Warcross ~ Marie Lu

I’m on a dystopian kick, and this novel did not disappoint! Warcross is a particularly intricately-created dystopian novel with a futuristic world that seems more and more possible in real life with every passing year. Wealthy and famous Warcross creator, Hideo Tanaka, has created a game that the entire world plays. By slipping on a simple pair of glasses, citizens are transported into the virtual Warcross reality. Emika Chen is a bounty hunter. Orphaned and alone at a young age, she survives by using her coding skills to hack her way into the Dark World and track down illegal Warcross players and gamblers. When, one day, Hideo learns of her talents, he recruits her to help him find a hacker who poses a bigger threat than ever before to the games and all its players. Unfortunately, Emika doesn’t realize exactly what’s at stake when she says yes....

This novel, though not appropriate for a struggling or reluctant reader, was an incredibly rewarding read. It has many unexpected twists and turns, and the character developments were a joy to watch unfold. I highly recommend this novel to seasoned seventh grade and up readers who enjoy this genre and/or gaming. Plus, for anyone who’s hooked after reading it (like me!), you can grab the sequel, Wildcard.

Buy the title here!

Maturity: 2/4

I would recommend this novel to students 12 1/2+. This is a challenging read. There is some romance, but nothing explicit. 

Pages: 353

Lexile: 810L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.

If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!