Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu

🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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. 

This first book in the Warcross series is  a classic world and story builder but there is still quite a bit of action in it. The action is probably not in the way that readers will expect because it is happening within the game of Warcross. There are also thrilling scenes that take place outside of Warcross but they are more tense rather than action packed. 
It took me some time to acclimate into the the world the story took place in. I didn't understand exactly why the world looked the way that it did with bounty hunters and so much advanced technology at first. I had to be immersed in the environment of the book for a quarter of the book before I felt as if i understood the world I found myself in within the book. The author did a great job of creating the world. The descriptions painted such a vivid picture that it was easy to fall into. I found myself wanting to know more and more about that world, the culture, and the characters in the book. 
I loved the main charactersI They had such depth and complexity to them. Marie Lu delivered well as far as her characters were concerned. With every page I read, she showed another layer to Emi and Hideo. Emi was scraping by to stay alive. There was a level of desperation to her as well as determination and pride. She was very intelligent and able to see solutions to problems in a way that was uniquely hers. Hideo seemed as if he was always calm and in control but that is just one of the many faces he wore. He was extremely intelligent on a genius level and yet he had a creative, romantic side to him as well. He seemed like a lost little boy to me that was hiding behind a protective shell of intelligence and anger. 
I didn't suspect the things that took place as the story went on but they all made perfect sense. I thought that the villain had depth and his mission made sense in such a way that it was almost hard to disagree with his vision. I was able to guess the identity of Zero easily and quickly but I don't feel that it took away from the story because he himself is still a bit of a mystery after finishing the book. His background has not been explained which leaves something for the author to explore in the second book.