Warcross - Marie Lu

Title: Warcross
Author: Marie Lu
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4 Stars

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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.

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One can tell that Marie Lu worked in the video game industry before becoming an author - this book is full of the detail one could only expect from someone familiar with the world of video games.  Warcross is full of imagination, bright colors, and a bad guy that you don't expect to be the bad guy.

Emiko Chen, the rainbow haired hacker from New York, gets herself a one way ticket to Tokyo and a debt free life after she somehow glitches herself into a Warcross championship game.  Hideo Tanaka, the creator of Warcross, makes Emiko a wild card and she is drafted into the games, playing with players who have been competing professionally for years. 

I won't get into all the details of what happens (I want you to be surprised!) but let's just say the book will have enough twists and turns to keep you reading and wanting more.

The characters in the book are very well written.  I can feel Emika's hesitance, and later, her anger and frustration.  I can feel the way Hideo wants to live life in his own way - and make some changes that are...unique.  The characters are well-developed enough that I couldn't tell what was going to happen with a certain character until it happened.  (Which speaks to how well written the story was as well.) I think that what each character does, what they say, how they behave and grow, is right in line with who they are at the beginning of the book.  As always, Marie Lu does a great job of creating characters who are strong throughout the entire novel, and who grow and develop throughout the book.

The story is so well written and well developed that I just wanted to dive right in and live in this world.  Marie Lu, as always, does a great job of building up her world and making it believable.  (Just to give you an idea of how into this book I got, I actually had a dream about it one night.  I kid you not.)  When the characters are competing in their competitions, I felt like I was right there with them.  When Emiko ventured into the Dark World, I wanted to be by her side to keep her from doing anything stupid.  The whole story is just amazing!

This is a book you will want to read, right now.  You'll find yourself wishing Warcross were actually real!