You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jessread_s 's review for:
Wildcard
by Marie Lu
Review: Finally, after reading Warcross last fall, I had the opportunity to read Wildcard. I personally, LOVED Warcross, so I was worried about how Wildcard would turn out. Warcross ended on such a cliffhanger and I didn’t think there could possibly be any more surprises, but boy was I wrong. Wildcard is definitely a must-read for all lovers of young adult fiction.
What Worked:
01. The twists and turns. Like I mentioned earlier, Lu hit her readers with a giant cliffhanger at the end of Warcross, the first book in the duology. The ending absolutely blew me away and I was doubtful Wildcard could outperform its predecessor. I was wrong. The plot twists in this book hit me out of nowhere and had me racing through each chapter trying to figure out what was happening. From exploring Sasuke Tanaka’s past to who figuring out the motivations of the Blackcoats, my head was constantly spinning as I dove further into the madness. Lu’s writing is addicting and this book proves that.
02. One thing I really enjoyed about Warcross were the worlds that were created within the realm of the game. They were just so beautifully described in the first novel that I felt as if I were actually interacting with the game myself. Because of Hideo’s decision to remove Emika from the games in the first book, I was afraid that the Warcross world I came to know and love would not appear in the second book. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by Lu’s determination to make the Warcross games play a huge role in the larger picture. I was immersed in new worlds with fantastical creatures like dragons and even more power ups. The imagery was phenomenal and helped to create an interactive atmosphere that in reality is more dangerous than it looks.
03. The villain. I appreciate good villains. In this story, Zero remains the antagonist and we learn a little bit more about his backstory. In the first novel, it is revealed that Sasuke Tanaka is Zero, but we are left in the dark when it comes to how he transformed into one of the most dangerous hackers in the Warcross realm, why he would try to derail his brother’s creation, and why he conceals his identity. I really enjoyed Zero’s storyline, especially putting the puzzle pieces together to try and uncover what happened to Sasuke that fateful day he disappeared at the park.
04. The added depth to the characters. Another thing I really loved about Wildcard was learning more about the characters. is much darker in nature, therefore revealing aspects such as the conflicts within each character and justifications for certain motivations. We were also introduced to new characters, such as Jax, and learned how their histories played a role in the story as a whole. I appreciated the new layer of darkness shrouding each character and the mystery surrounding Zero and his organization.
What Didn’t Work:
01. Emika’s dependence. I was very underwhelmed by Emika’s role in the second book. In Warcross, Emika Chen was the girl who miraculously hacked into the Warcross games after trying to steal a power up that she wanted to sell on the black market. She made money by zipping through the streets of New York City hunting bounty with her stun gun and didn’t let people push her around. In Wildcard, she merely served as a passive character carrying out the will of others. Her motivations were driven by the desires of both Hideo and the Blackcoats and it was frustrating not seeing the Emika I came to love in the first book who always made her own decisions.
02. The disappearance of The Phoenix Riders. In Warcross, The Phoenix Riders were Emika’s Warcross team who she could trust and depend on. I valued the diversity of the team, featuring characters of different ethnicities and sexualities. When Emika was dismissed from her team in the first book, it was almost as if Lu decided that the team didn’t have to make many appearances in the second one. The Phoenix Riders provided a space where Emika was forced to act on her own accord. Without her teammates, I missed the action and group work. Emika became a passive character that strictly believed that she had to pursue things on her own, getting rid of the trust established in the first book.
Jess Approved?: ✓
What Worked:
01. The twists and turns. Like I mentioned earlier, Lu hit her readers with a giant cliffhanger at the end of Warcross, the first book in the duology. The ending absolutely blew me away and I was doubtful Wildcard could outperform its predecessor. I was wrong. The plot twists in this book hit me out of nowhere and had me racing through each chapter trying to figure out what was happening. From exploring Sasuke Tanaka’s past to who figuring out the motivations of the Blackcoats, my head was constantly spinning as I dove further into the madness. Lu’s writing is addicting and this book proves that.
02. One thing I really enjoyed about Warcross were the worlds that were created within the realm of the game. They were just so beautifully described in the first novel that I felt as if I were actually interacting with the game myself. Because of Hideo’s decision to remove Emika from the games in the first book, I was afraid that the Warcross world I came to know and love would not appear in the second book. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by Lu’s determination to make the Warcross games play a huge role in the larger picture. I was immersed in new worlds with fantastical creatures like dragons and even more power ups. The imagery was phenomenal and helped to create an interactive atmosphere that in reality is more dangerous than it looks.
03. The villain. I appreciate good villains. In this story, Zero remains the antagonist and we learn a little bit more about his backstory. In the first novel, it is revealed that Sasuke Tanaka is Zero, but we are left in the dark when it comes to how he transformed into one of the most dangerous hackers in the Warcross realm, why he would try to derail his brother’s creation, and why he conceals his identity. I really enjoyed Zero’s storyline, especially putting the puzzle pieces together to try and uncover what happened to Sasuke that fateful day he disappeared at the park.
04. The added depth to the characters. Another thing I really loved about Wildcard was learning more about the characters. is much darker in nature, therefore revealing aspects such as the conflicts within each character and justifications for certain motivations. We were also introduced to new characters, such as Jax, and learned how their histories played a role in the story as a whole. I appreciated the new layer of darkness shrouding each character and the mystery surrounding Zero and his organization.
What Didn’t Work:
01. Emika’s dependence. I was very underwhelmed by Emika’s role in the second book. In Warcross, Emika Chen was the girl who miraculously hacked into the Warcross games after trying to steal a power up that she wanted to sell on the black market. She made money by zipping through the streets of New York City hunting bounty with her stun gun and didn’t let people push her around. In Wildcard, she merely served as a passive character carrying out the will of others. Her motivations were driven by the desires of both Hideo and the Blackcoats and it was frustrating not seeing the Emika I came to love in the first book who always made her own decisions.
02. The disappearance of The Phoenix Riders. In Warcross, The Phoenix Riders were Emika’s Warcross team who she could trust and depend on. I valued the diversity of the team, featuring characters of different ethnicities and sexualities. When Emika was dismissed from her team in the first book, it was almost as if Lu decided that the team didn’t have to make many appearances in the second one. The Phoenix Riders provided a space where Emika was forced to act on her own accord. Without her teammates, I missed the action and group work. Emika became a passive character that strictly believed that she had to pursue things on her own, getting rid of the trust established in the first book.
Jess Approved?: ✓