Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross is the first book in a YA dystopian series about hacking and virtual reality. Teenager Emika Chen is a brilliant hacker and bounty hunter, surviving on her own. It is a hard life, and she has no money left, and is about to get evicted out of her apartment. Desperate to earn money, she hacks into the opening game of the Warcross Championships, hoping to pay her rent. Instead, she accidentally glitches into the battle, visible to billions of people all over the world and making headlines.

Instead of being arrested, Emika gets recruited by the virtual game's creator, Hideo, to be a spy and catch Zero, a criminal. She is taken to Tokyo, and earns a spot on the Phoenix Riders, an elite team, gaining fame and fortune one cannot even dream of. Her happiness soon fades as she uncovers a plot that will destroy Warcross and its empire forever.

I enjoyed every single page! I love the writing style, the characters, and the setting. The whole book is so well written. There are some really fun plot twists, and I love how the mystery progresses and the foreshadowing. I guessed most of the book, but the ending? I think my jaw fell to the floor with the ending realization/cliffhanger. The battle/action scenes were so developed that I actually felt scared, and present as an avatar in the game standing next to her.

I love how Emi stands up for what she believes in. She is so powerful, smart, head-strong, and caring. She has a criminal record for doing the right thing and sticking up for her friend! She never lets things scare her or break her down. And when she does break, it is real and raw and so tender that the reader wants to cry. I also enjoyed her transition from being on her own and relying on herself to relying on a team. It was great to watch her learn the value of teamwork.

I cannot wait to read the next book, WildCard, which will be released on September 18, 2018!

If you are interested in virtual reality, I also recommend that you read Virtual Grunt!

Title: Warcross
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 353
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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