Starters

I have had Starters for ages – I planned to read it as part of the 2012 Début Author Challenge but never got around to it. It is a surprisingly good read; it tells an exciting story of mystery and romance, set against a futuristic, dystopian backdrop. Although I was mostly impressed by the book, there are a few things that keep me from labelling it a favourite.I like the protagonist, Callie, because she’s grounded and intelligent, and strongly motivated to keep her younger brother alive and healthy. I understood her, sympathised with her, and was rooting for her the whole way through. I also like Michael, her friend and only confidant in the strange new world (more on that later), but I began to feel disconnected with him about half way through the story, a feeling that stayed until it ended.Callie’s world is dangerous and mysterious. Set in our near future (100 – 200 years, if I had to guess), Starters depicts the world after the end of a world-wide conflict that ended in biological warfare. Only the children and elderly had been vaccinated, being the most vulnerable in the society, and all the middle-aged people have since perished. The country is thus made up of children, who are called Starters and have no rights, and the elderly, Enders. Enders have all the power and money, and lifespans of up to 200 years. Life for an unclaimed minor – someone who was vaccinated and survived, but does not have the guardianship of grandparents or great aunts and uncles – is harsh.It’s certainly an imaginative setting, made all the more terrifying by the onset of technology that allows the elderly to rent out a young person’s body for a period of time so that can enjoy the benefits of youth. Callie, pushed to desperation, decides to rent out her body, and the decision has terrible consequences that uncover a dangerous and inhumane conspiracy. I liked the world building, especially the detail with which Lissa Price paints the future, and the way that she describes the rental process. I do think it’s really weird that the Enders have lost all respect for human life and are so eager to rent out the young bodies, but maybe it’s a side effect of living well beyond 100.I think the story is told creatively and that Callie makes a wonderful narrator. I do think there are a few events in the book that really didn’t make any sense, and took away from my experience of the book. The most notable of these is a ridiculous scene in which Callie is interrogating a boy about his grandfather’s plans. Dates, times, people, she knows everything and is basically trying to get him to confirm that she has the right information. Instead of prompting him, she says (and I paraphrase) “I know your grandfather will be here at this time and with these people“, and the boy answers without asking why this girl is stalking his family, or why she’s so interested in his grandfather’s plans. Of course, there is a plot twist near the end of the novel that supposedly explains this, but I still think it’s weird.I liked Starters and believe it’s a great début. I am definitely going to check out the sequel, Enders, when it’s available. I think the book could have improved a little in execution but is otherwise a worthwhile read for fans of YA Dystopias.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!The plot of this book was so interesting, fresh, and creepy. How weird would it be to sell your body, so that an old person could rent it from you and use it to do all the things they are no longer young enough to do. Callie is a desperate Starter who very badly needs money for her sick brother and decides to go to Prime Destinations and sign herself up to rent her body.I like Callie; she is a very concerned sister and she does what she feels she really needs to do in a world that is so rough for young people, even if it creeps her out. There were some good secondary characters and I really liked Madison (well, at least her renter in her body); she was bright and fun. As for romance, there are sweet parts in it, but it isn’t overly romantic, so don’t be looking for a serious love story here.This story has a lot of deception and surprises. Some surprises I caught on to and some actually did surprise me. It started off a little slow, but one it got going, it really took off an hardly slowed on the action. The author takes plenty of twists and turns through out the book, which I loved. This story is complex and has several parts to it; Prime Destinations, involvement with the Senator’s son, the malfunctioned chip, her brother, other renters, etc.As for the narrator, I wasn’t overly impressed. She did ok for the most part, but read really slowly. I don’t care much for dragged out speech and I felt like the run time for the book could have been cut down a bit if she hasn’t talked so slowly. The cover was very eye-catching and I can’t wait to see what is in store for Enders. I like how we get to see both sides of the world for these people, the rich Enders and the poor Starters. The world could be very beautiful or very ugly depending on what end you were on.Plenty of action, twists and turns, slow narration, ready for more!

Callie Woodland and her younger brother, Tyler, are vaccinated survivors of the Spore Wars. The Spore Wars wiped out the middle-aged generation leaving behind a class of mostly orphaned youngsters (Starters) struggling to survive and class of wealthy and privileged elderly (Enders) who have become the ruling class of Price’s dystopian world. In a world where she’s not allowed to have a job or own a home, Callie’s only option to care for her sick younger brother is to go to work for Prime Destinations, a body bank where the wealthiest Enders can rent the body of Starter and relive their youth. For Callie, it’s a simple matter of going to sleep while her body goes on its own adventure, that is, until she wakes up in the middle of one of her rentals and finds herself tangled in her renter’s web of intrigue. Who can she trust and why is the voice in her head begging her not to return to Prime Destinations?Starters is a fast-paced dystopian thriller with no shortage of secrets and plot twists. Price conjures a main character whose first-person narration is realistic and relatable. Callie’s desperation to provide for her brother, and her conflict between caring for her brother and uncovering the evil motives at Prime Destinations is palpable. There are evil villains, unwitting accomplices, and, of course, unexpected love interests which Price weaves together into a compelling story.Unfortunately, where Starters fails is in its world building. The Spore Wars are barely explained. Reasons for why the young generation is so widely loathed and exploited by the privileged class of Enders are never discussed. Readers are left to wonder why the elderly are not only so without compassion for the younger generation but also often downright evil. The mystery of the book was enough to overcome these failings and keep me reading, but the lack of depth to Price’s world left me just the slightest bit unsatisfied.

We meet Callie as she is struggling to survive in a post-war world. Biological warfare has ravaged Callie's society, and now the only people left are either very young or very old. With modern technology allowing people to live well into their triple digits, things have drastically changed. Lissa Price builds a world that pits the "Enders", or the elders, against the "Starters" or the young people. The idea of borrowing someone else's body sounds far-fetched, but Price manages to make it a reality. This concept definitely keeps the book moving.

The story line takes off at a quick pace, expertly weaving the past with the present to give the reader a bigger view of this new world. Callie isn't given a moment to rest, as she tries to unravel what Prime Destinations is really up to. As a character, Callie is just wonderful. She is the perfect mixture of a normal teenage girl, and the mother figure that her world has forced her to become. Her affection for her brother is palpable, and it made me adore her that much more. No matter what decisions Callie made, I was always right there with her. Price has created a character who is easy to fall into step with, and it makes this book that much more immersive.

I'll stop gushing for a moment to make a small announcement. I've seen other reviews that complain about the lack of character description, and unanswered questions about the past, in this book. I'll admit, it's true that some things are aren't blatantly spelled out. For me though, that was half of the magic of this book. I was given a great base world, and as I read I filled in information for myself. I was lost in creating Callie's life in my head. Building it word by word. Perhaps it's my fantasy based mind at work, but it didn't phase me at all. I'm all for literary escapism, and Starters definitely allowed me that opportunity.

So, if you couldn't tell already, I loved this book! Starters has a unique premise that makes it a deliciously quick read. By the time I reached the ending I was out of breath. I also probably had a shocked look on my face. Yes friends, there is a cliffhanger and it's a big one. Starters, and its lovely creator Lissa Price, get my highest seal of approval and adoration. I know that I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book. Hurry up and get your hands on a copy of Starters so you can join me.

Starters by Lissa Price is an outstanding 2012, post apocalypse, debut novel for the YA crowd and the perfect start to a new two book series. Every detail is worked out so that this remarkable story becomes easy to imagine as a potential future event, which is what I love best about a well written dystopian.
At the wake of a spore war, there is only enough vaccination for the weaker citizens, the very old, Enders, and the very young, Starters, and they end up being the only ones to survive. Now Starters are without parents and without the most basic necessities in life, while Enders control every avenue of society, including the use of the Starters bodies through the service, Prime Destinations.
Callie, in her desperation to care for her little brother, rents her body through Prime Destinations, only to find that renting her body is not nearly as simple or harmless as the Enders make it seem. There are politics, greed and society standards that make everything all the more complex.
I liked Callie so much that I felt invested in her life enough to hang on every word to see the outcome for her life. She faces one dangerous situation after the other as she uncovers more of the mystery that surrounds Prime Destination. Callie is brave and is one smart cookie. It is a pleasure to watch her come up with solutions for what seems like the impossible.
There is also a romance story line that brings in two leading young men. This is NOT a drawn out, annoying love triangle, but an intentional move on the part of the author to leave the reader guessing the intention of the other characters. And left guessing I was. It is all explained beautifully in the end with just enough questions to leave me wanting the next book.
The next and final book, Enders (Starters #2) is expected to release in December of this year.

My thoughts: I've read some mixed reviews on this book, but I was intrigued enough by the synopsis that I requested it from NetGalley anyway. I have to admit that I wasn't very drawn to the cover, but again, the book's description was interesting, so I was looking forward to reading it. I must say that I wasn't disappointed! I thought it was a great dystopian, with enough creepiness to keep me interested from start to finish. In the world that Lissa Price has invented, there has been a "Spore War", chemical warfare, that wiped out all the people who had not been inoculated. Since only the young and the old had received their inoculations when the war started, that means that all of the people between approximately 20 and 60 were gone now. Because of advancements in medicine, the Enders, as the older generation is called, can easily live to be 200 now. The only problem is, their bodies continue to age and they can't do the things that they used to be able to do. Enter the Starters, or the younger generation, who have the youthful bodies the Enders crave. A new technology has been invented wherein the Starters can rent out their bodies to the Enlders for weeks at a time, which enables the Enders to be young again, and the Starters to earn the money they need to live. Laws are in place that prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from working so the jobs can go to the longer living Enders. Unfortunately for kids like Callie, and her little brother Tyler, with no one to take care of them they are forced to live in abandoned buildings, trying to stay one step ahead of the law, who capture unclaimed kids and put them in institutions where they are forced to work at basically hard labor until they are 18. Tyler is also sick, so that puts even more strain on Callie to try to find someplace where they can live, and money to get medical attention for Tyler. She is helped by her friend, Michael, but there's only so much he can do either. Callie hears about the program at Prime Destinations where kids who are attractive and physically fit can rent out their bodies to Enders for large sums of money, and although she finds the idea repulsive, she can't deny that the money would enable her to pay for a nice apartment or house for her and Tyler, and she would finally be able to buy the medicine that Tyler so desperately needs. She goes ahead and rents out her body for what she thinks is only going to be a week (but turns out to be a month) and that's when things go horribly wrong. She finds out that the Ender who wanted her body has other plans than just enjoying a youthful body for a little bit of fun. She's up to something much more dangerous, and it's up to Callie to somehow find a way to stop her, without losing her paycheck, or worse - her life. I really enjoyed the world building in this book. No matter how far fetched the idea that seniors would be able to "rent" a body whenever they wanted, Lissa Price finds a way to make it all believable! The characters are well written, too. Callie is a very brave and likable heroine, and you can feel her love for her little brother in everything she does. Every decision she makes is based on how it will affect Tyler, which is completely understandable in light of the fact that they are all alone, with only each other to depend on. The story is told from Callie's POV and I think that works very well here. There are also flashbacks from the years leading up to the Spore Wars that help you understand what happened, how this made Callie into the girl she is, and where she gets her strength. I will tell you that the book ends with one heck of a cliffhanger - one that I definitely did not see coming - and I totally loved it! I highly recommend this to fans of dystopian fiction, and I can't WAIT for the next installment of this series to come out! :DDisclosure: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Price does a good job of starting this story at a fast clip, and eventually fills in the details about a near future America where a malignant "spore" attack killed many/most adults (20-60 yrs old), and has left the population filled with "Starters" -children, and "Enders"- older adults, groups who had been inoculated against just such a biological attack. Callie, and her little brother Tyler, having lost both their parents, are living "on the street" after they had to flee their safe suburban home: minors who are discovered w/out legal guardians are rounded up and often sent to dreaded "asylums", holding facilities to tuck away all these marginalized orphans, either to slowly die, or perform drudge work. Callie, worried about Tyler's weakened state (he's undernourished and ill) determines to contract herself out to a whispered (and semi illegal but tolerated) "renter" corporation, Prime Destinations. With the huge payout she believes she'll receive, she can find a permenant home for herself and her brother, and their street friend Michael. Due to advances in brain science/computer tech, Prime Destinations can recruit teens, who are then prepped to be their most beautiful perfect version of a 16-19 yr old , then submit to a computer chip inserted in their brainstem. Put to sleep, they are hooked up to an "Ender's" brain, and suddenly the Ender has control of this youthful body for a day, or a week or even longer. Callie's first two rentals go as planned, but when her third rental involves a monthlong commitment she balks, but realizes her contract must be honored. But this time when she re-awakens, she's not in the recovery room at the Prime Destination's hdqtrs; she's in a noisy night club, and realizes to her shock that she's very aware & in control of her own body - and her "Ender" renter has somehow only in her brain. Why is her "Ender" leasor (Helena) so insistent she avoid returning to Prime? Who is the shadowy CEO of Prime Destinations? Should she trust a young man she meets at the club, whose grandfather turns out to be an important politician? How will she keep Tyler safe? Throughout the plot's twists and turns, there's a real Cinderalla subplot going on: oh darn, Callie has to go Helena's millionare mansion and hang out w/rich Enders who are "renting" gorgeous young bodies, and eat anything she wants, drive hot cars, and basically be part of the rich Ender class that she and the other Starters are never allowed to even dream of. And of course she eventually is determined (with the help of Helena and other more conscientious Enders) to bring down Prime Destinations... in spite of the strange conditions of this futuristic society, Price writes these characters with quick strokes, and keeps a brisk pace, so we're rooting for Callie throughout - a fun sci-fi romp that does provide some thought provoking futurism details - what would it be like if only the aged and the very young remain, and what might the aged do to maintain their economic/cultural/political powers?

This book was very interesting. Set in the future after a terrible war that killed most everyone from 20's-60's, or maybe even broader then that, I forget, there are only Starters and Enders now (in this society science has extended the life expectancy to 150's or more) The Enders are envious of the Starters youthful bodies, and have created a way to switch places with each other. I feel like I'm botching this whole thing up, but I did enjoy this book a lot and will be looking for more by the author.

Took me a while to get into the story. It ended up being fairly interesting, if somewhat predictable. I personally don't like the incredibly pessimistic view of the future and what people would do in this kind of a situation.

Callie and her younger brother Tyler are on their own; the recent Spore Wars killed everyone between the ages of 20 and 60. When Tyler gets sick, Callie's only option is to get a job at Prime Destinations, a service for seniors who "borrow" a teen's body in order to feel young again. But during her third job, the chip inside her head malfunctions and she's able to communicate with the older woman who's renting her body; the woman has her own agenda and grudge against Prime Destinations. Callie soon discoveres that things aren't what they seem.

Teen dystopia novels are everywhere these days and they start to run together after a while. I think that Starters was original enough to stand out in the crowd. Callie was a strong, smart, likeable heroine. She is, of course, the center of a love triangle. I really didn't feel like there was much chemistry with either boy - Michael or Blake. And I think I can say without giving anything away that a certain point Callie remaining interested in Blake got pretty creepy. Luckily, the romance wasn't a huge part of the book.The central plot involving Callie trying to figure out what Prime Destinations was up to kept me guessing and took several unexpected turns. The ending was haunting and left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.There are two e-book prequels for this series, Portrait of a Starter and Portrait of a Marshal, that I'm assuming add some more details to the world-building. These books are $1.99 each and the first is only 15 pages long and the second is only 30 pages long. I find it ridiculous to have to pay four dollars for 45 pages of content.Even though the e-book prequel situation irritates me and I probably won't buy them (and if I do, I'll be grumbly about it), I'm really looking forward to the sequel, Enders, which is scheduled to be released in December.

"They" claim that if you liked "The Hunger Games", you'd like "Starters". Well, they were right! "Starters" was, to me, as good if not better than THG books. It's the kind of book that makes you happy when you find out there will be a sequel coming out, so the story does not end on the last page of the book. This author knows how to keep you on your toes and turning pages through the entire book and... if you liked "The Hunger Games", you'll like "Starters".

After the Sporewars, the population of the U.S. is down to Starters (those under 18) and Enders (those over the age of 80) because they were the only ones to recieve the vaccine. Callie and her brother Tyler are unclaimed minors - their parents died and they don't have any Ender grandparents to take care of them. As Callie tries to keep her brother safe and provide a home and food for him, she resorts to donating her body "Prime Destinations." Prime is a secret community where young Starters rent their bodies to old Enders through technology. While she is renting, something goes wrong and Callie regains conciousness. Soon, Callie begins to realize that something is very wrong with Prime and she is stuck in the middle of a battle started by her Ender renter. I was riveted until the last few chapters. The story was so well devloped and such an interesting idea that it felt super rushed at the end and I was disappointed. I am anxious to read the sequel though, and hope that it will be just as exciting as the first part of Starters.

Price has created an interesting, frightening future world in which only teenaged (Starters) and elderly (Enders) humans have survived the Spore Wars. Set in this world's Los Angeles, we meet Callie who has promised her father that she would do anything to protect her little brother, Tyler. When it comes down to needing money to protect him, she agrees to work at Prime Destinations for three "rentals." A rental consists of having a chip inserted in your brain and allowing an Ender to rent your body for a set period of time so that they can enjoy their lost youth. But what Callie discovers on her third rental is beyond anything she could have imagined.

In the near future, the city is filled with unclaimed minors following the spore wars. Only the elderly and the young were vaccinated, so many children lost there parents. Unclaimed minors have no rights to work and are rounded up to be placed in institutions. The body bank offers them an opportunity to get funds by letting an old person rent their young bodies for a period of time. But the man behind the body bank has grander plans for the young bodies.

'Starters' had a lot of hype attached to it. It was being toted as the the next 'big' thing. Admittedly, I may have bought into that hype a bit, because I expected a little more than I got with this novel, 'Starters'. The concept is pretty cool-- the idea that people 'rent' bodies or lifestyles is intriguing and something I wouldn't put past people actually doing if the technology were really there.

As far as pro's, I liked the characters. Callie seemed like your typical 'protector' type. The book is told from her perspective and, while it does get a bit tiring being 'in her head' for so long, she's a pretty good lead character. Her supporting characters, enders in borrowed bodies, were, surprisingly, great characters. With the first third of the book taking place in Callie's head, these supporting characters were totally welcome, in my opinion! The 'love interest', Blake, turned out to be pretty shallow in terms of characterization, but I think that might have something to do with the twist revealed later in the novel.

Despite the characters, I found issue with a few things in 'Starters'. While I finished the book pretty quickly, I found myself thinking 'where is this story going and when will we get there' a lot more than usual. The storytelling stalled a bit there in the middle, but thankfully picked up towards the end with a good conclusion and a surprising twist.

The other con, I'd have to say, dealt with the world and history. I get that there was a war and that a large chunk of the middle aged population died, but everything else was a bit fuzzy. For example, why do people live so long in her society? The enders aren't just in their 80's or 90's, but in their hundreds. Also, it seemed like the world went downhill pretty quickly after this spore war, which I don't find completely believable.

All in all, 'Starters' was a decent novel with a good concept and some interesting characters, but fell short a bit. Was it a good enough novel for me to continue on with the series? I think so. Would I recommend it to others looking for a dystopian tale? Again, I think so. 'Starters' receives 3 out of 5 stars and is available everywhere books are sold.

Starters is the story of the aftermath of a futuristic war that claims the lives of all of the people who have reached middle age due to the fact that only the old (Enders) and the young (Starters) were immunized against attacking spores. The main character, Callie has lost her parents but survives on the streets with her brother, Tyler, who is ill, and her friend, Michael. In order to earn money to help Tyler, Callie donates her body to Prime Destinations to be "rented" for a period of time by an Ender. Callie wakes up in her own body, but the renter hasn't yet left. As Callie and her renter, Helena begin to communicate, Callie learns more and more about the actual purpose of Prime Destinations and the conspiracy that threatens all of the Starters. This was a well thought out book with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. It also raises lots of ethical questions that cause the reader to stop and think about how he/she would react under similar circumstances. I loved this book and can't wait to read the sequel, Enders.

In a world where a spore virus (caused during a war time attack)has wiped out the entire middle age population, Callie Woodland struggles to survive while taking care of her ill seven year old brother. They are 'unclaimed' which means without Ender guardianship which is usually the children's grandparents. Enders are the elderly and Starters are the children. The unclaimed starters have to hide from marshals who round up those children and send them to institutions. Callie will do everything she can to keep her and her her brother out of these disgusting institutions. The Woodlands have teamed up with another unclaimed teen Michael. The older two take turns looking after young Tyler and searching for food. Callie hears about a company called Perfect Destinations who will pay top dollar to young people. In exchange the starters must be willing to rent their body to an rich ender who is more than willing to pay top money for a chance to forget their aging bodies and have use a new young one again. This is all temporary and in a few weeks, Callie will wake up back in her own body and supposedly her body will be in perfect condition and she will be much richer.The premise is exciting and although it is reminiscent of some of the other dystopian novels available, it still is different enough to have caught my interest. Price's explanation of the events leading to only the very young and very old seems too vague and it doesn't seem solid enough. The writing is very competent and this book proved to be a real page turner. The romance aspect isn't at the forefront of the story but you will wonder if Callie will end up with Blake, the rich teenage grandson of a senator or loyal Michael. I most enjoyed the time Callie spends trying to live in her Ender's life. There is a major plot change at the end that sort of made me a little confused. I can't even begin to guess what that ending means for the sequel "Starters". The book didn't quite grab me like some other dystopians have but I still found it to be a solid and entertaining book. I will read the follow up.

This was a fast and enjoyable read. I liked the characters and thought the premise was different than the same old dystopian young adult novel. There were many great twists and turns in the story that I did not see coming. I was completely hooked after the first couple of chapters and could barely put this book down. I thought that the message of income inequality was a timely one and was creatively delivered.

This is another young adult book written in the vein of The Hunger Games. A world recovering after international disaster, a girl trying to protect and provide for a younger sibling, a lack of parental guidance, a girl so attractive she's got two guys who want her. It had some unique ideas, like what would the world be like if all the parents were gone and how would children survive if they were all orphans and too young to work. But the heavy emphasis on teen romance made me take the book much less seriously. I'm sure it will be a blockbuster movie.

I absolutely loved this book. It was right up my alley, and something different. Lissa Price creates a world full of destruction. Even through everything that is wrong with the world, Callie does everything she can to try to keep her brother protected and healthy.

Each character has their own agenda, but it's easy to connect with them. I love Callie's determination in protecting those she loves. Tyler is the cutest, and strongest, little boy I think I've ever seen in a book.

There are a few twists in the story that I didn't see coming at all. Nothing I guessed was what happened. The last twist totally toyed with my emotions. I was hooked from the very beginning of this book and couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to the second installment Enders, coming out this winter. I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for something action packed and something new in the dystopian world.

Obviously, I was looking forward to Starters, because it includes the magic word in its description: dystopia. However, I wasn't nearly as pumped about it as about a lot of others (The Selection for example. Why? Because the cover seriously gives me the heebie jeebies! Most dystopias go for the gorgeous covers to lure the reader in, but they definitely didn't here, even though they could have justifiably. I admire that they did their own thing here, but I still don't want to stare at this cover for too long!

Starters grabbed me from the very beginning. From the first words, both Callie and the society she's living in come alive. Callie is an amazing narrator, strong and sassy, even when completely at wit's end. Actually, all of the characters are incredibly awesome, full of depth and personality. I really like Blake, but, hey, I also love Michael. Heck, I even like Tyler, and I don't usually much like moppets.

When I first read the description above, I already knew that the book was about old people (Enders) borrowing the bodies of young people (Starters), so I was really confused about the whole Spore Wars business. I was worried it might be overkill; some dystopias try to make everything that can possibly go wrong all happen all at once, which can end up just being ridiculous. Anyway, Price builds a firm foundation for her world of Enders and Starters with the Spore Wars. Excellent world building! The one thing I would really like to know more about in particular is how the Enders are able to live so long, and also how the society still functions the same with so many people gone.

I find it really comforting that, despite the sheer mass of dystopian novels, with more on the way, authors can still find new, astounding things to do with the genre. Although Starters can definitely be compared to some other dystopian titles (Unwind for example), it definitely stands on its own two metaphorical feet as something unique. Her story is in no way just a reimagining of something extant or an awkward mishmash of several other dystopias (which Matched sort of was).

Even though I guessed some of the ending, I still loved it. Price didn't go for the easy cliffhanger; there's a resolution of sorts, although obviously there's still more to be done. Usually, a book is less fun if you figure out a twist early on, but I actually liked Starters more because of it, because the reason that I knew is that Price hid a clue. I love finding the one hint; it makes me feel so smart.

I think I may just have found a new favorite dystopia and possible new favorite author. My ARC informs me that Enders will come out in Winter 2011, but I'm assuming they meant 2012, haha. CANNOT WAIT. Okay, I should officially have been asleep for about a half hour now, but I just had to finish reading this. If you like dystopias, get this now. Actually, if you like good books of any sort get this now!

Real Rating : 3.5 stars

Great concept and worldbuilding; faulty execution. A good deal of the story felt contrived, and there were quite a few plot holes that rang untrue. Also, Thoroughly Unbelievable Romantic Development (TURD) was a thing. But it ended on an ambiguous note, implying that the sequel would reveal some rather intriguing character developments (particularly in the antagonist), which may be enough to convince me too pick it up. For this one, though, only 2 stars.

Starters was a brilliant book that managed to capture my attention from the very first page and hold it until the very last page. I was really drawn into this world that Price has created and wanted to know more all the time. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one. The cover is a bit creepy and the description sounded even creepier. It turned out to be a riveting read with many unsettling themes throughout!

Callie's parents are dead and now it's just her and her little brother, Tyler. Tyler isn't well and Callie needs money so she can get them proper living arrangements. She decides to rent her body to an ''Ender'' (i.e elderly person) in exchange for a lot of money. I was so freaked out by this idea! It really sucked that Callie felt she had no choice but to do this and I thought she faced it with bravery. You could tell that her brother meant everything to her and that she would do whatever necessary to give him a better life.

Unfortunately, the renting does not go as planned and Callie is stuck pretending to be the person who rented her body! She keeps hearing a voice in the back of her head and things start taking a tasty and weird turn. With every day that passes, Callie learns more and more about what her renter was really up to. I thought it was all dealt with really well and while I thought it might be confusing, it definitely wasn't! I was so scared for Callie throughout this book and she's an incredibly strong character and I found it easy to like her.

Starters is a wonderful dystopian novel that I'm sure fans of the genre will enjoy it. The events that occurred towards the end really took me by surprise and left me eager for more!

So disappointed. I loved the concept and the start of this book. I thought it would be great. Alas it got to be ridiculous far too soon.
The way the main person behaved was not they way a normal person would. Very unbelievable. I tried to go on but I decided to call it quits.

Maybe I will pick it up one day.

My Thoughts: It could have been better, but it was good enough...Starters is a dystopian debut novel that was really highly anticipated for this year. The concept of teens renting their bodies to the elderly is some food for thought... Wouldn't you say so? There were some aspects of the book that wasn't clear and took some time to understand or that I was confused about the entire way through. But other than that, it was a good read and I'm looking forward to the sequel Enders. The whole time I was reading Starters, I was completely lost on how and why everything came to be. How did the war start? Why didn't they save at least SOME of the middle aged people? How did they even come up with the idea, let alone technology for the renting? So many questions were left unanswered and that disappointed me. I was looking forward to this book and had pretty good expectations of it, but they didn't meet. There was a pretty prominent Cinderella theme, what with Callie losing her shoe and Blake picking it up, going from being incredibly poor and homeless to a life of luxury. I didn't think much of it to be honest. I felt like it wasn't an important part of the book, considering all the other stuff that was happening. Going back to Blake, a LOT of stuff happens with him. If you've read this book, you'll understand. But if not, I won't spoil it for you. The thing that bugged me about their relationship was that it happened so quickly. There was no real growing into it... It just happened. There is a reason as to why that kind of makes sense, but in the end that question is still on my mind. But there were some great parts to the book as well. First of all, the whole concept of the elderly renting out teen bodies is CREEPY. But so creative and imaginative! I can't even fathom how Lissa Price came up with this idea. She is a very talented author with a vivid imagination and I am looking forward to reading more from her. There was one point where I almost began crying, in the very beginning when all Callie wanted was to help save her little brother, Tyler. Being a big sister to three brothers has made me kind of protective and also very sensitive to sibling books like this. Her love for Tyler was so pure and so relatable, in my case. No, I haven't been orphaned with only me to take care of my dying brother, but I could see how Callie thought that renting her body was the best thing she could do to make the bit of extra money that they needed. I also loved the ending. It was one of those 'OMG it's a happy ending! Oh wait... Nope, more drama,' moments. Personally I feel as if the last 60 pages or so were the best out of the whole book. It was intense and twisted and completely exhilarating! The cliff-hanger was a huge shock and I am counting the days until December 12th. Theories of who the old man is are reeling in my mind and I just want to know who he is!

Callie is desperate. Her younger brother is sick and they have no money and no place to stay. The only people who survived the Spore Wars are people under 20 and over 60. Everyone else was wiped out. Her only hope is Prime Destinations, a place where teens (or Starters) can rent out their bodies to old people (or Enders) wanting to feel young again for lots of money. The practice is illegal, but many teens do it anyway because they have to endure police raids, dodge renegades, and starvation. The first two jobs she does go on without a hitch. During the third, she wakes up in the middle of it because her neurochip malfunctioned. Her renter has expensive cars and goes to parties and lives a life Callie has never seen before. It isn't all money and parties when she discovers her renter is trying to murder someone with her body. Will she be able to stop her renter before it is too late? Is Prime Destinations more nefarious than it seems?Starters is a unique dystopia that I simply couldn't put down. The concept of someone being able to take over bodies and puppet them around is so disturbing and creepy by itself. The very idea makes my skin crawl. But it doesn't stop there. Bringing in a malicious person who bypasses the safeguards to try to commit murder and implicate the innocent person is even worse. Then placing this situation in a world where teens are essentially abandoned and have no means of survival unless they have a living grandparent is insane. I would have thought it would be too convoluted and weird, but Lissa Price handles it with ease. Her writing and world building really drew me in. The world is vividly painted, especially the contrast between the lives of the penniless, fugitive Starters and the ridiculously rich, decadent Enders. The only thing I would have liked to see is a more detailed history of the Spore Wars, but this may be in the next book.The characters were also vividly portrayed. Callie is a tough, strong girl who would do anything to help her brother. Even after she finds out her Ender is planning to murder someone, she tries to prevent it at every turn and figure out what is really going on. I enjoyed seeing this world through her eyes. Her intelligence and ability to think on her feet made the novel enjoyable to read and kept me guessing what would happen next. The villain, the Old Man, is frightening and mysterious. He isn't seen in the novel much, but he effects many more things than you would think. I can't wait to see what he will do in the next book.Starters is an amazing dystopia that brings mystery, science fiction, and so many twists and turns. I really liked that there was an element of romance, but it didn't overpower the book like it does in so many other young adult novels. I couldn't stop reading this book and I can't wait until the next book comes out.

Price has created a truly original concept that is beautifully creepy. I mean imagine someone older than you that doesn't want you to work but is just fine with using your body, so they can feel younger. Jeez! Callie, doesn't agree with it either but she's doing it for her little brother Tyler.She is three rentals away from a nice home and food for them both. All she has to do is survive until then, but not everything goes as smooth as the Enders at Prime make it out to be, something has changed. Someone is out for blood, and Callie's finger may be the one to pull the trigger. This story is well written and the characters are wonderful. Callie has such fire and heart, and the Old Man makes for a mysterious and devious antagonist. I have my theories about him, but I'm not going to tell. There were two male interests for Callie, though I was much more intrigued by the interaction between her, Helena(the renter) and the Enders.This book will make you wonder, what if this was the future for our world. It's the young versus the old, but what about the people in between? I'm curious because all of them can't be gone.Fast-paced, intriguingly suspenseful...this is a must read!

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was one of the most original dystopian novels I have read for some time - although a few segments (the "beautification" process) reminded me of Hunger Games. Also, the concept of "renting" was utterly chilling - especially the fact that your body could be doing anything, and you would not know about it. The setting seemed well thought out and the characterisation was good and well, now I'm keen to read the next one!

Having read a few of the less positive reviews, I do have to say that this book does have some logical flaws, but I was prepared to overlook them and go along for the ride.