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taliesinrex's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was solidly written and had a cool premise, and I loved the central driving mystery as it was initially presented. The world Lu creates is also interesting, and her prose does a great job of presenting a really vibrant, immersive vision of it - both the virtual world of Warcross itself and the reality that Emika lives in. There's an obvious Ready Player One comparison and I think that in terms of thoughtfulness and writing this blows RPO out of the water.
Overall, I did find myself a little dissatisfied with this by the halfway point and while I did not realize this was a series going into it, the ending cliffhanger felt a bit rushed and lazily executed. For me, a lot of it boils down to the character writing and how events of the book were prioritized. We get a good picture of Emika as a person early on, and a pretty good idea of Hideo (or the image that he can afford to present to the world), but even so it seemed like there were things they revealed to one another as the book went on that didn't fully align with what the book was trying to say about them at large; it seemed like maybe some of these details were supposed to be clues to part of the larger mystery but were implemented in a kind of inelegant way. Their romance was fine and I thought it was well-written (I saw people saying it was insta-love but it didn't read that way to me?) but it seemed like a disproportionate amount of time was spent on it versus on Emika's investigation and interaction with the game of Warcross. Hideo's turn towards the end felt inevitable, which I don't think is bad - I don't usually knock things too hard for being predictable - but the reasoning behind it was flimsy to me.
I also felt that the supporting characters - Emika's Warcross team members and Tremaine - were a bit flat and I really wanted more time with them to learn more about them as people rather than the occasional mention of their siblings or a past relationship. This especially was troubling in the wake of Emika's "liar-revealed" moment as we didn't see much of their dynamic, and then following the quick change of scene afterwards any tension seemed to have been resolved immediately.
I know I did a lot of talking about my dislike of certain elements, but for the most part I did have a good time reading this book. It is well-written, and drew me in with some really interesting world ideas. While I had issues with how the events of the narrative were structured, I thought the pace kept a great momentum and really did keep me wanting to read on. The Warcross matches Emika takes part in never feel trite or overly derivative, and I think the narrative pace and Lu's writing style both lend themselves to making these fun to read about. Similarly, concepts like the Dark World and the Memory Bank - both pulled from familiar knowledge of modern internet and technology - really come alive on the page. In summary, I think Warcross could have benefited from a clearer vision and some restructuring to allow for its characters and mystery to really shine, but is still an enjoyable read.
Overall, I did find myself a little dissatisfied with this by the halfway point and while I did not realize this was a series going into it, the ending cliffhanger felt a bit rushed and lazily executed. For me, a lot of it boils down to the character writing and how events of the book were prioritized. We get a good picture of Emika as a person early on, and a pretty good idea of Hideo (or the image that he can afford to present to the world), but even so it seemed like there were things they revealed to one another as the book went on that didn't fully align with what the book was trying to say about them at large; it seemed like maybe some of these details were supposed to be clues to part of the larger mystery but were implemented in a kind of inelegant way. Their romance was fine and I thought it was well-written (I saw people saying it was insta-love but it didn't read that way to me?) but it seemed like a disproportionate amount of time was spent on it versus on Emika's investigation and interaction with the game of Warcross. Hideo's turn towards the end felt inevitable, which I don't think is bad - I don't usually knock things too hard for being predictable - but the reasoning behind it was flimsy to me.
I also felt that the supporting characters - Emika's Warcross team members and Tremaine - were a bit flat and I really wanted more time with them to learn more about them as people rather than the occasional mention of their siblings or a past relationship. This especially was troubling in the wake of Emika's "liar-revealed" moment as we didn't see much of their dynamic, and then following the quick change of scene afterwards any tension seemed to have been resolved immediately.
I know I did a lot of talking about my dislike of certain elements, but for the most part I did have a good time reading this book. It is well-written, and drew me in with some really interesting world ideas. While I had issues with how the events of the narrative were structured, I thought the pace kept a great momentum and really did keep me wanting to read on. The Warcross matches Emika takes part in never feel trite or overly derivative, and I think the narrative pace and Lu's writing style both lend themselves to making these fun to read about. Similarly, concepts like the Dark World and the Memory Bank - both pulled from familiar knowledge of modern internet and technology - really come alive on the page. In summary, I think Warcross could have benefited from a clearer vision and some restructuring to allow for its characters and mystery to really shine, but is still an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Minor: Kidnapping
harmony323's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment
molliford's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, and Alcoholism
Minor: Abandonment
rafacolog's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, and Addiction
luxxltyd's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
gracelang_09's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Abandonment
kanthereader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I.. don’t know how to feel. I don’t even wanna rate this book.
First off, the beginning was incredibly slow. I almost DNF’d this book because of how slow it was. Don’t get me wrong, it was not boring. It was just.. not exciting.
I was pleasantly surprised after the book started going. The story line is really good. A bounty hunter competing against other bounty hunters in a chase to find who’s sabotaging the games? Great.Except I could feel the slow burn between Hideo and Emika (it was absolutely agonizing) I just wish there was more romance throughout it instead of towards the end. However, the romance was satisfying when it was included. Emila and Hideo bonding whne they could sense each others emotions and their grief was a great addition.
So, me being me, I skipped ahead for the romance. I of course spoiled it for myself and found out who Zero was. I was shocked to say the least.
Then here comes the end. The awful, awful, end.First off, the ending was incredibly cliche. I don’t know if it was because I spoiled, but that ending was incredibly disappointing. You made this elaborate plan just to find out you have been helping the bad guy and prohibiting the good guy. I don’t even see how the author could come up with a sequel for this book. What is there to write about? Emika now joins the bad guy and explains to everyone how their elaborate plan was for nothing?
And HIDEO!! HOW COULD YOY BETRAY ME LIKE THIS !! i loved him and he ripped my heart in two with the new NeuroLink.
First off, the beginning was incredibly slow. I almost DNF’d this book because of how slow it was. Don’t get me wrong, it was not boring. It was just.. not exciting.
I was pleasantly surprised after the book started going. The story line is really good. A bounty hunter competing against other bounty hunters in a chase to find who’s sabotaging the games? Great.
So, me being me, I skipped ahead for the romance. I of course spoiled it for myself and found out who Zero was. I was shocked to say the least.
Then here comes the end. The awful, awful, end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
musicmagician823's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent
laurenevlyn's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book had been on my radar for over a year at this point, but for some reason I never got around to reading it until now. What a mistake on my part because Warcross was such a fun read! I was thoroughly immersed in the world of Warcross the entire time I was reading, and though I basically spoiled every part of the book for myself (way to go Lauren), I really enjoyed it. Definitely pick this up if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced, and futuristic story that will capture all your attention from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read Wildcard next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Addiction, and Abandonment
Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Murder
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
Super fun audiobook, the narrator is great!
I'd describe this book as like a more diverse YA Ready Player One set in Tokyo.
I was a bit weirded out by Emika and Hideo's relationship because I don't really remember them saying how old he was, but I feel like he must have been at least close to 30?? and she is 18.
Will be reading/listening to the sequel.
I'd describe this book as like a more diverse YA Ready Player One set in Tokyo.
Will be reading/listening to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
I don't know why anyone is adding rape as a TW unless I missed something. It is only mentioned in passing once at the end of the book in a way that is just like "we live in a world where rape happens"