Hey, guys! Sorry that posting has been a little less consistent. I've just started college and have much less time to read!
Anyways, after reading Marie Lu's earlier books (Legend series and The Young Elites series), I was excited to hear that she was writing another series, Warcross!
The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows the title of the book forming a virtual cage of some sort. It shows both the technology side of Warcross as well as how not everything is as pretty as it seems, that danger lurks. It's a fun cover that can relate to the book if you stretch it a little. A- cover
Official Description:
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.
My Review:
Warcross was an interesting book. The writing was great, typical for what I expect of Marie Lu. The main characters were complex. The plot started out great. Then, it took a plot twist that, honestly, it would have been better to leave out. More on that later.
The writing style was captivating. It mapped out the scenes beautifully, and, as a result, Warcross was very easy to get sucked into. The writing itself was the best part of this book.
The characters were also interesting. You have Emika, the main character, who makes her own path and retains her independence. Then, you have Hideo, a successful businessman at a young age and with an air of mystery to him, who may end up being the bachelor Emika doesn't even know she wants yet! In all seriousness, Hideo is a very well formed character with his own thoughts and ambitions. The rest of the characters in the book were indistinguishable from one another. These characters really weren't that important, so I doubt it mattered that I could barely tell them apart.
Now, the plot. It was a bit of a mixed bag. I'm a sucker for virtual reality books (see list of my favorites at the end of this post). And, Warcross just doesn't stand out from the other VR books I've read. The only real difference was that Emika was a bounty hunter.
However, I was starting to get really into the plot. I was ready to see more of the competition to win Warcross. Instead, right as I was really starting to love this book, it took a complete 180. I'm not going to spoil it, but a plot twist occurs which just derailed the book I wanted to read. Instead of a winner of the game being announced, Marie Lu decided to start an apocalypse plot. It was such a questionable decision. It felt like Warcross was meant to be a single book, but someone decided to merge it with a different series to continue to make profit.
Overall, Warcross was a good, but not great, virtual reality book. I'd recommend reading it if you like more of the bounty-hunting side of the description than the VR side. The writing was good, but some of the plot was a little haphazard.
Warcross comes out September 12, 2017.
Phrase:
My father's artwork
*Note: I received a pre-release copy of this book from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Favorite Virtual Reality Books:
Ready Player One
The Reality Bug (Pendragon #4)
More Than This
The Eye of Minds
BZRK
If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!
Happy Reading!
Anyways, after reading Marie Lu's earlier books (Legend series and The Young Elites series), I was excited to hear that she was writing another series, Warcross!
The Cover:
It shows the title of the book forming a virtual cage of some sort. It shows both the technology side of Warcross as well as how not everything is as pretty as it seems, that danger lurks. It's a fun cover that can relate to the book if you stretch it a little. A- cover
Official Description:
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.
My Review:
Warcross was an interesting book. The writing was great, typical for what I expect of Marie Lu. The main characters were complex. The plot started out great. Then, it took a plot twist that, honestly, it would have been better to leave out. More on that later.
The writing style was captivating. It mapped out the scenes beautifully, and, as a result, Warcross was very easy to get sucked into. The writing itself was the best part of this book.
The characters were also interesting. You have Emika, the main character, who makes her own path and retains her independence. Then, you have Hideo, a successful businessman at a young age and with an air of mystery to him, who may end up being the bachelor Emika doesn't even know she wants yet! In all seriousness, Hideo is a very well formed character with his own thoughts and ambitions. The rest of the characters in the book were indistinguishable from one another. These characters really weren't that important, so I doubt it mattered that I could barely tell them apart.
Now, the plot. It was a bit of a mixed bag. I'm a sucker for virtual reality books (see list of my favorites at the end of this post). And, Warcross just doesn't stand out from the other VR books I've read. The only real difference was that Emika was a bounty hunter.
However, I was starting to get really into the plot. I was ready to see more of the competition to win Warcross. Instead, right as I was really starting to love this book, it took a complete 180. I'm not going to spoil it, but a plot twist occurs which just derailed the book I wanted to read. Instead of a winner of the game being announced, Marie Lu decided to start an apocalypse plot. It was such a questionable decision. It felt like Warcross was meant to be a single book, but someone decided to merge it with a different series to continue to make profit.
Overall, Warcross was a good, but not great, virtual reality book. I'd recommend reading it if you like more of the bounty-hunting side of the description than the VR side. The writing was good, but some of the plot was a little haphazard.
Warcross comes out September 12, 2017.
Phrase:
My father's artwork
*Note: I received a pre-release copy of this book from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Favorite Virtual Reality Books:
Ready Player One
The Reality Bug (Pendragon #4)
More Than This
The Eye of Minds
BZRK
If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!
Happy Reading!
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