Um, this is one of my favorites of 2017. Maybe ever. There were some unexpected twists and turns that I kept me turning pages (swiping!) quickly. The technology aspect was fascinating and not too techie. Marie Lu is definitely one of my favorite YA writers. I can't wait for the sequel!

This was my first Marie Lu book and it did not disappoint!! I was instantly pulled into the story and the game that I was just reading it too fast. I was also able to listen to the audiobook which is also really well done! Since finishing this I will definitely be reading her other books! Marie Lu has delivered us action, romance, and intrigue! I definitely need the next book in this series. This has to be one of my favourite books of this year!

Warcross is such a unique book with a great plot because it's a story about Emika who has hacked into the most famous game out there. She then hacks into the system during the opening games only glitch herself into the system. Then competes in the game itself as a spy to find out a security problem. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. There were so many twists and turns that you will not be able to put this book down. Emika is a very likeable character. She is smart, fierce, and even has rainbow hair! I really like how much she develops as a character. Her backstory is so interesting that I was on the edge of my seat!

Overall, Warcross is a must read! While it may appeal to gamers it can be loved by everyone! Looking for a fast paced book you will want to grab the book immediately because Marie Lu is now on my list of favourite authors because her writing is incredible! Now to wish I had the sequel!!

I really didn’t expect what happened in the ending.
This book was soooo good!!!
I don’t understand anything about videogames and such, but I totally got immersed in the world that was cleverly built.
Totally recommend this book.
I’m so hoping that the sequence is so good as this one! :)

Books about virtual reality or gaming are generally not for me. I enjoyed Marie Lu's first trilogy but had trouble getting into her second series. Happy to report that overall, I did like this!

I enjoyed the futuristic Tokyo setting and the intrigue. The virtual reality stuff seemed cool, even if I couldn't quite grasp all of it. My imagination just doesn't work well on sporty (confession: I skimmed most of the Quidditch scenes in HP) or tech-y stuff, and this game seems like a cross between both. So Warcross seemed sort of like a virtual reality capture the flag to me.

The plot involved a lot of mistrust and suspicion among different characters, which added a nice level of suspense.

I figured out the Zero mystery pretty quickly. There was some backstory about one of the characters and I was like: well, of course that's connected. I kind of wanted to be wrong because I love it when a book can completely outwit me. I didn't love the romance in this one, but there's hope for a triangle, and I will definitely read the next book to find out if that happens.

Warcross is my favorite sci-fi of 2017, hands down, and I'm afraid no review can do it justice. Whenever I had a moment to read, I tore through this book, entranced by the world of the game. Emika was smart, strong, and fun to root for. The plot was fun and fast-paced, while still feeling like the stakes were real and imperative. I think Marie Lu has written her best book yet, and I'm really excited to see what else she does with this world. Is it 2018 yet?!?

Even though I had a lot of mixed feelings about The Young Elites Trilogy, I was really excited to read this new book by Marie Lu. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed this time. This is a very exciting and fast paced read that was hard to put down. I still can’t decide if I like the cover though. It is interesting, but not sure it is enough to make me pick it up and take a closer look.

I loved Emika almost from the start. Here is a girl who even when things are looking very bleak, keeps going forward and trying to make things better for herself. Yes she makes lots of mistakes, but she keeps going no matter what. She also has a strong moral compass that mostly steers her in the right direction. Her hacking skills are amazing as well. I really liked her memory about how she got into coding, she just started looking at it like a puzzle that needed figuring out. I can get into that. Her relationship with her father was very sweet, but also forced her to grow up quickly. Her experiences and her inability to trust people gets in her way sometimes. I get it, I’m a lone wolf too, but I know when to ask for help. She often pushes away people who can help her and has a hard time being a team player.

The other characters in the book are well done as well. The other players on her team, as well as the others she encounters, are all smart and loyal to their teammates and to the game. I especially liked Hammie, the other girl on Emi’s team. She is a thief in the game, and I love that she can see moves before they happen. She almost seems to know what someone is going to do before they do it. Hideo was an enigma almost from the start, I wanted to like him as much as Emi did, but I always felt there was something off about him.

The plot is amazing. I like the Warcross game, although the rules were hard to follow at times. The whole idea of a virtual reality game becoming so popular is an interesting concept. I also liked the descriptions of the darknet as a virtual world, where the criminals hang out. Some of the other tech mentioned throughout the book is also amazing and just advanced enough to make it believable. Some of it is similar to what we have now, just more advanced. The whole book is very fast paced and hard to put down. The ending was not a total surprise to me, but still not what I was expecting. The next book will be amazing as well.

Overall, a kick-ass plot with characters that you will root for.

This book is definitely one of my most anticipated reads this year because (uhm... duh?) it's Marie Lu. I willingly dived blindly into this Warcross world because I trust that Marie Lu would be writing an elaborate one. And I'm not wrong; the world building was intricately written, so vivid, I could almost imagine myself playing Warcross. You'd think that a book filled with technical terms would make someone yawn, but this book made it easy to like futuristic technologies. Since I have a background on computer engineering, everything I read is a new way to look at something I've learned in the past. One fun nugget that I love about this is: Marie Lu truly knows what she's writing as she have been immersed in the video game world.

One of the biggest thing that I love in this book is our main character, Emika Chen. She's a smart, strong-willed, determined, independent, young woman, who knows how to code — which makes my computer engineering heart trembles.
Hideo Tanaka, the Warcross creator himself, is a character that I couldn't fully like because 1) he's a prime example of tsundere*, which I don't really like, and 2) I find him shady af. He's this mysterious type of character that would make you wonder if he's a protagonist or an antagonist. Marie Lu surely knows how to keep us on the edge of our seats. The other supporting characters were such a fun and diverse (and I mean diverse) addition to this book. They all played their roles beautifully and I couldn't wait to read more of them. I'd love to read more of Kenn Edon, though.

Overall, this was such a great book to start a series/duology. It's been weeks since I've read this but reminiscing about it still makes me feel giddy and excited. I don't really have anything to compare Warcross to since I haven't read anything similar to this but it definitely opened a big, new realm of reading possibilities for me.
I highly, highly, recommend this one to everyone. You like sci-fi? Read this. You don't like sci-fi? No worries, you would after reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the opportunity to read and review Warcross by Marie Lu! Emi is a young bounty hunter that lives on her own. She desperately needs a bounty or she's going to be evicted from her apartment in less than three days. She's smart enough and quick enough to capture a criminal for the police but they give the money to someone else! She goes back to her apartment, despondent, and resigns herself to enjoying the last hours she has with a roof over her head. She hacks into Warcross and her image shows up in the internationally played and viewed game. This catches the eye of the Warcross creator, Hideo, who gives Emi a very well-paid job offer. I appreciate that Marie Lu lets readers know, through dialogue, the correct pronunciation of Hideo's name. I have heard many students/library patrons discuss name pronunciations in the past, unsure of how to say the name. The game background descriptions are detailed and aesthetic while the game is action-packed and the stakes raise higher and higher for the characters. 5 stars for a new sci-fi read from Marie Lu!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

The first 2/3 of this book is pretty awesome. Fast-paced, well-written, entertaining. It starts to fall apart when the reveal approaches. I guessed the antagonist ridiculously early on...and the antagonist's reasons and methods are confusing and don't make much sense. The insta-attraction between Hideo and Emi is forgivable because it's not the main focus of the story. In such a long story, I wish we had a better chance to get to know the other teammates. They're fairly one-dimensional.

Overall, it's a fun read, which is why I am still giving it four stars. However, I'm not sure I'm going to return for the sequel.

Just no words for how much I loved this...I don't quite know what to do with myself- I can't wait to read more.

I haven’t read any books of Marie Lu before but I’ve been hearing so many great things about her works. So I was quite expecting a lot from this book and even though I didn’t give it a perfect 5-rating, I wasn’t disappointed at all.

I totally enjoyed reading Warcross. At first, I couldn’t help comparing it to Sword Art Online (which I totally love) but Warcross is so much more. I’m not usually into sci-fi novels but this book was an exemption and I’m really glad that I gave it a try.

One of the things that I love about this book is that it has a very diverse cast of characters. From different ethnicities to LGBTQ+ community and not to mention a character with disability.

Emika Chen, the main character, is definitely my favorite. She’s a total badass. I love her rainbow dyed hair (that I wish I can also have), her sleeve tattoos (and they’re meanings) and the fact that she’s a bounty hunter and a very skilled hacker. I love her determination and for not being afraid of who she is. Her decision at the end made me love her even more.

Now let’s swoon over talk about Hideo Tanaka. He’s the young billionaire behind the virtual reality game Warcross. He’s undeniably genius and *ahem* hot. I loved the mystery that surrounds his personality. He somehow reminded me of Light Yagami (Death Note) during the last part of the story.

I loved the chemistry between Emika and Hideo but it’s totally okay with me even without their romance. I would love to know more about the side characters especially Hamilton, Roshan and Zero.

The futuristic world that the author has created using her excellent style of writing is very fascinating and impressive. I loved the details and even though the concept (of Warcross) is not that unique, the author still did an excellent job on creating her own distinctive story.

I love that this book is written from Emika’s perspective. I have to admit that some of the coding and tech-related stuff didn’t make sense to me but it’s totally fine because I wasn’t focusing on those things. I think it also helps that I’m familiar with some online (strategy) games like Warcross. But I’m seriously hoping that we can have this kind of gaming in the future. With our current technology, I think it would be possible. I’m already imagining myself walking on the street with my virtual dragons flying above me (I still have the GoT hangover obviously.)

The last pages were intense and overwhelming (in a good way, I think) because of all the revelations. One of the major plot twists was quite predictable and I wasn’t sure if it meant to be like that. But some of them were really unexpected. I had mixed feelings about the ending though. It’s satisfying and annoying at the same time. I actually thought this is a stand-alone. Now I need the sequel!

Warcross is very entertaining, gripping and overall amazing. Highly recommended whether or not you’re into sci-fi novels.

Warcross isn’t a book that I would normally pick up, to be honest. I’m not a huge science fiction reader, nor am I interested in video game books, but I’ve already read and loved one book by Marie Lu…and the hype did get to me a bit, so I had to read it. The hype is justified, because I loved this adventure!

Warcross is set in a world where virtual reality has become mainstream. Even businesses and cities cater to it. Most people spend all of their free time in the virtual world and in Warcross game.

I liked Emika a lot. She was tough and good at what she does. She had a complicated and sad past that made her interesting. I liked that she didn’t take crap from anyone, but she still had a soft side. She was easy to root for. Emika’s teammates were a very diverse group. Marie Lu does a wonderful job adding in wonderfully diverse characters without it feeling forced. I loved seeing them interact and clash. I’m excited to learn more about everyone in the next book.

There’s also a bit more romance than I was expecting. Wow! Was it full of steamy chemistry! *heart eyes* That’s really all I’m going to say about that for now…Sorry to be vague, but I don’t want to give anything away!

The game was so creative and captivating. The players-characters-were literally thrown into a video game. There was so much action. It was so thrilling. I had no idea what was going to be thrown at them next or how they would ever get out of it. Virtual reality isn’t just limited to the game in this world. People wear their glasses all the time. Whole cities and businesses have incorporated virtual reality into everything. It’s just part or the fabric of this society. I found it a little jarring and unnerving. It definitely made me think about our society’s obsession with our phones and how we miss the world around us because we’re always looking down. Emika’s world felt very possible.

Warcross was just a fantastic read! There were just a couple of places where I felt like the plot dragged a little, but other than that I was totally hooked! The wait for book 2 is going to be a tough one!

Warcross has got to be one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of books. It tells the story of a girl working behind the scenes of a virtual reality game to stop a sinister plan. The world is absolutely incredible, and no details are overlooked. The main character is so brave and comes a long way from the beginning of the book as well. This is a book that should be on everyone’s TBRs.

This book is one of the most original books out there. It tells the story of a girl who hacks her way into the Warcross games in hopes of making some money quickly, but ends up getting recruited by the creator to help figure out who is sabotaging the game. Emika joins one of the Warcross teams and competes in the games herself to be an effective spy. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this book and its nonstop action, twists, and turns. It’s so hard to describe the incredible experience of reading it, but I guarantee that it will shock you. Gamer or not, Warcross will suck you in!

The world of Warcross has got to be one of my favourites ever. Warcross is a virtual reality game created by a teen genius. Everyone is obsessed with it, and it has taken over the world. Marie Lu has honestly thought of everything. There are specific power-ups in the game and a black market where rare ones can be auctioned. The logic is there, and it makes everything so believable. This world is just so developed that it actually feels real. I would honestly love a pair of Warcross glasses in real life to experience the magic of it all.

Emika is such a likeable main character. First off, she’s so fierce. She has rainbow hair and a tattoo sleeve, and she is a pro hacker. Emika impresses the whole world by appearing in a game that is supposed to be un-hackable and even lands herself a job because of it. She is also so intelligent and makes a great spy. Emika has a pretty complex backstory and lives a hard life before getting hired. She really develops throughout the book, and I couldn’t think of a better narrator.

Warcross is the ultimate book for gamers, and everyone else, to be honest. It is action-packed and set in one of the most amazing worlds I’ve ever read. The main character is also clever and courageous, making this book even better! I absolutely recommend this book to everyone—it might even be my favourite Marie Lu book.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 September 12.

BOOK REPORT for Warcross by Marie Lu

Cover Story: Technicolortastic
BFF Charm: Heck Yes!
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Absolute Sci-Fi
Bonus Factors: Team Tournament, Cat-and-Mouse, Hackers, Easter Eggs
Relationship Status: Game On

Cover Story: Technicolortastic

Sure, I could dissect the issues I have with this cover. (Why do the innards of the title look like a digital bale of hay? Why is there an eye exam at the bottom?) But I'd rather deliriously revel in THE COLOR.

The Deal:

It's a new Marie Lu book. 'NUFF SAID.

... but if that somehow isn't informative: Warcross might be a simple game, but it singlehandedly reshaped the virtual reality experience. A global phenomenon with its own ecosystem, Warcross has even spawned illegal gambling rings, with offenders tenaciously pursued by bounty hunters like Emika Chen.

But Emika isn't just a bounty hunter; she's a hacker, too. And when the opportunity arises for a major and much needed score, Emika can't resist hacking into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships, setting in motion life-changing and revelatory consequences that she never could have imagined.

BFF Charm: Heck Yes!

Surviving on her own since the age of eleven, Emi is the very definition of young, scrappy, and hungry. If her resourcefulness hadn't already endeared her to me, then her knack for spotting patterns or her never being without a book would have sealed the deal. (Hello, potential escape room and book club buddy!) Plus, Emi is total #HairGoals with ZOMG RAINBOW-COLORED HAIR.

Swoonworthy Scale: 6

Emi's been a longtime admirer of Hideo Tanaka, the tech prodigy who created Warcross. But her current circumstances have allowed for her to actually get to know him... and subsequently develop the hots for him. (Emphasis on H-O-T.)

Talky Talk: Absolute Sci-Fi

Trading in a superpowered fantasy series for a shiny dystopian duology is no easy feat, but this is world building by Marie Freakin' Lu. (Besides, it's not like she's unfamiliar with dystopia.) The not-too-distant future of Warcross feels within the realm of scientific possibility, and its thrilling plot kept me engaged from beginning to end. Jaws may have dropped, y'all.

Bonus Factor: Team Tournament

Everybody in the world is hyped for the Warcross Championships, a single-elimination tournament between teams comprised of the best players around the globe -- a distinction that transcends not only borders, but physical limitations as well. (The championship rosters boasts plenty of international representation, and one prominent player uses a wheelchair IRL.)

Bonus Factor: Cat-and-Mouse

Or should that be Cats-and-Mice? Because Emi's one of several bounty hunters tasked with finding moles within the tournament who want to exploit the game for nefarious means. Who's friend and who's foe? And who else is after that massive bounty?

Bonus Factor: Hackers

OF COURSE anything with teenage hackers will bring to mind Crash and Burn. But the manifestation of hacking in virtual reality feels reminiscent of the movie as well.

Bonus Factor: Easter Eggs

Fortunately, you don't need to be as observant as Emi to pick up on Warcross' subtle shout-outs to beloved characters, from both Lu's books and otherwise. (I mean, my memory is shizz, but a few notable names stopped me in my tracks because OMG DID SHE JUST.)

Casting Call:

Let me just peruse through Young Hollywood to authentically cast these wonderfully diverse characters OH HA HA WAIT.

Relationship Status: Game On

Meeting a new novel from a fave is always a little nerve-wracking. You try to keep your expectations in check, but omg this author is responsible for so many things that I already love HOW DID I EVER THINK I WOULD HAVE ANY CHILL? Then you finally get to know the new book, and PRAISE BE -- there's a spark! In fact, it's motherflippin' lightning, the way it leaves you clamoring for more. It's far from game over for us, and I can't wait to see how everything plays out.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY-yw...

Emika Chen is desperate. She is out of money and out of options. However, when she accidentally hacks into the opening ceremony of Warcross, the biggest virtual reality game in the world, Emika is recruit by the game's owner to go undercover into the tournament and find a possible spy.

I was leery about this book because I have had mixed reactions to Lu other novels but I was very wrong. Warcross grabbed me from the first page. The story is fast paced and the characters likable. The world building is incredible with Lu creating alternative futures of real city and creating her own virtual cities. Plus, the twist at the end was surprising but believable. This book is definitely a must read for fans of YA sci-fi.

[I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

4\5 stars!

PLOT:

We are in the future perhaps not too far from what we are experiencing, in a world where NeuroLink, glasses that can connect to a game called Warcross, are today's reality. Emika Chen is a hacker and to survive she is forced to hunt for players betting illegally in Warcross game. Needing to make money to pay the rent, Emika decides to connect to Warcross and hack it, but instead finds itself at the center of the action without wanting to. Hideo Tanaka, creator of the game, is immediately interested in the girl's talents, in fact he will offer her a job as a spy. Emika will then have to fly to Tokyo, participate in the game and find out who Zero is, a mysterious figure that threatens the world of Warcross, Hideo and all NeuroLink.

I loved every single part of the book and I went ahead without ever boring, there is action, romance, lies and intrigues, pretty much everything I search for in a book! I was immediately attracted to the plot, I am a videogames lover and reading Warcross was a great experience. Fights and training sessions have been quite interesting as well as encounters with Zero. Despite the InstaLove, I really loved the feeling between Emika and Hideo, I ship them and I know that I will suffer for this.


CHARACTERS:

Emika: She lost her father when she was just a child, he bought the first NeuroLink, led her into the world of Warcross and taught her everything she knows now. Her father was an important presence for Emika and during the course of the history this lack will often be felt. In any case, She's a badass character, brave and with a goal that she wants to reach at any cost, I liked it!

Hideo: A very complicated character with a past still wrapped in the shadows. Between us was love and hate, sometimes I loved him, but sometimes I don't know... I had a bad feeling. I can not wait to read the second book and find out more, I know that it'll be even more interesting. HIDEO DON'T DISAPPOINT ME!

Zero:HAHA I'm quiet as a mouse, but I always suspect who it was and it inspires me so much. I have a lot of expectations about this character!

ENDING:

BOOM what a great ending! I had made two theories that turned out to be right, Sherlock who?
Marie Lu you cannot write these kind of endings, YOU CAN'T!
I have one word for this book: NEVERAJOY (specially for the characters that I love)

In conclusion I really liked it, it's not at all like Legend or The Young Elites, but it's still a nice book and I'm just curious to know what's going to happen in the second!

Okay but… how am I expected to write a coherent review after the emotional rollercoaster this book put me through. It’s been almost two weeks since I read it and I still don’t have coherent thoughts, all I can think is I NEED ANSWERS, GIVE ME SECOND BOOK and READ THIS ASAP while virtually throwing the book at people. Joke aside, Warcross was the most exciting, well-built and well constructed YA science fiction book I’ve ever read and it instantly became a new favorite. I can’t get over how much I loved it.

The writing is striking and beautiful, which was to be expected from Marie Lu, but it still blew me away (like everyting else in this book to be honest). It’s very detailed and yet very clear, it leaves no room for confusion. Warcross is also written from Emika’s POV exclusively and that works so well, her voice shines through and since I loved her right away, that made falling in love with the novel that much easier. There are also some flashback parts that allow to have a well-rounded sense of who Emika is and how she became the way she is.

The world-building is FANTASTIC. The story isn’t set too far into the future so it’s a mix between the familiar and the new which makes very easy to immerse completely in the world, and it also makes every new element easy to grasp. Every bit was so well thought out and explained that none of it ever felt out of place or awkward, even the technology’s works was given an explanation and not just thrown out there for the reader to figure out or accept just like that, which my sciencey brain really appreciated.

Now the plot. It blew my freaking mind. IT IS SO BRILLIANTLY CRAFTED, I CAN’T. So many twists and turns, some I predicted, some I did not see coming but my heart was pounding its way out of my chest through it all, this book make me feel emotions across the whole freaking board, fear, happiness, giddiness, heartbreak, and it even managed to make me laugh with all the tension build-up.

The game is so thrilling, it’s been a long time since a book sucked me in so completely from the early pages and this did that. It raised questions and was mysterious enough to keep me interested and reading but not too much that it became frustrating and every question raised is answer later on. I was just completely taken by surprise by how much everything is vivid, the events were so easy to picture and get invested in. Even when fights are happening and things are happening fast it wasn’t hard at all to keep track of it all.

The characters are incredible, I loved every single one of them, even the ones I hated. Emika Chen is the main character, she’s chinese-american and I loved her even before I knew why I did. She’s just one of those characters that get a hold of your heart right away. She’s strong willed, tough, hates injustice and is incredibly smart, seeing her mind work and connect clues was so fascinating, I think that was my favorite part of it.

I adored Hideo, her japanese love interest. He’s so serious and professional all the time that every smile of his feels like a victory. He’s a broody nerd but once he becomes more comfortable, he’s so soft, caring and gentle. I love him so much and he must be protected at all cost. His relationship with his parents was so endearing, his love for them was very obvious. I ship Emika and Hideo like nobody’s business, seriously, i hadn’t shipped a couple like this for a long time, once they broke the ice, their banter was so cute, teasy and effortless and their texts were seriously everything. A plus is that the romance doesn’t overtake the plot, it’s very settle and subtle
.
My two favorite side characters are Hammie and Roshan. Hammie is so smart and sneaky like the thief that she is (in the game), she also cares about Emika and takes her under her wing. Roshan is so sweet and protective of his team and his friends, he’s passionate and takes things at heart. Then there’s the other members of the team, Asher, the captain whom I really liked because of his drive and dedication, and Ren that I hate with passion because of how cocky and insufferable he is.

DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS BOOK ENDED? DO YOU? DO YOU? THEN HOW ARE YOU OKAY? I am falling apart thinking of how long I need to wait for the sequel *cries*. I have so many questions and so many theories as to how things might go and I just need confirmation or if not that and I’m completely wrong, JUST ANSWERS.

In the book community, many books that are being released are so hyped, it's getting scary. Everyone is talking about it, everyone is reading it and, worst of it all, everyone is loving it. CAN YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE. I try and stay away from the hype as much as I can, or read the popular books later on, once the hype dies down. The story with Warcross was different. I got lucky enough to read it already and, boy. The hype there was well, well deserved.

I remember it pretty clearly: I started reading this book on the train this summer and, after a few pages, the real world around me disappeared, only to leave me with the incredible fictional world Marie Lu painted on the page. In a world where everyone is connected and playing this incredible game called Warcross, a virtual-reality game invented by a young billionaire, filled with fights, incredible worlds, Artifacts, treasures and more. Live championships are watched by the whole world. It's an event. It's a way of life. Without info-dumping, Marie Lu slowly takes us from a familiar world to a sci-fi made-up one that's not quite too hard to believe, with everyone being connected, wearing glasses and experimenting the world in a whole different way every single day. Every description of the world is vivid, taking us one second from New York to Tokyo, to cities where technologies, lights, virtual and reality mix up in such a way you feel like you're seeing it.

In Warcross, we get to follow Emika, our main character, as she hacks into the Warcross game one day, gets caught and surprisingly offered the possibility to play on a team in the worldwide championships...as a spy undercover. While we discover more of Warcross' game, national teams, incredible arenas and action-packed live battles...we also discover that there are so many dark secrets and dangers waiting in-between lines of codes in the game. It's a crazy fast-paced adventure, one you should get ready for because once you're in it, you just can't stop reading it.

As you know, characters matter a whole lot to me and Emika here did not disappoint. Slowly as the story sets up, we get to know her, her thoughts, her past, her motives, everything that makes her who she is: she felt well-developed enough for me to love her and root for her very quickly, which I loved.
The cast of characters surrounding her was very interesting as well. Hideo, the young billionaire, creator of Warcross, was really well-shaped and three dimensional, I loved how, slowly, we got to uncover a little bit of his secrets as the story went on. The cast of friends and teammates in the Warcross game Emika is playing was also fabulous and oh so, diverse and fun. I only wish we got to spend more time with them and know them a bit more. I really appreciated how naturally diverse it all felt as well. Emika is an American-Chinese protagonist, Hideo is Japanese, Asher is in a wheelchair, Roshan is gay, and there was just so much more. It felt richly built and didn't felt like it was trying to tick off diversity boxes, which I really appreciated.
Obviously, I can say that there is a tad of romance in this story, but it wasn't too much – nor was it insta-love or something. It was a relationship, slowly built with time, getting to know each other, mutual attraction, then more. It was so complex, so SHIPPABLE yet so HEARTBREAKING as well. Everything I love in a good romance.

Warcross was a fast-paced read with an amazing cast of characters, yet what I loved the most is, in addition to being super-exciting to read, how much it told us about, well, us. In Tokyo and everywhere else around the world, you're seeing how important it is to be connected, how, if you're not, you're missing out on everything, feeling naked, vulnerable, even. The villains of the story are so interesting to follow as well, showing us that right, wrong, black and white aren't always where you think they will be. Many secrets in this story are painted in shades of grey. You won't see them coming – I did not see that plot twist, that ending, coming at all and it had me SCREAMING and mad and everything else you can think of.

In her new book, Marie Lu is taking us into an incredible world and makes us play a game that's way more dangerous than it seems. With a vivid world-building you can't quite get rid off once you stop reading, characters you might fall in love with or hate with all of your heart, Warcross certainly deserves the tons of hype it is getting. Whether you're a sci-fi fan or, like me, a bit of a newbie, this is one book you should NOT miss.