Warcross by Marie Lu
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 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.”
Review:
4.5 Stars
This book has been out since September 2017, I have had this book since September of this year. It is now the end of November, and I just finished Warcross. Why haven’t I listened to everyone last year? Why did I wait so long to read this book? If you haven’t read this book yet, I recommend that you find a copy and read it; then you can come back and thank me because this is easily one of the best books I have read this year.
I have no idea where to start with this post! There are so that could be discussed like Emika, Hideo, the Warcross game, Hideo, the Phoenix Rider Team, and Hideo.
The whole story from start to finish was so fresh and exciting. I could have easily finished the whole book in one sitting if I had the time. I love all of the characters and the suspense of Zero, the mysterious figure trying to disrupt and murder a character. The world that the story is so fun and intriguing that I would gladly live in it (without the part that was uncovered at the very end).
The story picks up with Emika hunting for this man, so she can collect the bounty to pay her overdue rent and other bills. Emika was so close to collecting the money when the police told her that someone else had contacted them first! She was so close to having her rent paid. Later that same night Emika finds herself watching the opening ceremony game of Warcross. During the match, Emika decides to try to steal one of the player’s power-ups to sell to avoid being kicked out of her crummy apartment. Once Emika steals the power-up, she glitched into the actual game! Immediately after that, she exits the game, and she receives calls and text messages from an unknown number which turns out to be people working for Hideo, the creator of Warcross and NeuroLink (the glasses that become part of people’s everyday life and allows them to play). The next morning Emika finally calls back and shortly after, she finds her self on a private jet taking her to Tokyo to meet with Hideo.
While she is in Tokyo, Hideo hires her to become one of a few bounty hunters to catch this person that is trying to hack and mess of the game. Along with trying to hunt the person, Emika is entered in Warcross as a Wild Card (Wild Cards are highly ranked players that are selected to play on teams). Emika has many surprising twists and turns during her time in Tokyo. Emika has to learn how to work with a team after many years of only looking after herself and decide who she can trust.
Let talk about Hideo for a second. From the first scene that Emika met him, I was in love with him.
Exhibit A: “He’s dressed in a perfectly tailored white collar shirt rolled up to his elbows and with two of the top buttons casually undone, a pair of lean, dark trousers, and deep scarlet oxford shoes. The only game-related item he’s wearing is a pair of simple, silver cuff links glinting in the sunlight, both cut in the shape of the Warcross logo. His eyes are very dark and framed by long lashes. His hair is thick and midnight black, except for a curious, thin silver streak on one side.” Okay… let’s just let that glorious description just sink in for a moment.
Exhibit B: He has a BRITISH accent. Let me tell you; I am a sucker for any accent, so once I read that he had “subtle British accent,” I was Team Hideo all the way.
Exhibit C: He has a mysterious past that no one knows about, and as Hideo and Emika start to work together, we learn what drives him to work.
All of those things put together equals a perfect swoon-worthy guy.
Let’s kind of talk about that ending. I DID NOT expect the thing that Hideo had unveiled to Emika at the end. Honestly, I feel like I should have seen it coming, but I was too caught up in Hideo. So, thank you Marie Lu for creating such an attractive character that I had a wicked case of tunnel vision. With that being said, I did have an idea as to who Zero was, and I wanted to pat myself on the back when Emika uncovered the person’s identity. I’ll be honest, when I finished the book, I legit sat there a few minutes trying to wrap my head around everything that happened the last hundred pages.
Each detail of every character and the descriptions of the scenes are amazing. The whole time I thought I was apart of this world. There were even o couple of times where I had gasped and *wait for it* released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. This book made me laugh more times than I care to admit, and I even cried. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced action book with a kick-but main character.
Each detail of every character and the descriptions of the scenes are amazing. The whole time I thought I was apart of this world. There were even o couple of times where I had gasped and *wait for it* released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. This book made me laugh more times than I care to admit, and I even cried. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced action book with a kick-but main character.
Happy reading until next time,
