No spoilers in this rapid review of Warcross. I give it 4.75 stars. I LOVED it! It’s an immediate addition to my favorites list! Marie Lu’s Goodreads profile says she was an art director at a video game company before she began writing, and this helps explain the genius behind her creation. She has experience in this area, and she capitalized on it in a BIG way! In her straightforward yet engaging prose, Lu built a world and characters I won’t soon forget.
The story is about Emika Chen, a young woman who has suffered several traumatic events in her life. These lead her down an unexpected path: She uses her hacking skills to earn a living as a virtual bounty hunter. But she’s in a rut and needing some quick cash. Emika decides to capitalize on a glitch she’s noticed in Warcross, a virtual reality video game that has taken the world by storm. She hacks her way into a global Warcross event in hopes of quietly stealing enough to pay her rent and accidentally ends up in the main game sequence. Suddenly she’s recognized around the globe. Hideo Tanaka, the creator of Warcross, soon contacts her. He wants to make use of her hacking skills, and his offer is hard to refuse.
Why do I love this book so much? Let me count the ways:
(1) Nothing pulls me along faster than a set of circumstances I can’t decipher, and Lu hinted at many mysteries I was dying to figure out. All my theories ended up being wrong, by the way.
(2) I had some fangirl moments about several things Emika experiences as she’s pulled from her ordinary life into an exciting one most people can only dream of.
(3) I got major Hunger Games vibes in a few scenes. It was fun to have flashbacks to my joy when I initially read one of my favorite series!
(4) I was immersed in a high-tech world with many cool features. All of them would’ve sounded like science fiction a few years ago, but several could easily make an appearance in the real world someday soon.
Basically, Marie Lu appealed to many things I adore as a reader. She also tackled a few tough issues. Lu touched on how people react to tragic circumstances in their life and how it shapes who they are. She alluded to social commentary on our current reliance on technology and our absorption in unreality. This definitely gave me pause. And finally, she presented a very interesting moral dilemma. Lu seamlessly mingled these heavier topics with the fun and mysterious elements of the story.
And then that ending…Talk about inner conflict! I cannot stop thinking about this book. I’ve already re-read parts of it twice: the final few chapters as well as a few other key scenes a bit earlier on. I caught more the second and third times around. And I could easily pick this book back up for a full re-read immediately. It’s just that good.
What else can I say? Believe the hype! Warcross is an excellent book for many reasons, and I definitely recommend it! I cannot wait to read the next installment. With the brilliant way Lu crafted this book, I shouldn’t be worried about book 2. But I just can’t imagine how everything’s going to be resolved. How can this come together in a logical manner? Do the questions posed in the final chapter contain clues about things I’m dying to know? How can the situation ever really be okay? While I have no idea how she’s going to do it, I have faith Marie Lu can and will conclude this series with a book just as amazing as Warcross.
Search for 'Book Series Recaps' to read all our reviews as well as our full book recaps!
Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
- Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
- One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
- You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
- $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Warcross - Das Spiel ist eröffnet: Warcross 1
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
People who viewed this also viewed
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
People who bought this also bought
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Related to this topic
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Reviews with images
4.5 stars!
I bought this book on a whim. I tend to preorder a bunch of books when they first catch my attention and then I completely forget about them until they show up on my front door step. Warcross was one of them. Originally, I just put the book aside with the rest of the books that I've yet to read but then randomly two months later I got curious about it and decided to start reading it. And I'm so happy that I did.This is my first book from Marie Lu and I was pleasantly surprised. I love the world building she does with this book and the characters are simply amazing. I connected with Emika from the beginning and I was so invested in her story. But not only her story, but all the characters. Hideo was such an interesting character I loved him so much, even though by the end he left me feeling very confused. Honestly I could read books about all the characters on her team because they were all so interesting and diverse.Plot wise, I was engaged the entire time. There were a few things that I was able to figure out before the unveiling but this book still managed to surprise me. I wasn't really a big fan of the ending and the big reveal but I'm curious to see how things will go in the next book.For the romance, I was 100% in love with it. I do wish that there was a bit more romance as it felt more like background to the games and all but I was definitely swooning a bit at their little moments together. I loved that the main characters were a bit older than the usual YA characters (Emika 18, Hideo 21) and I loved how this book handled some more serious topics or just made mention of things I don't think typical YA does. I do wonder if Marie Lu will follow stead like Maas and write more descriptive sex scenes (I'd be down for that) but I definitely thought the few kissing scenes we did get were quite steamy too.I can't wait to read the conclusion to this series and I'd definitely recommend for everyone to check this book out!
Top reviews from other countries
Kindle Customer
Virtual reality /science fiction
Reviewed in India on September 27, 2023
silent_moog
Fantastic must read book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2020