I’m surprised I waited so long to read this, it was pretty good! I love Marie Lu’s books and for some reason it took me forever to get to this one. It was pretty interesting and kept me hooked. 

It really reminded me of Ready Player One, almost too much. I kept comparing the virtual game and dystopian world in both which took a little away from it. Altogether, I did like the plot though! I didn’t feel like it dragged on at any point. I really should have guessed the huge twist at the end (well both twists) but I didn’t and it made it unpredictable and fun. 

I did like Emika, but honestly I felt we needed more development from her. I don’t know, I just feel like there’s more to her that hasn’t been explored yet. I liked the subtle romance with Hideo and that it was developed over time. 

It’s interesting to me to see Hideo as the “villain.” If anything, I like it because we see his motives and understand what he’s trying to do that he thinks is right. Those are the best types of villains and Marie Lu is the best at writing anti-heroes.

 

Altogether, despite a couple parts, I enjoyed this read. I’m going to pick up the sequel right after!