A review by nebraskanwriter
Warcross by Marie Lu

adventurous challenging emotional tense 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? Yes

3.5

I am not a gamer so this book was kind of out of my element. But Lu’s expert description explained everything perfectly. I was completely immersed into her Warcross virtual reality world. New York City and Tokyo came alive off the pages, I could picture the virtual reality worlds and the high tech city in my mind. 
 
In a world similar to that of Big Hero 6, the premise of Lu’s Warcross is that a young entrepreneur and CEO, Hideo Tanaka, creates NeuroLink glasses that connect you to virtual reality. The NeuroLink glasses quickly become a part of almost everyone’s everyday lives all over the world, your level on the glasses determining how you’re treated and even if you are qualified for a job. You level up by completing things that the algorithm deems rewardable and by playing the world-wide phenomenon, Warcross. One of the things to rise from this technology is the game Warcross, where players compete in virtual reality levels together, competing against another team. The object of the game is to catch the other captain’s jewel. Warcross has become an international sensation, watched by millions with players coming from around the world each year to participate in the Warcross games. 
 
Emika Chen is a bounty hunter in New York City who catches black market criminals with gambling debts from Warcross. Strapped for cash and about to get evicted, Emika is an amazing hacker and hacks into the Warcross games to steal a powerful power-up that she could sell on the virtual reality black market, the Dark World, for a lot of money. However, when she tries to grab the power up, it zaps her into the game and her plan is exposed to millions of people watching, including Hideo. The next day she is flown to Tokyo with a proposition from the 21 year old CEO himself to catch another hacker that’s been messing with the Warcross virtual worlds. With a heavy bounty of $10 million as the reward and the weight of international security on her shoulders, Emika sets out on her secret mission to catch the elusive hacker, Zero. 
 
Lu takes us through the streets of Tokyo, the underbelly of the Dark World and finally to the bright stage of the Warcross games. There are many twists and turns, a few I saw coming but most of them I was surprised at. Full of high tech action, heart and camaraderie, Warcross far surpassed my expectations. Eagerly awaiting the sequel! 
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