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I thought this was a pretty solid conclusion to the story! It went in a lot of directions I didn’t see coming and was very action-packed. I don’t think it’s better than the first book, but it’s definitely a fun time.
Hrozně mě mrzí, že to končí. Wildcard sice nabyla tak dobrá jako Warcross, přesto to byla jízda. Příběh se mimo jiné krásně čte, jak už je u Marie Lu zvykem.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot: This book seemed more action filled than the last one. I say this as a good thing, because it didn’t just focus on the games. A lot of the plot dealt with being inside of minds, so that was intriguing.
Characters: I was glad to see some character development in this book! I think that’s what this book relied on most! I loved that we followed all of the team members, and were able to see them transform.
Recommend: Yes
Characters: I was glad to see some character development in this book! I think that’s what this book relied on most! I loved that we followed all of the team members, and were able to see them transform.
Spoiler
Hearing Sasuke’s story was interesting, I can believe Dr. Taylor took him and was the one running everything! I’m actually also glad that people had consequences, like Hideo was charged because even though he’s a good character, he did commit crimes and I just don’t think it would have made sense for him to not have consequences for that.Recommend: Yes
A solid 4 stars
Should I be surprised that my opinion differs greatly to the reviewers I follow on this book? It seems to be a habit with Marie Lu books. I follow reviewers with similar tastes to me, but most of them preferred the sequels of the Legend series to Legend itself, while I thought Legend was enjoyable enough, and found the sequels incredibly boring. This time, the reverse seems to have happened. All the reviewers I follow seemed to find Wildcard on the dull side, whereas I found it pretty entertaining throughout.
Is Wildcard perfect? Hell no. Our main character, Emika, is pretty two-dimensional, the Phoenix Riders are really likeable but barely feature, and the romance while unusual isn't justified in its intensity given how long the characters have known each other (though I wouldn't go so far to call it instalove). Also, I've been to Tokyo, and the descriptions of it - bar one paragraph near the end - were weirdly lacking in vibrancy. However, there are some really great things about this book!
1. Zero. The mystery behind him. The plot twists. So much yes.
2. Hideo.
Spoiler
How many love interests are found guilty of second-degree murder at the end of a series? I love that Hideo is essentially a villain, but the kind of villain whose motivations you really do understand. It's a shame the romance wasn't as strong as it could have been, because it was highly unusual due to Hideo being so undeniably morally grey.3. Jax and Hammie! Friendship and girl power.
Spoiler
Also Jax's relationship with Tasuke was adorable and I would love a spin-off series about them. I mean Zero/Tasuke has a lot of untapped potential. Could he evolve into something more human? Could we have a spin-off series with an android version of him, even?4. The fact I didn't mind that Emika was 2D. In a weird way, Wildcard is like a video game, where you're playing Emika. (I kept getting Portal vibes for some reason even though I've only ever played that game, like, once). You're discovering the narrative of the story with her in a way that's more game-like than book-like.
Spoiler
(In fact this series would make a brilliant video game, with actual Warcross levels as well as levels where you're trying to escape people and stuff. On a skateboard. I mean this series even has a boss levelSpoiler
with ZeroAll in all, I just really enjoyed this, way more than I thought I would. Surprise of the year for me.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was not the strongest book she has ever written (i.e. the Legend Trilogy, especially the conclusion!!!), slow in parts, but it was okay. Much better than the Young Elites Trilogy. Enough said.
Oh wow, this book! After the cliffhanger from Warcross, I knew this one was going to be an adventure, but I had no idea all the twists and turns that were coming! So many feels! Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this series, even if you aren’t into gaming. It’s so worth it!