Photo by Cerize Sicat
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
As always, I was not disappointed with Marie Lu’s book. This new addition to her stories is addicting. The story itself is very visual and full of amazing descriptions of Hideo Tanaka’s made up arenas. The neurolink sort of reminded me of the new movie called Ready Player One (to be released 2018) where it’s set in the future and he plays games using his glasses because there’s nowhere nice to go to. Also being a fan of Marie Lu, I knew from the very beginning that there’s going to be a very big plot twist in the middle or at the end of this book which I was right all along. It was so action-packed and amazing that I couldn’t wait to go home from work so I could read it. Just imagine if The Hunger Games and The Matrix had a baby. THIS IS THE BABY.
What makes this book so amazing as well is that it’s very diverse. The main characters are from different nations like Emika is Chinese-American, Hideo is Japanese, there’s a kid in a wheelchair, and gay characters. The story itself is not so different from what we live in now that there’s even a black market which weirdly reminds me of Pirate Bay (the site where you download illegal stuffs).
I’ve got so many questions and the ending of the book seems to be telling us that the next one would be as amazing as this one or even better. All I know is, I CAN NOT WAIT.
Unravel the Story 