

This book is one of the most original books out there. It tells the story of a girl who hacks her way into the Warcross games in hopes of making some money quickly, but ends up getting recruited by the creator to help figure out who is sabotaging the game. Emika joins one of the Warcross teams and competes in the games herself to be an effective spy. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this book and its nonstop action, twists, and turns. It’s so hard to describe the incredible experience of reading it, but I guarantee that it will shock you. Gamer or not, Warcross will suck you in!

The world of Warcross has got to be one of my favourites ever. Warcross is a virtual reality game created by a teen genius. Everyone is obsessed with it, and it has taken over the world. Marie Lu has honestly thought of everything. There are specific power-ups in the game and a black market where rare ones can be auctioned. The logic is there, and it makes everything so believable. This world is just so developed that it actually feels real. I would honestly love a pair of Warcross glasses in real life to experience the magic of it all.

Emika is such a likeable main character. First off, she’s so fierce. She has rainbow hair and a tattoo sleeve, and she is a pro hacker. Emika impresses the whole world by appearing in a game that is supposed to be un-hackable and even lands herself a job because of it. She is also so intelligent and makes a great spy. Emika has a pretty complex backstory and lives a hard life before getting hired. She really develops throughout the book, and I couldn’t think of a better narrator.

Warcross is the ultimate book for gamers, and everyone else, to be honest. It is action-packed and set in one of the most amazing worlds I’ve ever read. The main character is also clever and courageous, making this book even better! I absolutely recommend this book to everyone—it might even be my favourite Marie Lu book.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 September 12.

BOOK REPORT for Warcross by Marie Lu

Cover Story: Technicolortastic
BFF Charm: Heck Yes!
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Absolute Sci-Fi
Bonus Factors: Team Tournament, Cat-and-Mouse, Hackers, Easter Eggs
Relationship Status: Game On

Cover Story: Technicolortastic

Sure, I could dissect the issues I have with this cover. (Why do the innards of the title look like a digital bale of hay? Why is there an eye exam at the bottom?) But I'd rather deliriously revel in THE COLOR.

The Deal:

It's a new Marie Lu book. 'NUFF SAID.

... but if that somehow isn't informative: Warcross might be a simple game, but it singlehandedly reshaped the virtual reality experience. A global phenomenon with its own ecosystem, Warcross has even spawned illegal gambling rings, with offenders tenaciously pursued by bounty hunters like Emika Chen.

But Emika isn't just a bounty hunter; she's a hacker, too. And when the opportunity arises for a major and much needed score, Emika can't resist hacking into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships, setting in motion life-changing and revelatory consequences that she never could have imagined.

BFF Charm: Heck Yes!

Surviving on her own since the age of eleven, Emi is the very definition of young, scrappy, and hungry. If her resourcefulness hadn't already endeared her to me, then her knack for spotting patterns or her never being without a book would have sealed the deal. (Hello, potential escape room and book club buddy!) Plus, Emi is total #HairGoals with ZOMG RAINBOW-COLORED HAIR.

Swoonworthy Scale: 6

Emi's been a longtime admirer of Hideo Tanaka, the tech prodigy who created Warcross. But her current circumstances have allowed for her to actually get to know him... and subsequently develop the hots for him. (Emphasis on H-O-T.)

Talky Talk: Absolute Sci-Fi

Trading in a superpowered fantasy series for a shiny dystopian duology is no easy feat, but this is world building by Marie Freakin' Lu. (Besides, it's not like she's unfamiliar with dystopia.) The not-too-distant future of Warcross feels within the realm of scientific possibility, and its thrilling plot kept me engaged from beginning to end. Jaws may have dropped, y'all.

Bonus Factor: Team Tournament

Everybody in the world is hyped for the Warcross Championships, a single-elimination tournament between teams comprised of the best players around the globe -- a distinction that transcends not only borders, but physical limitations as well. (The championship rosters boasts plenty of international representation, and one prominent player uses a wheelchair IRL.)

Bonus Factor: Cat-and-Mouse

Or should that be Cats-and-Mice? Because Emi's one of several bounty hunters tasked with finding moles within the tournament who want to exploit the game for nefarious means. Who's friend and who's foe? And who else is after that massive bounty?

Bonus Factor: Hackers

OF COURSE anything with teenage hackers will bring to mind Crash and Burn. But the manifestation of hacking in virtual reality feels reminiscent of the movie as well.

Bonus Factor: Easter Eggs

Fortunately, you don't need to be as observant as Emi to pick up on Warcross' subtle shout-outs to beloved characters, from both Lu's books and otherwise. (I mean, my memory is shizz, but a few notable names stopped me in my tracks because OMG DID SHE JUST.)

Casting Call:

Let me just peruse through Young Hollywood to authentically cast these wonderfully diverse characters OH HA HA WAIT.

Relationship Status: Game On

Meeting a new novel from a fave is always a little nerve-wracking. You try to keep your expectations in check, but omg this author is responsible for so many things that I already love HOW DID I EVER THINK I WOULD HAVE ANY CHILL? Then you finally get to know the new book, and PRAISE BE -- there's a spark! In fact, it's motherflippin' lightning, the way it leaves you clamoring for more. It's far from game over for us, and I can't wait to see how everything plays out.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY-yw...

Emika Chen is desperate. She is out of money and out of options. However, when she accidentally hacks into the opening ceremony of Warcross, the biggest virtual reality game in the world, Emika is recruit by the game's owner to go undercover into the tournament and find a possible spy.

I was leery about this book because I have had mixed reactions to Lu other novels but I was very wrong. Warcross grabbed me from the first page. The story is fast paced and the characters likable. The world building is incredible with Lu creating alternative futures of real city and creating her own virtual cities. Plus, the twist at the end was surprising but believable. This book is definitely a must read for fans of YA sci-fi.

[I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

4\5 stars!

PLOT:

We are in the future perhaps not too far from what we are experiencing, in a world where NeuroLink, glasses that can connect to a game called Warcross, are today's reality. Emika Chen is a hacker and to survive she is forced to hunt for players betting illegally in Warcross game. Needing to make money to pay the rent, Emika decides to connect to Warcross and hack it, but instead finds itself at the center of the action without wanting to. Hideo Tanaka, creator of the game, is immediately interested in the girl's talents, in fact he will offer her a job as a spy. Emika will then have to fly to Tokyo, participate in the game and find out who Zero is, a mysterious figure that threatens the world of Warcross, Hideo and all NeuroLink.

I loved every single part of the book and I went ahead without ever boring, there is action, romance, lies and intrigues, pretty much everything I search for in a book! I was immediately attracted to the plot, I am a videogames lover and reading Warcross was a great experience. Fights and training sessions have been quite interesting as well as encounters with Zero. Despite the InstaLove, I really loved the feeling between Emika and Hideo, I ship them and I know that I will suffer for this.


CHARACTERS:

Emika: She lost her father when she was just a child, he bought the first NeuroLink, led her into the world of Warcross and taught her everything she knows now. Her father was an important presence for Emika and during the course of the history this lack will often be felt. In any case, She's a badass character, brave and with a goal that she wants to reach at any cost, I liked it!

Hideo: A very complicated character with a past still wrapped in the shadows. Between us was love and hate, sometimes I loved him, but sometimes I don't know... I had a bad feeling. I can not wait to read the second book and find out more, I know that it'll be even more interesting. HIDEO DON'T DISAPPOINT ME!

Zero:HAHA I'm quiet as a mouse, but I always suspect who it was and it inspires me so much. I have a lot of expectations about this character!

ENDING:

BOOM what a great ending! I had made two theories that turned out to be right, Sherlock who?
Marie Lu you cannot write these kind of endings, YOU CAN'T!
I have one word for this book: NEVERAJOY (specially for the characters that I love)

In conclusion I really liked it, it's not at all like Legend or The Young Elites, but it's still a nice book and I'm just curious to know what's going to happen in the second!

Okay but… how am I expected to write a coherent review after the emotional rollercoaster this book put me through. It’s been almost two weeks since I read it and I still don’t have coherent thoughts, all I can think is I NEED ANSWERS, GIVE ME SECOND BOOK and READ THIS ASAP while virtually throwing the book at people. Joke aside, Warcross was the most exciting, well-built and well constructed YA science fiction book I’ve ever read and it instantly became a new favorite. I can’t get over how much I loved it.

The writing is striking and beautiful, which was to be expected from Marie Lu, but it still blew me away (like everyting else in this book to be honest). It’s very detailed and yet very clear, it leaves no room for confusion. Warcross is also written from Emika’s POV exclusively and that works so well, her voice shines through and since I loved her right away, that made falling in love with the novel that much easier. There are also some flashback parts that allow to have a well-rounded sense of who Emika is and how she became the way she is.

The world-building is FANTASTIC. The story isn’t set too far into the future so it’s a mix between the familiar and the new which makes very easy to immerse completely in the world, and it also makes every new element easy to grasp. Every bit was so well thought out and explained that none of it ever felt out of place or awkward, even the technology’s works was given an explanation and not just thrown out there for the reader to figure out or accept just like that, which my sciencey brain really appreciated.

Now the plot. It blew my freaking mind. IT IS SO BRILLIANTLY CRAFTED, I CAN’T. So many twists and turns, some I predicted, some I did not see coming but my heart was pounding its way out of my chest through it all, this book make me feel emotions across the whole freaking board, fear, happiness, giddiness, heartbreak, and it even managed to make me laugh with all the tension build-up.

The game is so thrilling, it’s been a long time since a book sucked me in so completely from the early pages and this did that. It raised questions and was mysterious enough to keep me interested and reading but not too much that it became frustrating and every question raised is answer later on. I was just completely taken by surprise by how much everything is vivid, the events were so easy to picture and get invested in. Even when fights are happening and things are happening fast it wasn’t hard at all to keep track of it all.

The characters are incredible, I loved every single one of them, even the ones I hated. Emika Chen is the main character, she’s chinese-american and I loved her even before I knew why I did. She’s just one of those characters that get a hold of your heart right away. She’s strong willed, tough, hates injustice and is incredibly smart, seeing her mind work and connect clues was so fascinating, I think that was my favorite part of it.

I adored Hideo, her japanese love interest. He’s so serious and professional all the time that every smile of his feels like a victory. He’s a broody nerd but once he becomes more comfortable, he’s so soft, caring and gentle. I love him so much and he must be protected at all cost. His relationship with his parents was so endearing, his love for them was very obvious. I ship Emika and Hideo like nobody’s business, seriously, i hadn’t shipped a couple like this for a long time, once they broke the ice, their banter was so cute, teasy and effortless and their texts were seriously everything. A plus is that the romance doesn’t overtake the plot, it’s very settle and subtle
.
My two favorite side characters are Hammie and Roshan. Hammie is so smart and sneaky like the thief that she is (in the game), she also cares about Emika and takes her under her wing. Roshan is so sweet and protective of his team and his friends, he’s passionate and takes things at heart. Then there’s the other members of the team, Asher, the captain whom I really liked because of his drive and dedication, and Ren that I hate with passion because of how cocky and insufferable he is.

DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS BOOK ENDED? DO YOU? DO YOU? THEN HOW ARE YOU OKAY? I am falling apart thinking of how long I need to wait for the sequel *cries*. I have so many questions and so many theories as to how things might go and I just need confirmation or if not that and I’m completely wrong, JUST ANSWERS.

In the book community, many books that are being released are so hyped, it's getting scary. Everyone is talking about it, everyone is reading it and, worst of it all, everyone is loving it. CAN YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE. I try and stay away from the hype as much as I can, or read the popular books later on, once the hype dies down. The story with Warcross was different. I got lucky enough to read it already and, boy. The hype there was well, well deserved.

I remember it pretty clearly: I started reading this book on the train this summer and, after a few pages, the real world around me disappeared, only to leave me with the incredible fictional world Marie Lu painted on the page. In a world where everyone is connected and playing this incredible game called Warcross, a virtual-reality game invented by a young billionaire, filled with fights, incredible worlds, Artifacts, treasures and more. Live championships are watched by the whole world. It's an event. It's a way of life. Without info-dumping, Marie Lu slowly takes us from a familiar world to a sci-fi made-up one that's not quite too hard to believe, with everyone being connected, wearing glasses and experimenting the world in a whole different way every single day. Every description of the world is vivid, taking us one second from New York to Tokyo, to cities where technologies, lights, virtual and reality mix up in such a way you feel like you're seeing it.

In Warcross, we get to follow Emika, our main character, as she hacks into the Warcross game one day, gets caught and surprisingly offered the possibility to play on a team in the worldwide championships...as a spy undercover. While we discover more of Warcross' game, national teams, incredible arenas and action-packed live battles...we also discover that there are so many dark secrets and dangers waiting in-between lines of codes in the game. It's a crazy fast-paced adventure, one you should get ready for because once you're in it, you just can't stop reading it.

As you know, characters matter a whole lot to me and Emika here did not disappoint. Slowly as the story sets up, we get to know her, her thoughts, her past, her motives, everything that makes her who she is: she felt well-developed enough for me to love her and root for her very quickly, which I loved.
The cast of characters surrounding her was very interesting as well. Hideo, the young billionaire, creator of Warcross, was really well-shaped and three dimensional, I loved how, slowly, we got to uncover a little bit of his secrets as the story went on. The cast of friends and teammates in the Warcross game Emika is playing was also fabulous and oh so, diverse and fun. I only wish we got to spend more time with them and know them a bit more. I really appreciated how naturally diverse it all felt as well. Emika is an American-Chinese protagonist, Hideo is Japanese, Asher is in a wheelchair, Roshan is gay, and there was just so much more. It felt richly built and didn't felt like it was trying to tick off diversity boxes, which I really appreciated.
Obviously, I can say that there is a tad of romance in this story, but it wasn't too much – nor was it insta-love or something. It was a relationship, slowly built with time, getting to know each other, mutual attraction, then more. It was so complex, so SHIPPABLE yet so HEARTBREAKING as well. Everything I love in a good romance.

Warcross was a fast-paced read with an amazing cast of characters, yet what I loved the most is, in addition to being super-exciting to read, how much it told us about, well, us. In Tokyo and everywhere else around the world, you're seeing how important it is to be connected, how, if you're not, you're missing out on everything, feeling naked, vulnerable, even. The villains of the story are so interesting to follow as well, showing us that right, wrong, black and white aren't always where you think they will be. Many secrets in this story are painted in shades of grey. You won't see them coming – I did not see that plot twist, that ending, coming at all and it had me SCREAMING and mad and everything else you can think of.

In her new book, Marie Lu is taking us into an incredible world and makes us play a game that's way more dangerous than it seems. With a vivid world-building you can't quite get rid off once you stop reading, characters you might fall in love with or hate with all of your heart, Warcross certainly deserves the tons of hype it is getting. Whether you're a sci-fi fan or, like me, a bit of a newbie, this is one book you should NOT miss.

Warcross has been one of those books that I have been excited for since the moment I heard about it. I can’t even explain to you how fantastic it truly is! WOW! I am absolutely blown away by the epicness that Marie Lu has dropped on us. I have loved all of Marie’s books, but Warcross may just be my favorite.

Emika Chen hasn’t been very lucky in life since her father died. She is about to be homeless, so she takes a serious risk and hacks into the opening ceremony of the Warcross Championships, and everyone, billions of people see her! Instead of being arrested, she is whisked away to Tokyo, to become an internal spy for the games.

Emika is so badass. I loved her spirit and her ingenuity. Emika is fierce and has suffered, but soldiers on. She has such a great outlook for someone who has been dumped on her whole teenage life. She just gets it. I really loved the way she sees the world, no matter if it is through her Warcross glasses or IRL. She is a hacker but eschews all the exhausted stereotypes. Emika knows who she is, and what she wants. I just want to be her! She works hard, and maybe sometimes what she does is illegal, but she holds to her morals even if they land her in jail.

Hideo Tanaka created Warcross and a seamless virtual reality. On an particularly down day for Emika as a child, she catches a radio interview, and he inspires her to go to class, do her homework and become the hacker that she is today. Emika, along with the whole world, has a crush on Hideo. So when she has to talk to him in person, she gets a little nervous and flirty. Plus I needed that romance, every slow-burn minute of it.

There is a huge cast of characters, and by no surprise, it is a super diverse cast! I have hopes to get to know more of the side characters in book 2, because Emika is really going to need those teammates! I really wanted to know more about them, but with such a large cast, it makes sense that the focus was more on Emika and her competing in the games as well as hunting the hacker. How often do you find yourself completely admiring the villain of the story (unless you are me, because I tend to have a fondness for the bad guys)? Well, this is one of those cases, for me I was enamored with Zero (and I will keep it at that as I try to keep this spoiler-free). Zero is quite brilliant, but Emika is ready to take them on!

The book was so visual, I was literally making the movie in my head as I read. I can’t even explain to you how fantastic it truly is, you will just have to read it for yourself! Are you ready to be mesmerized?! One thing is for sure, I wish Warcross was real. I don’t say that about many sci-fi books, because usually they aren’t pleasant. But I want seamless virtual reality that’s like a layer over the real world. Makes everything just so much more shiny. I want to have a virtual pet, I want those Alexander McQueen specs, I want that skateboard! Absolutely loved all the gaming explanations, the way the outside world is also affected by this new technology, and how so many people are involved in the game daily. Probably want to pass on the lack of jobs and all the automation, but that could just be me and my fear of losing our humanity.

The reveal and ending of this book destroyed me – completely tormenting! Absolutely threw me and I can’t believe the cliff I am hanging onto here. I need book 2, right freaking now! Please – how am I going to wait?! This book is action-packed and will grab you from the moment you start reading. Absolutely unputdownable! The writing is cinematic and it is just one of those books you can read and read and read. Get ready to be immersed in Warcross!

I have finished reading Warcross by Marie Lu and I like it.
I really love the Warcross game. It is really thrilling and exciting.
The setting description remind me of psychopass anime.
Emika as main chara is likeable character. It is easy for me to root for her.
I also like Emika mantra that help her to go her adversity "every lock door has a key". I can imagine this quote will be seen a lot on bookmerch.
I also like the plot twist!
Unfortunately the romance feel flat for me. Maybe because the romance interest, Hideo Tanaka is cool guy and I don't like cool guy. And somehow the romance remind me of Cinder and Prince Kai romance but I like Cinder and Kai romance better. The romance also feel like insta love despite it is not insta love.
I would recommended it to Psychopass, Hunger Game, Quidditch, and Death Note fans
4 star for Warcross!

Thank you Penguin Group for Young Readers / Penguin Teen for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life is tough for Emika Chen since her father passed away from cancer. She sustains her daily needs working as a bounty hunter and with her impressive hacking skills, she tracks down people involved on illegal gambling. Lately, she’s unlucky with her hunts and she’s needs money to pay her rent or else she’ll be evicted. With desperation, she comes up with an idea by hacking herself into the sensational virtual reality game called Warcross to steal power ups and trade them for cash. However, it went wrong when she hacked herself during the International Warcross Championship’s opening game which brought amazement and confusion to the players and viewers all over the world. She instantly becomes popular and it caught the Warcross founder’s attention.

Emika feels embarrassed after that incident, to her surprise she received a job offer from the billionaire Warcross founder, Hideo Tanaka to become a spy. She’ll be part of the game too while hunting the culprit who is trying to mess up the system’s security. With Emika’s intelligence and skills, he believes she could help him. Emika accepted the job and flies to the game’s venue: Tokyo, Japan. It’s a dream come true for her since she’s a huge fan of Warcross and Hideo Tanaka. She enjoys the privileges being a Warcross player but as the story unveils, things got more complicated and dangerous than what she signed up for.

Warcross just blew me away and gave me an adrenaline rush. The story pulled me instantly and I purposely take my time reading it because it’s entertaining, fun, and gripping. I held my breath on the Warcross matches because they are fantastic and intense! I also love the game reference mentioned in this book. The futuristic elements (advance technology, virtual reality etc.) and the setting are exquisitely detailed. The great thing about this novel, the science aspect was thoroughly explained without overwhelming its readers. I could easily picture it in my head and I’m mesmerized by it. It makes me want to be a part of or at least experience it.

Emika Chen and Hideo Tanaka are awesome, strong and complex protagonists. Hideo is quite a mysterious and stern while Emika is more of an open book. I love these two so much as well as the secondary characters Asher, Roshan and Hammie. (Mostly Roshan. I love this dude!) Plus, I love this set of diverse characters and all of them played their roles. As for the romance between Emika and Hideo, their chemistry is lit and I love it! Gosh, on those few romantic moments I swoon over these two!

Regarding on the plot twist, it’s predictable to figure out who Zero is but there’s one unexpected turn on Hideo’s true agenda and that one surprised me. This situation puts Emika on an ultimatum. Sorry I can’t tell you more due to spoilers and with that ending, I’m so pumped to read the sequel! I want to know what’s going to happen so bad. Overall, this book is superb and a must read. I enjoyed it so much. Hands freaking down to Marie Lu!

I’ve been in a bit of a book slump lately (read: the last few months). Not a very big one where I’m unable to get into anything, luckily, but a small one where I can really like a book, but I still have to force myself to actually sit down and read it because sitting on the couch and watching Elementary is a bit more appealing. While reading Warcross, however, I really felt myself looking forward to having some free time so I could go read, which is something I haven’t felt in months. And I think that definitely says a lot.

Like a few people before me have said, Warcross was everything I hoped Ready Player One would be. It has a strong and badass female main character, amazing world building, a plot line that keeps you at the edge of your seat at all times, and mysteries and ethical dilemmas that will keep you hooked until the very end. But the thing that I loved the most was definitely the world.

I’ve been trying to write this paragraph explaining the world a little bit for half an hour now but I just can’t explain it in a way that does it justice. It’s just so, for lack of a better word, awesome. Marie Lu has described everything in this amazingly visual way that enables you to picture everything and just fall in love with it. It’s beyond perfect and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Besides that, I think Marie Lu’s writing overall was incredible. It sucked me in from the start, is perfectly paced and just, again, absolutely incredible. I can’t believe that it took me this long to pick up a Marie Lu book, and I’m definitely starting The Young Elites series soon!

I also really liked the characters. I fell in love with Emika from the start. She’s badass, is incredibly inteligent and has a lot of hacking-skills, she’s independent and stands up for herself, and she’s basically the perfect character. She also goes through a lot of character development throughout the book, and I especially loved seeing how she goes from someone who always works alone, to someone who is finally trusting other people and working with them. The scenes in which she works together with her squad left me cheering and so incredibly happy.

There were only three relatively small things that I didn’t like about this book. 1) The author used the words crazy and insane to describe people or situations multiple times, which is ableist and hurtful, 2) the action-packed scenes often felt chaotic, which is why I had to reread a couple of paragraphs multiple times to understand what was going on, and 3) I personally didn’t care that much for the romance, because Emika was incredibly dependant on Hideo when they started their relationship (Hideo got her her job, her money and her current position) and that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, because I was scared that if Hideo did something that made Emika uncomfortable, she wouldn’t be able to refuse him because of the threat of losing her position/money/job. (Spoilers) This luckily didn’t happen, and Emika was able to stand up to Hideo in the end, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it made me feel very uncomfortable throughout most of the book. I just wish they had waited until they were on a more equal footing before they started dating, but that might just be me.

So overall, even though the book has some small flaws, I loved it a lot! The world is one of the best worlds I’ve ever encountered in a book, and Emika is definitely one of my new favourite characters. I cannot wait until this book is officially published so I can hear everyone screaming about how amazing it is, because I’m sure that that’s going to happen. This book, and this series, are going to be big.

What I want to see in the second book/questions I want answered/theories (this obviously includes spoilers so please don’t read this is you haven’t read the book yet):

What happened to Sasuke? Was he really kidnapped? Did Hideo have something to do with it? How come that if Sasuke had a Warcross account, Hideo had never been able to find him? Because he’s the Warcross Boss so you’d think that if someone with his name logged in, never mind how secured he is, he’d notice?
I really hope that Emika doesn’t team up with Hideo or Zero because I just want her and her team fighting and being badass together and just YES
Also, did anyone else think about how good Hideo’s ‘invention’ would be for people with a mental illness? Like, it could actually help me stop having panic attacks??? SIGN ME UP
I’m also still on the fence about the ethics of his invention? Like, it does take a bit of our freedom away but if that freedom includes being incredibly violent and murdering people, that might be a good thing? AHH I DON’T KNOW
But one thing that Hideo said is that the system is reliable because it’s just code and no one controls it but WHAT IF in the second book someone evil starts controlling the code?? And thereby controls all people??
Okay that scenario just made me think of the Spongebob movie (you know, with the bucket hats) and I SHOULDN’T compare this book to the Spongebob movie
But I really think that something like that is going to happen because just them going after Hideo would be cool but there’s almost always a twist in books like this?
But also, what if Zero isn’t really Sasuke but just someone posing as him?? Maybe his kidnapper?
Maybe one of the people from the Warcross games is involved with this because AGAIN TWIST
ALso, why did Zero have people involved all over the world? I didn’t really get that? Because he wanted to stop Hideo but he was always in Tokyo and the final game would be played in Tokyo so why have people in different parts of the world?
Okay this is long enough already I should stop BUT I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS
Also, am I the only one who ships Emika and Hammie a little??

When the romance ruins everything...

I can already picture people coming at me with burning torches and spears, but I just did not like this book as much as I hoped I would. There! I said it.

Emika is a bounty hunter trying to survive in New York city. She has debts that never end, rent to pay and 13 dollars in her bank account. Her father passed away a few years ago and her mother left them when she was little. She is all alone in this world and needs to do anything she can just to survive.

I loved the world Marie Lu built in this story. It is something our own world could one day become, an intensified virtual reality. I loved the game and settings, it felt a lot like a mash up between World of Warcraft and League of Legends, with its own tweaks.

As for the rest of the book, I felt swamped by clichés… A poor girl hacker suddenly is well-known and becomes wealthy. The romance that was beyond bitter-sweet and obvious. And finally Zero… it couldn’t be more predictable even if they wanted to.

<i>I’d like to Thank Netgallery for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest Review.</i>

<i><b>“A tingle runs through me at the chance to crack this problem, possibly the biggest puzzle I’ve ever been given the chance to solve. I’m going to win this time.”</b></i>

• <b>The concept Warcross is phenomenal and hooking</b>. The book is set in the near future, even though it’s not mentioned when. However, they mention current books and entertainment so it can’t be too far away. There has been a great invention by Hideo, called the NeuroLink, which makes it possible to create a virtual reality that’s absolutely accurate and detailed. Technology therefore is far more advanced as the NeuroLink glasses use the brain’s imagination to establish the virtual reality. The book does a way better job at describing these new inventions, which shows how well thought out the worldbuilding is. We even get text messages and stats as snippets inside the story, that certainly manage to convey the setting even in text. Because of the NeuroLink there’s this online game called Warcross, which plays in dozen virtual settings and had reached cult status. Everyone plays it and there are even professional players that participate in championships. We get to witness those and it’s super fun, because we have many teams competing as well as the games itself. Then there’s also lots of hacking and other cool tech!

• <b>Emika is a really great main character</b>. She is street-wise and clever, as well as I character I could always root for. A thing I really appreciated was how Emika talked about her poverty, because as far as I’ve heard this aspect is portrayed truthfully. She is also a tough bounty hunter that tries to get out of debt, as with her criminal record she cannot make enough money. I loved that Emika had a complex background story and it made my heart hurt to read about how her life completely fell apart after her fathers death. Everything was told very nuanced and it felt like Emika was a real person. Later her entire life changes overnight, when she get entangled in Warcross and glitches a game. As Emika is a great hacker she is hired and finds herself in a world completely different from where she came from. She undergoes some awesome character development from a loner to team player and I for one are really proud of her.

• <b>Hideo immediately claimed my heart</b>. He’s the creator of Warcross and charismatic as well as a genius billionaire. However, Hideo is also an incredibly private, polite, reserved person, that does not like questions about his past or family background. He can be a bit intimidating, but there is also a hidden vulnerability inside his heart, that he tries to not let show too often. I loved how complex he was and the air of mystery surrounding got me really interested in him. It’s an element that hooked my attention from start to finish. Hideo is witty and has a tragic background story, which is why he neatly fits into my Favorite Characters I Must Protect Category. All in all, I really longed to uncover his character and discover the secrets that he was hiding.

• <b>The romance was so good and slow-burning</b>. Those two were killing me, which means that the romantic element of the story was incredibly good. Billionaire genius falls for streetwise girl he hires. Yes please, tell me more. There’s quite a bit of opposite attract, because both come from very different backgrounds and have let lives that couldn’t be more apart. However, Emika refuses to be intimidated by him and instead gets him to open up. Just by being her, he falls for her, showing her is hidden soft side. Hideo clearly begins to enjoy spending time for her, apart from the job and their chemistry is incredible! Hideo was always very respectable towards her and I just really really loved both of them together. However, in the end everything was so BITTERSWEET.

• <b>There were so many amazing characters</b>! We’ve got the entire squad of the Phoenix Riders, which are Emika’s teammates in the Warcross Championships. There’s Asher, who is the captain and never gives up, no matter what happens. He is trying to hold his team together and make up for a past disaster that happened at the last championships. He rally cares about his teammates and it very easy to like, since Asher’s a good guy. Then there’s Hammie, who is incredibly smart and also loves Harry Potter, yes I already loved her since that moment! I really loved how Emika said that she liked her immediately after seeing her HP T-Shirt, yes please I am here for more amazing female dynamics and a lack of girl-on-girl hate. Next up there is Roshan, who is also a super friendly, sweet guy that treats Emika very nicely and is supportive of her and his entire team. There’s also Tremaire who was such a good secondary antagonist. There even is a German character, which would be Ziggy, however I still have no idea why the author chose that name for her. Seriously??? That’s more like a typical American Name, no one here actually is called like that.

• <b>Said cast of characters was very diverse</b>. Asher is disabled and sits in a wheelchair. In general we see players from all over the world, which means that we’ve got different nationalities as well as people of color e.g. Roshan and Hammie. Hideo himself is of Japanese decent and Emika I think is of East Asian decent. In addition, it seems like Roshan and Tremaire used to be/still are in love, even though their exact sexuality is not stated.

• <b>The last part of the book like ... OH SHIT</b>. The book in general had a great well paced plot but oh my god everything went downhill in the last part. No kidding, I legit was screaming, because the stakes were so high and everything was on fire. Secrets were revealed, betrayal happened and everything came together so quickly that it blew my mind. EVERYTHING was stressful.

<b>IN CONCLUSION</b>: <i>Warcross</i> is literally a <b>work of art</b>. With a cool setting, a high stakes plot and unforgettable diverse characters it shook me to the core and stomped on my feelings. I was incredibly invested in the story and surprised y how much I loved the book, as I went into it with no real expectations. You too should read Warcross, as it’s my favorite book by Marie Lu by far!

Warcross by Marie Lu got me hooked from the beginning. The setting of this book was just amazing. The way the author described this futuristic world and all its technologies made us more eager to find out about how people could live in a society where everything was done through virtual glasses that could change reality.
Emika was also an amazing character. She reminded me of Jessica Jones, with all her badass attitude and her rainbow hair. Loved her from the start, got really move by her personal story. All her quotes about losing her father and feeling lonely were beautiful to read.
My main problem with this book, was that I couldn’t really connect with its story/plotline. I understand what Marie Lu was trying to do here, I could visualize all her scenarios and futurist vision of this future – that, true be told is quite similar to what we have now. The author even attempted to create some “slow burning romance” between Emika and Hideo, plus she insert some online “Scooby Doo” investigation since Emika is a bounty hunter.
So, the blame is all on me for not being able to finished this book. For some reason, Warcross presents all the elements that I love when reading YA fantasy, but when Emi is thrown into the game’s universe, I found the plot was getting slower and slower. And I became less invested in her character, since I couldn’t relate to her as much as I did in the beginning of the story. Plus I couldn’t’ stop myself from picturing the movie “Spy Kids 3” while reading the game’s scenes.
Maybe I’m on a real bad reading slump, but for now I’m going to put Warcross down for a bit and maybe return to it in the future. I really think Marie Lu created a great storyline at first, but the development just got a little be boring for me.

*Review will be posted on my blog and other social medias on August 19th.*

"But sometimes, you find yourself standing in exactly the right position, wielding exactly the right weapon, to hit back for someone else. So I hit. I hit fast and hard and furious."

HOLY GUACAMOLE THIS BOOK, GUYS! I'm going to be shoving it to you when it comes out just so you'll love it as much as I did. It was freaking spectacular and I can't believe we'll have to wait another year to read the second installment. 

Believe it or not, this was my first Marie Lu novel, and let me tell you it did not disappoint me. Clearly there was a lot of buzz surrounding this book, from people who already read it and loved it or from other readers who were really anticipating it. So I can't be thankful enough to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book, because I now understand all the hype it got. 

Even though I read the premise and had been eyeing it ever since, I don't know why I went with quite low expectations (maybe it had to do with the hype???). I don't usually read stories based on video games because, well, I'm not a gamer myself and I fear I might be bored with them. But I have to say this book really surprised me. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF IT. Legit. I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed it, but I'll try my best. 

"They'll say I've lost my touch, that I picked you just for the news coverage it'll get the Riders. But we know better than that, don't we? I don't waste my time on players with no potential. You're a weapon in disguise, and I intend to keep it that way until our first game."

Warcross was incredibly detailed and complex. The author did such a great job at creating it, because it felt like I was inside the story along with Emika learning about the whole video game, the competition and what's behind it. The whole concept felt so intricate and unique to me that it made me want to continue the story just to see what would come next. The different tournaments of Warcross were so much fun reading about, and basically the entire game process was really cool and entertaining. 

So yeah, since lately I've been reading more futuristic novels and find myself really enjoying them, this was no different. I would say I didn't think I would love it as much as I did, but it fastinated me how complex and detailed everything was and the interactions between the characters. It had everything I loved in a book, and for that I was hyper happy. 

The cast was really diverse, too. Since it's a worlwide game, there were a lot of characters from Asia, Africa, South America, etc. I really enjoyed reading from Emika's point of view. She was a very strong and real character, who was still fighting with the loss of her father, and she was incredibly intelligent. The interactions with other characters throughout the story and the friendship she made during Warcross were one of my favourite things, as well as her development. 

"Some people still say that Warcross is just a stupid game. Others say it's a revolution. But for me and millions of others, it's the only foolproof way to forget our troubles."

It was a very addicting book. You know how much I love books that either are thrillers or mysteries, and even though this one was a bit more focused on the game and the technology aspect of the society, there still had a bit of a mystery going on, since Emika needed to catch an unknown hacker you literally knew only the name: Zero. 

It had some things I didn't see coming, and THE MOST IRONIC ENDING POSSIBLE. I thought something like that may happen but I forgot about it because it would be so ironic, and when it did I couldn't help but laugh (even though it wasn't funny). That was my normal reaction after devouring the novel, oh well. 

So I hope after this review you'll pick the book when it comes out and loved it as much as I did, because even if you're not a big fan of video games (like I am), you're going to love it (LOOK AT ME, I DID!).

*I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.*

In my wrap up video below, I talk about how much I love the world of Warcross and it's delightful cast of characters. Emika Chen is a force to be reckoned with but it's Hideo that really stole my heart. I was ecstatic to read a book set in Japan and centered on video games and I cannot wait to get my hands on the conclusion. I'm really hoping book two will be called Darkcross!

WARCROSS was very addictive, perfect and will certainly take readers to this fantastical new world where technology has taken the world to a different level and where treason, secret identities and love will make you want to keep reading till the very last page! I cannot wait to read the second book and read more about this amazing and unique story that Marie Lu created <3

I will begin this review by saying that this book made it to my "favorites" shelf.

This was my first book by Marie Lu, but I will definitely be reading more by her in the future. Warcross was so action-packed, the world-building was amazing, as was the plot and the heroine, Emika. I just couldn't put it down. I read it in one day and now I'm regretting it because I don't know how long I'm going to be waiting for the second book and this is killing me. Because the end, oh my. You're going to be screaming at your book, "I WANT MORE".

Honestly, the last sci-fi book that I loved that much was The Hunger Games (if you want to know, I'm part of the people who loved the end, because they fucking deserved it).

So let's get started on why this book was amazing:

THE WORLD BUILDING
First, the setting of this book is in Tokyo, in Japan, and this is freaking cool. Finallu, authors are discovering that the United-States isn't the only country in the world where you can tell a good story.

The world is the exact same as ours, but Warcross is everywhere. It's a game that you play by putting on glasses, and your whole environment become a gaming place. You have your own avatar, you can level up as any other games, and the thing I love the most in video games: you can have cool outfits. But this isn't important to the story, this is just me fangirling. Everyone uses Warcross, as it became a worldwide sensation. Of course, contraband is part of this game, called the Dark World.

      2. THE CHARACTERS

That's where Emika, the heroine of the book, enters. Living in poverty, she lost her dad when she was little, and she's drowning in debts he left her, gambling over Warcross games. She is forced to become a bounty hunter to survive, so she's pretty talented in hacking. Long story short, she hacks into the game while the worldwide competition is happening, exposing herself to the world. That's when Hideo Tanaka, the creator of Warcross, enters and offers Emika something she can't refuse: he needs her to spy on this year's tournament because he thinks there is some security problem.

If you do not want to read the book right here, right now, I don't understand you.

Emika proves herself to be a resourceful, flawed heroine, and also totally badass. She has rainbow hair, skates, and hacks into games. I couldn't like her more. She never complains even though her life is pretty hard.

Hideo is also some pretty cool character. Polite and mysterious on first sight, he's also quite complicated, with a dark past. And he knows about consent. I know, every decent human being knows about that, but since we're talking about a YA "dark" male character, I thought that it was something worth pointing.

The other characters, the players of this year's tournament are all great. We have some cool friendships in this lot, and I seriously hope that we're going to have more of Roshan and Tremaine in the second book, because they seem to have a complicated relationship and I'd love to know more about them.

      3. THE PLOT

Although it was pretty easy for me to guess the plot-twists and the end, I really loved the story, as it was very original. The technology is always present, although we have real human interactions, and the idea of people playing video games and being recognized for it was so cool and original to me, especially in a book. 

The concept of a video game tournament and its corruption was great, and the action-packed moments were so exciting, so much that I couldn't put the book down. Although we were properly introduced to the main characters, I feel like this book was just the beginning (it is though, since a second book will be released in 2018, I NEED IT), we learned just a fraction of their past, enough to be complex characters and for us to want more. 

Since it's going to be a series, it was an excellent first book, and as I said many times in this review, I NEED MORE. I couldn't read anything else after this one.


My review will be posted one month before the publication date, on my blog (readwithmae.wordpress.com) and on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/59311235-ma-readwithmae).

You know the feeling you get when you finish a novel and you just know that you’ve had one of the best reading experiences of your life? Well, take that feeling, multiply it by infinity and what you’ll get is how I felt when I finished Warcross. I loved, loved, loved this novel so damn much. So much so, in fact, that I immediately preordered it, told three different people to read it and could not stop talking about it every single time someone brought it up during Book Expo and BookCon. I still haven’t stopped talking about it, and I probably won’t because it was just that brilliant.

But before I get to telling you what I loved about Warcross, I should probably tell you what it’s about. Emika Chen is struggling to make ends meet day-to-day, both as a waitress and as a bounty hunter who tracks down the criminals the police don’t have the resources or time to capture for cash. When her need for cash becomes life or death, Emika does the unthinkable – she hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships and accidentally glitches herself into the action. She can hardly believe it when Hideo Tanaka, creator of the Warcross game, doesn't give her grief but instead gives her the opportunity to come to Tokyo to work for him as a spy-slash-player amidst the teams in this year’s Warcross tournament. Her mission? To discover the person that threatens to be a security problem for the game. But what Emika doesn’t expect is to discover a sinister plot during her investigation that will have effects that reverberate through the entire Warcross community.

I will be 100% honest: I have not loved all the Marie Lu novels I’ve read. I binge read and enjoyed the Legend trilogy; I read The Young Elites but never continued with that series. But when I heard what Warcross was about, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this -and I’m glad I didn’t, because it is one of my favorite books ever.

The premise promises a story that is exciting and compelling, and Lu delivers on both counts. It’s a science fiction mystery, set in a world where a virtual reality game is a part of majority of the population’s everyday life (much like Sword Art Online, which is one of my favorite animes of all time). I loved the way the plot unfolds – the mystery, the relationships, the games. I loved the setting – New York and Tokyo and the virtual world within the Warcross game. I loved the action scenes; I loved the swoony moments; I loved the flashbacks. It’s probably making me sound like a broken record, but friends, the truth is that I just loved this novel.

As Emika races against time and danger to figure out what exactly is going on and who is behind it all, I was completely invested in the outcome alongside her. Lu makes it easy to root for her, both by making Emika so relatable in her determination to survive independently and to take her chances when she can get them and by revealing portions of her past as the story goes on. She was smart and capable, vulnerable and kind, stubborn and independent – and I absolutely adored her. I was also a big fan of the secondary characters – Warcross creator (and major crush for me) Hideo Tanaka, and the Phoenix Riders (Emika’s team during the championships) made up of Asher, Roshan, Ren and Hammie) especially – because Lu does a bang-up job making them memorable.

If I could broadcast to the entire universe how much I adored Warcross, I would do it without hesitation. It might not be the perfect book, but it was perfect to me – whether we’re talking about premise, characters, world, plot, pacing, writing or any other element of this story. It’s fun. And exciting. And smart. And impossible to put down once you start. It’s an adventure that I’m fortunate enough to have experienced with Lu at the helm, and I look forward to the sequel (and deeply grieve that I’m now going to have to wait over a year to read it).