Parents' Guide to

Warcross, Book 1

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Winning teen girl drives cyberpunk virtual reality thriller.

Book Marie Lu Science Fiction 2017
Warcross, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

lostintomes
lostintomes Parent of 2-year-old
December 4, 2018
age 14+

A blast to read! Full of games, romance, mystery and action!

This is the book that Gamer Girls have been waiting for and knowing that Marie Lu has a background in video games made this even more satisfying to read. I will say it does take a little too long to get to the actual gaming portion, but I didn’t mind so much because that time didn’t feel wasted. While the overall vibe of the book is very fun and light we do deal with some tough questions as well. It was thrilling, mysterious and action packed with just enough romance thrown in. This played out like an anime in my mind and I loved every second of it. The characters are wonderfully diverse, all colors and types. There are some intense make out scenes (there is no actual sex in this like one previous review have stated. I think she misunderstood that scene. However that does occur in the sequel, written in a "off screen" or "fade to black" style.) Overall I think it's a really fun read that is appropriate for most teenagers.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
J. G.
J. G. Parent
June 8, 2018
age 13+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As WARCROSS opens, bounty hunter Emika Chen finds herself on the brink of eviction from her apartment and complete financial disaster. But when she impulsively hacks the opening ceremonies for the international Warcross Championship, she unintentionally reveals herself in front of a global online audience. She becomes a pop sensation overnight and is whisked off to Tokyo to be a wild card contestant in the tournament. On top of that, Warcross inventor Hideo Tanaka takes a personal interest in her, one that will threaten the entire championship and put Em directly in the path of danger.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (20 ):

Cyberpunk fell out of favor for a while, but this futuristic thriller jump-starts the genre and sends it careering in a promising new direction. Marie Lu has proven her skills with dystopian fiction and pseudo-medieval fantasy, and now she displays a steady hand with virtual reality in Warcross. Lu has created a winning protagonist in Em, and her perceptive and plucky narrative voice keeps the story moving, even when the action turns a little talky. Suspense and romance take a while to rev up, but eventually Warcross is firing on all cylinders. Readers should be aware that the book ends with a cliffhanger, but it's a doozy, one almost guaranteed to compel fans to return for the second installment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Warcross depicts futuristic online interactions. How can people cope with the rapid pace of technological innovation?

  • Why do people like to play computer games? Should there be limits on how long kids can play them during the day?

  • How might strong virtual reality inhibit privacy? What can be done to protect privacy online?

Book Details

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