"When the world is murky, guide yourself with your own steady light."
A lot has changed for Emika Chen in a short period of time. It seems like only yesterday she was on the verge of eviction from her NYC apartment, working as a bounty hunter to make ends meet. But when she accidentally hacked into the world-renowned Warcross Championships, she was summoned to Japan, where she became immersed in the virtual world of Warcross; became a celebrity in her own right; got to meet her childhood hero, Hideo Tanaka, who created Warcross; and found herself a target in a plot she didn't quite understand.
As her relationship with Hideo grew closer, she discovered that he was using the NeuroLink algorithm not just as a way for people to get information, and as a way to harness technology for good, but he was using it for nefarious (although understandable) purposes as well. The one person she trusted more than anything has betrayed her, she's being hunted down by assassins who want her dead for somehow affecting the last Warcross Championships, and she's being courted by the dangerous and mysterious Zero and his group of anarchists.
Although Zero had proved a threat to Emika and her friends in the past, now he wants to partner with her to accomplish what she wants—to disable the NeuroLink algorithm, which now has countless citizens in its thrall. To do so, however, means crossing Hideo, and destroying what he has spent his life building. But how much can she trust Zero and his cohorts? What effect will her actions have on her life, Hideo, her friends, and the world? She discovers the truth to be a more tangled web than even she is able to solve, and she needs to figure out whom she can trust—fast.
If you didn't read Warcross, the first book in this series (read my review), the above plot summary probably reads like Greek to you, but suffice it to say, this book is just as fascinating—and perhaps ultimately richer in emotion—than its predecessor. I've tried to keep the description fairly brief because there are a lot of twists and turns and double crosses, some I saw coming, some I didn't.
Lu's talent first shows itself in her imagery, which is so evocative at times you can almost see the book playing itself out in your mind's eye. But as you get deeper into Wildcard you realize how well drawn the characters are, even those in supporting roles, like Emika's Warcross teammates, and you find yourself racing through the book, eager to know how things will unfold.
This book didn't fully capture its predecessor's magic; there were times when the plot dragged a little or got a little too mired in complexity, but ultimately, Lu's storytelling drew me back in fairly quickly. I didn't realize this was the second of a two-book series until I was nearly done with it, which saved me from the usual dilemma of do I read it quickly or do I savor it, but I'm sad it's over, although I'm hoping Lu's next series will be related to this one.
I know the subject matter will rule this book out for some, but if the story intrigues you, I'd encourage you to pick up Warcross first, and let yourself get immersed in this world Marie Lu has created. Hopefully you'll find it as compelling and crazy a ride as I did!
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