Warcross

From the Publisher:

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.

My Thoughts:

This blog was started because as an English teacher, I was always trying to up the number of books I could booktalk that would appeal to the reluctant (mostly male) reader. I still believe, based on my 26 years in the classroom, that we lose our male adult readers if we do not capture them in middle school. 

I used to see this 20 something Hawaiian kid on the airplane when I was flying a lot for work. He always sat down early and had a paperback novel with him. I was not as bold as to ask him what he was reading, but he always read for the whole 40 minute interisland airplane ride. I look for books that will appeal to the younger him and will create this kind of young man who will continue to read way beyond the school assignment to read.

For those kind of male readers, if you like sci fi, dystopia, the action part (versus the political part) of Hunger Games, online gaming, this book is for you. If you liked the movie Hackers or Ready Player One, this is your next read. Warcross should be a movie, it is that fast paced. 

For me, this book appeals to me because it is headed by a street smart, on her own Asian American, Emika Chen. It is a science fiction novel written by an Asian female author. Although it talks about the ethics of technology, it really is about the chase. If that appeals to you too, this is your next book. 

Finally some Hideo Tanaka-isms.

Everything's science fiction until someone makes it science fact.

Everyone pays lip service to world peace. They use it as a pretty answer to pointless questions.