Review: Warcross by Marie Lu

Hi Munchworms!

I know many of you were, like I was, looking forward to the release of Warcross! Honestly, it was one of my most anticipated releases, so I was thrilled to say the least when I got home from my road trip and.. there it was!

Yes, yes. I should’ve been focusing on reading sequels during September, but.. Can you blame me? Really?!

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.

Wow. That was the one thing on repeat in my head after reading only a couple of chapters. I had so many hopes and dreams for this novel and it had gotten me scared. I didn’t want to expect too much and end up disappointed because of it.
Yet, after those first chapters, I got that inkling feeling. That feeling that tells you you’re going to be smitten, you’re going to fall in love and you’re going to hug a certain book so hard in order to give it all the love you’ve got to give.
That’s what it did to me, guys. It really did.

I have to mention that this is my first ever Marie Lu novel, so I wasn’t familiar with her writing style at all. Now I am!
I can say that I love the way she built the complete Warcross-world, I thoroughly enjoyed her elaborate and beautiful descriptions. To me, it felt like I would be there if I just closed my eyes. No need to say I was actually wishing it was possible to do just that?

It is hard to describe loss to someone who has never experienced it, impossible to explain all the ways it changes you. But for those who have, not a single word is needed.

Apart from the world-building, I admire the way she created her characters. They’re diverse, they’re their own person and I loved them all.
Emika? Let’s just say she’s just become one of my favorite bad-ass girls out there. She knows what she wants and, even when she sees no way out, she’d still try and reach her goals. Fighting for what you want? That’s an extra point earned right there.
As for Hideo, something just lured me in from the start. The distance he keeps with everyone was perfectly interwoven with those sparse sensitive moments. It kept me wanting more and more.
Of course, there are some other characters as well – doh, Emika has a whole team surrounding her in Warcross – and it’s the only minor remark I have: I wish we got a closer look to all the relationships and friendships and whatnot going on between them. Give them each more of a backstory, get to know them better.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed to discover all those things in the sequel though!

Warcross was, simply put, a roller coaster. Not only when it comes to the action and beautiful descriptions, but feelings as well. Marie Lu writes in such a fashion that I could barely put her novel down and I love her for it. She’s addictive!

I honestly cannot wait to read more of her work. I can’t.
Will someone please sent me all of her others books? Like, stat?

4,5 / 5!

As for the munches, I had a delicious dish when I was on road trip. Specifically: When we were in Bordeaux. For some reason – he just likes spicy noodle soup, the end – we ended up in a Chinese restaurant where I ate Yakisoba for the first time. It was de-li-cious and reading all about Tokyo, I just had to think of that dish immediately, haha.

Doesn’t it look yum?

Kathy

I paid full-price for this book. All opinions are entirely my own. I’m not being compensated in any way.