Mundie Moms

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

WARCROSS by Marie Lu / Blog Tour: Book Review / Favorite Quotes & Giveaway #WARCROSS


Welcome to the next stop in the WARCROSS blog tour. I'm so thrilled to celebrate the newest release from Marie Lu. This is one my favorite Marie Lu book yet. Below you'll find my spoiler free review, a few of my favorite quotes, and a giveaway! First, about the book.

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Marie Lu
Published by: Putnam 
Released on: September 12th, 2017
Series: Warcross #1
Purchase from: Penguin/Random House | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - I LOVED IT
Source: arc/book from publisher / purchased book

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

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 Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. 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.


In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

 WARCROSS is an action packed, adrenaline rush, fast paced read. I couldn't devour this book fast enough. Lu delivers on everything I've loved about her previous books, and takes it to the next level in this one. With vibrant storytelling, intriguing characters, danger, romance and vibrant world building that makes you feel like you were in Tokyo playing in the game, this book left me wanting more. I loved every moment of this book and I can not wait for it's sequel. 

WARCROSS makes me feel like I just jumped out on a video game and hoped right back into reality, only now I want to go back. Normally I'm not a fan of sci-fi books, but, but that's because they weren't written by Marie Lu. Lu has a niche for creating stories that infuse a wide range of elements, and crafts them to work with her stories so that they effortlessly come to life. This book is one smart, clever, thrill ride of a story. From street smarts, to computer smarts, gaming, spying, romance, and danger, this was my kind of read. 

Emika is one strong, totally awesome, smart character. She's had her fair share of rough and tough times, but she fuels that into her own personal strength. She's a character I admired, and liked from the get go. She doesn't make excuses for the hand life has dwelt her. Instead, she tries to make the most of it. She's the kind of character that had me rooting for her from page one. She is who she is, and I loved that about her. 

Aside from Emika's WARCROSS teammates, most of whom I liked, I absolutely love the way Lu writes her so called villain(s). The reason being is because I completely understood both of their motives. I don't know if that makes them scarier because of that, or not. It definitely made one of them more relatable. Which definitely makes him realistic in so many ways, easier to understand. Talk about creating a character you're torn between loving and hating.... my word.

In true Marie Lu fashion, there is a gut wrenching twist that leaves me beyond anxious to get my hands on this sequel! My word, that ending was so good! Thank you to Marie Lu, I'm now her #1 fan of her sci-fi thriller. I absolutely LOVED this book! Really, what's not to love about an action packed story set in the bustling high tech city of Tokyo. I really enjoyed that this book is much more than a gaming book, though I love the gaming aspect to it. At it's heart, it's a story about survival, trusting in yourself, and figuring out the blurred line between right and wrong. Okay, there's so much more than that to it, but this is spoiler free, so you'll need to pick up the book and read it for yourself.

I have a new favorite Marie Lu book. WARCROSS was everything I wanted and nothing I had excepted it to be. This is a diverse book I highly recommend picking up!

FAVORITE QUOTES

* "Every locked for has a key. Every problem has a solution."

* "Death has a habit of cutting straight through every careful line you've drawn between your present and your future."

* "..... my heart suspended somewhere between one choice and another, unsure where to go next."

* "... it's too easy to loose yourself in an illusion."

* "I am tumbling from a storm of sensations, unsure what to focus on, wanting to drink it all in at the same time, struggling for the perfect words."

* "... sometimes, people kick you to the ground at recess abacus they think they shape of your eyes is funny. They lung at your because they see a vulnerable body. Or a different skin color. Or a difficult name. Or a girl. They think that you won't hit back-that you'll just lower your eyes and hide. And sometimes, to protect yourself, to make it go away, you do. But sometimes, you find yourself standing in exactly the right position, wielding exactly the right weapon to hit back. So I hit. I hit fast and hard and furious. I hit with nothing but the language whispered between circuits and wires, the language that can bring people to their knees."


ABOUT THE AUTHOR



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.

ENTER TO WIN

Enter for a chance to be one (1) of three (3) grand prize winners of a WARCROSS prize set (including hardcover of Warcross, shirt, keychain, and postcard). (ARV: $18.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on September 4, 2017 and 12:00 AM on September 29, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about October 2, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FOLLOW THE TOUR

Week One:
September 4 – The Reading Nook Reviews – Review
September 5 – Bookiemoji – Book Photography
September 6 – Fiction Fare – Review
September 7 – BookCrushin – Review 
September 8 – The Fandom – Author Q&A

Week Two:
September 11 – Lost in Lit – Book Photography
September 12 – Alexa Loves Books – Author Guest Post | Marie’s Favorite Video Games
September 13 – Little Lillie Reads – Review
September 14 – YA Wednesdays
September 15 – Live Love Read

Week Three:
September 18 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – 5 Reasons to Read Warcross
September 19 – The Young Folks – Review
September 20 – Once Upon a Twilight – Guess the Story in GIFs
September 21 – Arctic Books – Warcross Mood Board
September 22 – Book Nerd Addicts – Author Q&A

Week Four:
September 25 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Author Q&A + Event Recap
September 26 –Mundie Moms – Favorite Quotes
September 27 – YA Bibliophile – Review
September 28 – Icey Books – Warcross Quote Candy
September 29 – Super Space Chick – Review & Favorite Video Games

2 comments:

  1. I'm really excited to read Warcross!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eee, lovely review Katie :D So thrilled that you loved this book. <3 I enjoyed it so so much too. But that ending killed me. Sobs. I do not want a triangle :( Fingers crossed. Thank you for sharing. <3

    ReplyDelete

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