Author: Marie Lu
Publication Date: September 14th 2017
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 on 2 of the Warcross Duology
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Google Books
Blurb Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu - when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game - it's a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. 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 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. 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.
In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.
I put this book down about half an hour ago and HOLY CRAP. I
honestly do not know what to do with myself anymore because while I thought Warcross would be good, I didn’t KNOW
THAT IT WOULD BE THIS GOOD?
Also, that ending took the WIND out of me and I ACTUALLY let
out a scream (nobody was
around to hear me, so I’ll just post it on the internet for everyone to
publicly judge me)
and I cannot EXPLAIN how much I need the
sequel right now.
I read Marie Lu’s The
Young Elites trilogy only a month (or so) ago and while it had its ups and
downs, Warcross was PURE 100% PERFECTION AND ADRENALINE FILLED
AND MIND TWISTINGLY GOOD AND I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT RIGHT NOW. (Does this sentence even make any
sense?)
I simply have to get my thoughts out on this review,
regardless if they make sense or not, so prepare for a lot of capital letters
and fangirling down below.
MY THOUGHTS:
1. I
always go into hyped books a little jaded.
I mean *what if* after I believe that it will be the best book EVER, it isn’t and then I HAVE TO TEND TO MY POOR
BRUISED BOOKWORM HEART AND SOUL? Yeah, I can’t. SO, I went into Warcross a little jaded but within NO
TIME AT ALL I JOINED THE FANDOM and I SUPPORT ALL THE HYPE because this book is CRIMINALLY INSANE (in the
best way possible.)
 |
| Quote Graphic by the LOVELY Icey Designs |
2. THE WORLD BUILDING (especially the Virtual Reality World Building) is INSANE. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH WORLDS LIKE THIS, MARIE LU? The technology, the arenas, the power-ups, the dark world inside the world – ALL OF IT WAS shockingly good and kept my brain spinning in marvel.
3. I LOVED Emika Chen. I loved her independent streak, her fighter attitude, her genius brain and her inability to back down. She was one of the best characters I’ve met this year and I AM SO EXCITED TO DO IT AGAIN in book two!
4.
I loved Hideo Tanaka as well. He was quiet,
withdrawn, OBVIOUSLY a genius and I LOVED HIM AND EMIKA TOGETHER. Also, the
story of his past broke my heart into tiny little pieces.
5.
The pace of this book was (also) INSANE. There
was always something happening with never a dull moment and with SO MANY
characters and insane technology, the plot twists JUST KEPT COMING and I loved
it. I read it in two days with college around AND an exam in between
because it was SO HARD to tear myself away from it.\
6. Can
I also talk about how stunning Warcross (the
actual game) was? More, specifically, I LOVED the championships and everything
to do with them. From the dome fights, the insane worlds that teams had to
battle it out in and even the structure of each team – Captain, Architect,
Fighter, Thief and Shield. Which brings me to HOW MUCH I LOVED The Phoenix Riders and
the way they trained and their camaraderie! I only wish we had MORE of them and
of the actual game!
7.
I think the ONLY THING I didn’t like (much)
about the book was that I pretty much predicted one of the MAJOR plot twists
and made it not so shocking – but I was SO WRONG about the rest of it, AND IT
AMAZED ME.
All in all, this book
is so SO worthy of every amount of praise that’s been thrown at it. Warcross is spectacular, adrenaline
filled, mind twisting and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. 5 stars.
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.
Have you had the pleasure of reading Warcross? What did you think of it?
Are you a gamer? What do you play and on what console?
Have you read Marie Lu's other books? Which series is your favourite and ~ ARE YOU EXCITED for Batman: Nightwalker?
