Wildcard (Warcross)

This is a sequel to Warcross. Marie Lu paints a vibrant, busy setting in near future Tokyo, with one of the most BRILLIANT book inventions I have ever read about - the NeuroLink. Oh, how I SO wish it was real! Just genius! I don’t think I’ve read a book of Lu’s that I don’t think about endlessly when I’m not reading it. I want to live in this world she has created! Then, she goes and creates this story that takes place around this genius tech, and I honestly can’t tell which I love more! Then, of course, her characters. They are beautifully flawed, real, and focused on what we should all be focused on - doing BETTER in the world we are living in. That isn’t always easy in this crazy world, which makes these books so devourable!I highly recommend this book - especially for young adult and above gamers. (Think 15 or 16 and up…male or female or otherwise…it’s incredible!)

I refuse to believe that he’s nothing more than a monster. I can’t watch him sink like this. I keep going because I need to find that boy again, the beating heart buried underneath his lie. I have to stop him in order to save him.Following the events of Warcross, Emika now knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm. She can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, and with a bounty on her head, her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But as Emika delves deeper into her new allies, she learns that Zero isn't all that he seems. Caught in a web of betrayal on both sides, with the future of free will at risk, she must decide who to trust before the clock stops ticking.Wildcard wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It would have been nice to bring in more of the gaming elements that I so loved from the first book as I feel Emika's real strength is how she games the system and the dynamic she has developed with her team. I found her less engaging than in the first book and ultimately docked a star because this feels less like a continuation and more like a companion novel.That being said, discovering Zero's story takes up about 75% of the book and it's fascinating! Marie Lu questions the morality of human experimentation and AI vs. human intelligence. She shines a light on those that do horrible things in the quest for doing good. She takes some twists and turns that I didn't expect and the resolution of it all was a satisfying one.I'm kinda hoping we get a short story later on just for kicks.Also, her acknowledgement to readers is (again) powerful:Do great things and challenge the world.Recommended for fans of iRobot (and possibly Robocop?) as well as those interested in exploring the morals of scientific research and interactions between the human brain and technology.

Wildcard by Marie Lu picks up where Warcross left off, a science-fiction adventure that blurs the lines between reality and virtual reality.I enjoyed reading Wildcard! I thought it was a lot of fun. While it didn't grab me as much as Warcross, I thought it was well-written and well-paced. There was a lot of action in Wildcard, which made it easy to consume in just a couple sittings.After Warcross ended, I wasn't really sure which direction the next book would take. Wildcard really focused on Zero's story. You learned about his history, his creation, and his motives. I thought his story was both fascinating and heartbreaking on several levels. I liked learning about his evolution as a character.Wildcard was interesting because you battle with a lot of morally gray characters. From Hideo to Zero himself, the characters weren't morally black or white. Typically their motives were good, but their actions were bad. I appreciate characters who blur the traditional lines of "right" and "wrong." They're more relatable, and I find them to be more engaging.While I liked the story concept in Wildcard, I didn't think the story was as smoothly delivered as Warcross. Parts of it felt forced and awkward. While that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, it was something I noticed while reading.I liked the ending of the book, especially Zero's outcome. Zero really forced you to think about what's real and not real. I also liked how Wildcard ended for Emika. I've always enjoyed her as a character, so I was pleased with the ending.The characters in Wildcard were richly written. Each character was unique with their own quirks and preferences. After Warcross, I became attached to Emika and Hideo, and this continued into Wildcard.If you haven't read this duology yet, I highly recommend you do so! These books are quick reads, so do yourself a favor and add them to your TBR!

Ah, there’s just something about this world I love. Possibly the cool tech and awesome sounding game hehe.And I properly LOVED getting more info on Zero. His backstory was so so so good, and I just wanted to hug him. I also like Hideo more than at the end of Warcross, and really like his relationship with Emiko near the end. I like that it is a culmination of events and not ignoring things.However Emiko, who I really liked in book one, didn’t really seem to *do* anything here? She almost felt a bit unnecessary to the story, which isn’t great for a main character. Like yeah, she’s determined to save the world, but everyone else does so much for her, and at several points she’s literally just passing messages. Hmm. I still like her, and especially her interactions with the Phoenix Riders and with Jax, but I just wanted something more for her.Talking of Jax, I think she was the most interesting character and part of me wants a spin off with her life! I really liked her.So yeah, a good end to the story, and it’s easy to read and super fun, but I just wanted a tiny bit more.

I really enjoyed the conclusion of this story, however I thought that Warcross was a lot better, but nonetheless it was a good piece of writing, I've finished it in 1 day.

Not as good as the first but I still really enjoyed it

Things to know in this book-You'll get to know more about Zero, what exactly happened that led to Sasuke's disappearance, what happens to the algorithm finally. Things change drastically in this bok. It is no longer concentrated on the Warcross game but on the back story of Hideo and Zero, and like saving everyone. The book is interesting from page one and is totally gripping till the end. Power-packed action scenes and surprising connections and revelations fill the gaps. Good ending to the series. Emika's character could've been stronger in this book.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.There was certainly more action and espionage in ‘Wildcard’ than in ‘Warcross.’ Where ‘Warcross’ is about Emika fitting in, ‘Wildcard’ is about how isolated she really is. The only person she can trust is herself. Her world is deconstructed and it’s up to her to piece it back together.Even though I enjoyed the story, and there is plenty going on in the plot, I wasn’t as engaged with Emika’s plight as I was in ‘Warcross.’ Which is unusual considering it’s in my favourite genre and Marie Lu managed to up the stakes on all counts with this sequel. I’m thinking it has something to do with Lu’s writing style… a more succinct and descriptive construction may have kept my interest? I put this novel down a number of times… or maybe I was just having a “moment?” I will re-read this duology at a later date and investigate this issue further. But for now I’m attributing this phenomena to Lu’s writing style. Which is nothing in judgement of ‘Wildcard’ as it’s subjective and down to personal tastes.Emika was a fun protagonist. She is resourceful and street savvy. Though we don’t get as much of the secondary characters from the debut, this novel deals with only a few core characters in her orbit.There are a lot of unexpected twists in the plot, and maybe a few of them did not have the gravitas I was expecting. It is certainly unique but did not entirely resonate with me. But I could definitely see this working really well on the small screen as a television series. The pacing is great, there is a lot of action and interesting characters.The overall tone of this duology is predictable – we want to see Emika triumph over Hideo and an evil corporation… though this is deconstructed fairly quickly - and though the theme is resolved - it is achieved in an unexpected way. So while we get the closure we need, it eventuates in a different form.I’d recommend this for those who like light science fiction and YA, it is similar to novels like ‘Ready Player One’ and ‘Armada’ with the use of virtual reality, technology, evil corporations vying for control, and the protagonist as a part of a rebellion to even the status quo.A fun read with a mix of futuristic technology and the implications of their presence on society, but I think I wanted a little more sophistication with the writing. A good solid read for the genre and demographic it is targeted towards.