Warcross by Marie Lu

Enigmatic young genius Hideo Tanaka changes the world when he invents Warcross, a virtual reality gaming system used by millions of people worldwide. Emika is a tech-savvy hacker/bounty hunter in a near-future New York, trying to make rent money, when she hacks her way into a high-profile international virtual reality sporting event. Her prowess attracts Hideo’s attention, and he makes her a job offer. Someone nicknamed Zero has been disrupting Warcross code and Emika is hired to go undercover as a player in the Warcross tournament to identify the culprit.

Amidst the tension of her training for the tournament and her investigation, Emika begins a tentative romance with Hideo. However, everyone harbors secrets in their past, including the young lovers. Meanwhile, Zero’s threat spills over from virtual reality into the real world.

Fans of Ready Player One will enjoy this first volume of a young adult duology by Marie Lu. Emika’s story is concluded with Wildcard which was released September 2018.