Warcross #1 by Marie Lu

Warcross - Marie Lu

Everyone plays 'Warcross'. It is the centerpiece of the virtual reality headsets that have transformed how people interact with each other - across the globe, in public and private.

Emika Chen is a teenage hacker who tries to make ends meet with bounty hunting. Like seemingly everyone else, she is obsessed with Warcross and spends all her spare time playing. Everything changes when Emika tries out a new hack during a qualifying match for the Warcross Quidditch cup or whatever and winds up as a minor celebrity when she's caught in the act.

Her stunt lands her a job with the corporation that invented Warcross and the mysterious young CEO enlists her aid in stopping a shadowy group of terrorist hackers.

There are elements to this book that definitely do not work, but Lu creates a techno-thriller that's perfect for young readers. The blow-by-blows of the games, the intrigues on the dance-floor, and a little bit of romance enhance a surprisingly engaging plot.

 

Warcross

 

Next: 'Wildcard'