#BookReview: Warcross (Warcross #1) by @Marie_Lu @PenguinTeen

  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.

Marie Lu is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Young Elites, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and one Pembroke Welsh corgi.

Wow this is the first Marie Lu book that I have finished cover to cover.  And I have to tell you that I will be checking out her others to give them a second try. This one is for those who love different worlds, the future, hacking and some major twists that I just didn't see coming. I am so glad that I won this copy of this title because it was great. 

Emika was a great character and I can't wait to read more about how she deals with what she has learned in this world that Lu has created.  I have read a few hacker stories and this one by far takes them for the win! It was easy to read and understand and I was never lost once. So many other stories of this kind lose me in the world of tech and this one just didn't do that. It was straight-forward and had a great pace and a wonderful story.  The other characters in this one don't really play a major part in the story as a whole. We have Emika, Hideo, and whoever this Zero person is. (I won't spoil it for you).  Everyone else on the side were great though. I would love to learn more about the Pheonix team in the coming books.   

The pace of this one is fast in places and slowed down in others. It worked out well for this story. It takes the reader on a high stakes adventure inside the dark web as well as the game of Warcross. You don't really know who to trust and when you think you have it all figured out you don't. I really loved the mystery side of this story/plot. It worked well and kept me on my toes. I also really enjoyed the fight scenes.  Most of the time you can't really figure out what in the world is going on but these are detailed and wonderful.  I could picture each one step by step and that was great. This book was just so fabulous on the front of me not getting lost in the world.  

If your looking for a high stakes adrenaline rush look further than Warcross! 

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Posted in: 5 Stars, Jessica P., Penguin, Review, Young Adult