Warcross, by Marie Lu. I really wanted to like this book. It came out, and the cover art was amazing, the story intriguing...I wanted so badly to love everything about it as much as I loved that cover. That was not the case. Maybe I loved the cover too much.
From the cover: "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."
The story really is intriguing, and Emika's backstory is heartbreaking. It's hard not to find yourself immediately rooting for her. It's just so. long.
Here's the thing. If I could rate the first and second halves of the book separately, I would give the second half 4.5/5 stars. The first half, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. It starts off, the premise draws you in, and then nothing happens. I know it takes some time to develop the plot, give readers all the backstory, yada yada yada, but good lord, I was like eighteen chapters in before it finally felt like the story had really started. The early chapters of the book could have done with a little less description of all the lavish stuff Hideo was buying for Emi and a little more actual things happening. Also, the title of the book is Warcross. The entire plot centers around the game. Yet we get like...maybe two chapters of anyone actually playing Warcross. That was disappointing.
The second half, now...yes, please! We finally start to piece together what Zero is up to, watch as Emika opens up to her team in an attempt to save the Neurolink, and holy plot twists, Batman (though, for the record, I totally called Zero being Hideo's long-lost brother). The last few chapters especially had me on the edge of my seat. If the whole book had been that gripping, this definitely would have been one of my top reads for the year. That said, I have high hopes for the next book in the series. With all of the exposition out of the way, it stands to be a lot more exciting from the get-go.
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