Title: Warcross
Author: Marie Lu
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Science Fiction
Imprint: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Date published: September 12, 2017
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 368
Source: Publisher

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

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 REVIEW –

This book. This book! I am so very happy that I read Warcross, and I will tell you why. First of all, though, I would like to apologize for how long it took me to write this review. I thought that I’d need 1 day after finishing the book, to mull over how this book made me feel, and what I want to say. But it ended up taking me 2-3 days. I’m still not sure I’m ready to talk about it, but since the book has been out for 16 days now, I figured I should just suck it up and write my review (so that I won’t be the last one on the bandwagon, haha).

I went into reading this book knowing 2 things. 1) I had not read any other Marie Lu books before, and therefore didn’t know what to expect, and 2) that every blogger that I’ve come across who has read this book before me, has absolutely loved it. Now, I was quite unbiased regarding the former statement, but also unbiased regarding the latter, simply because I am very aware that bloggers are human beings, and not all human beings have the same likes and dislikes. That being said, I really hoped that I would like this book! But, I didn’t like it. I absolutely loved it! Warcross was a thrill ride from the very first page, and I was immediately hooked. It was almost unhealthy! If I wasn’t human, and didn’t need to sleep and work, I would have read it in one sitting. Due to these responsibilities, I read it in approximately 2 days (which is still pretty quick for me! I’m a slow reader. Sigh).

The plot is fast-paced, and so satisfying! Something about Lu’s writing also just made me want to keep reading! Before picking this book up, I remember being curious about how Lu would effectively describe virtual reality and gaming, in a way that would be believable. It turns out, however, that I didn’t have to worry! I was so immersed in this story, and I actually became quite jealous of the characters’ ability to spend time in a virtual world! At the same time, I also kept in mind how dangerous such an option would be in real life…and I don’t think we’re too far from achieving realistic virtual reality game-play, are we? As for the rest of the settings, I could almost smell and see NYC, the way Lu described it through the main character, Emika, and the same goes for Tokyo. I was actually in tears a lot of the time when Tokyo was described, because I miss that city very very much, and it will always have its own space in my heart.

Even though I normally have issues with YA books that are narrated in the first person (and an issue with the narrating main female character as a result), I absolutely loved Emika! She felt real and relatable, and the way in which she experienced things, was so very true to how many of us readers would have experienced her adventure, I think. The other characters were great too, and I found myself becoming quite attached to a lot of them (even though that almost never happens with me and supporting/side characters). If the rest of Lu’s books have characters like these, I will be quite happy!

Warcross was an action-packed, thrilling read, with a dash of friendship, and a dash of romance, and a goooood amount of science-fiction awesomeness! I highly recommend this book! One of my favourite releases of 2017.

– ABOUT THE AUTHOR –

From Marie Lu’s Goodreads author page: I write young adult novels, and have a special love for dystopian books. Ironically, I was born in 1984. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was an Art Director at a video game company. Now I shuffle around at home and talk to myself a lot. I graduated from the University of Southern California in ’06 and currently live in LA, where I spend my time stuck on the freeways. (You can visit Marie Lu on Twitter at @Marie_Lu)

– PURCHASE LINKS –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!