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.

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.

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.

'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.

I loved the idea behind this book. An interesting concept that makes for good reading for a novel that features dystopia themes. Although it’s not that much different from your usual themes (your usual plague ridden society, with the poor suffering, and the rich being..well rich) it was still worth a read and I rather enjoyed it. The world building and setting is well written and provides a good foundation for reading.I can’t say I really like Callie though. Sure, who wouldn’t like to live the life of the Ender with all that luxury but she’s not that likable (and you just have those moments where you shake your head and think to yourself ‘really? REALLY? DID YOU JUST DO WHAT I THOUGHT YOU JUST DID?’) and Blake. I really don’t know what the appeal is with him. Sure Callie, he’s cute and all and he’s a lovely treat to look at. That’s ok right? Because poor Michael is back there at home with your suffering brother wondering where the heck you are. But that’s ok, you can walk all over Michael while you fawn over Blake like a lovesick cow.I have no patience for that kind of stupidity. Really.So aside from the characters that don’t really appeal to me, I still thought the book was worth the read. It’s a good addition to one’s collection of dystopian fiction. Give it a try. I’ll be reading Enders (sequel to this) for sure just to see where the story ends up. (Also if my prediction ends up being correct..)

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?

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.

When this book first started making its way around the web I didn’t really know much about it and wasn’t really interested. However, after seeing the books trailer I decided I wanted to read it. I was bummed to see a lot of mediocre reviews of it and my hopes for it dropped. I’m here to say that this book surprised me with its brilliance! I’m so glad I didn’t let those things keep me from reading this amazing book!The plot line is so intricate and detailed. I felt like every little detail had been planned and was critical to the story. All these details click together sooner or later, and the things that didn’t come together by the end of this book I’m sure will be solved in the next. I don’t think there will be any loose ends with this series.I’m going to warn you, the first half of the book is pretty slow as the world, characters, and story line are being built up, but once it hit the second half I was totally engrossed!Callie was a strong and loving heroine whom I really enjoyed. She was smart, and could hold her own. She had strong beliefs of right and wrong and always did what she believed to be right in her heart. Another character I loved was Callie’s little brother, Tyler. We don’t really get to know Tyler’s character first hand but rather grow attached to him through Callie’s love for him.I admit the book could be really confusing on occasion, but it just took me a few minutes to collect my thoughts or flip back and reread a passage and I could usually figure it out.The ending wasn’t exactly a cliffhanger but boy did it pack a punch! I’m so excited for the next book, Enders, and was disappointed to find out it’s not coming out until sometime in 2013 because the back of my book said December 2012. I’m a little nervous because this is the kind of book where all the little details are important, so if the wait ends up being too long I know I’m going to forget everything and be totally lost when I pick up the sequel.Take my word for it, this is one series you don’t want to miss!

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.

"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".

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.

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.

"When hawks cry, time to fly."—CallieI first saw this book on my local library, and you see, the Indonesian version of it really has a nice and eye catching cover, really like a movie poster or something.So when I read the blurb and became totally hooked by its unique and fresh concept, I decided to give it a try. And, well, I have to say I haven't read a great dystopian book such as this for a while.Starters took place in the dystopian world destroyed by a Spores War, where people lived for almost two centuries, and that the old people—called Enders—could rent the body of a fresh young people—called Starters—with money.Callie Woodland was an orphan when her mother was killed on the Spores war, and her father was arrested and never to be heard again months later. Living with little food and taking shelter illegally on an abandoned building, Callie's life a constant circle of hunger and escape again and again.Until she find out about Prime Destination, the organization where Starters could be paid by renting their body to the wealthy Enders.Money and living on was the only thing Callie thought about when she applied to become a donor of Prime. What she didn't know, though, was that her last renter happened to be a murderous woman with a plan that could get them both killed. That her chip was malfunctioning and Callie could fully control her body—which had never happened with any other donor before.And that the Prime Destination might not be as real as they claimed to be, at all.The pacing of this book, I think, was perfectly fitting for this kind of story. It was fast-paced, with new things being thrown every here and there, and the details and the world-building was described as the story goes.And I also love Lisa's writing style, where she used not a straightforward method for telling us about the strange things—such as the Spores—that were practically flying around everywhere on a dystopian novel, but rather giving us a main idea as the the story proceed, throwing bits of information here and there, and made us understand about what it could do and what it had done, not just plainly what it could do.Callie Woodland, as our main character, was an exceptionally strong character. The story began as Callie volunteered to become a body donor because of economical problem, and she was more than willing to do anything to keep herself and her brother alive. But when her third renter was unpredictably planning a murder and Callie's chip began to malfunction we get to see her life as she faked herself every single day, acting that her body still belong to the renter, when, in fact, it didn't.What especially stood out from Callie was her distinct voice. I love how her dialog could be easily recognized without the 'she said', and that when she was happy or terrified, I could totally feel that as well. Her personality was also strong, likable, yet at the same time still realistic and—my favorite part ever, this one—very well-flawed.I love how her background, as an orphan, really reflected on her everyday behavior and that she would always take a rational decision, not an imaginary decision we reader would love her to take. And boy, I love her for that.Helena Winterhill, Callie's renter as well as our other main character, however, was not as brilliant as Callie herself. Sure, she did have some nice past and background story and quite an objective, but that was it.There was no something totally 'Helena' that I could find on this book, and that made her fell on the same places as the other secondary character, when, in fact, she was not. The same goes to the other important secondary character as well, such as Tinnenbaum, Blake, and the other character I couldn't even remember their names.Blake, Callie's love interest with a complicated position as the grandson of Helena's enemy, had that flat syndrome as well. And what made me dislike him even more was that his insta-love with Callie. Hello, cliche. I mean, later on the story, I finally understood the purpose behind their beautiful insta-love or whatever it was, but then again, readers read from cover-to-cover, and no, they won't know why it happened when they read the insta-love. And then, they might not be able to sympathize at all with Callie and Blake's relationship.I do love love love the twist about Blake and some other characters on the ending tough. Really brilliant, Lissa Price.One thing that I thought was a bit lacking from this book was its ending. Not that I hate it, of course. I personally think that the ending wrapped THIS book quite nicely, tying all the loose cord together and left the reader feeling satisfied.But that exactly what the problem was. All the loose cord of the plot was tied way too perfectly it made no question, and therefore made this book felt more like a standalone rather than a first book of a series. It also made the reader way too satisfied, they didn't feel that something was left hanging and unsolved, therefore not leaving them questioning it and dying to read the next book.Overall if you love to read dystopian book, and would love to try a fresh read with a strong world building, strong culture, and unique concept, I definitely recommend this book for you. For those of you who loves Collin's Hunger Games, Roth's Divergent, or Rossi's Under the Never Sky, this book will definitely appeal to you.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Real Rating : 3.5 stars

Dystopia certainly seems like the new genre that everyone is writing on now. And you’d think that after so many you’d see everything. But this one was new for me. I liked the premise behind the story for it’s uniqueness. I could see the reality behind it, how it might come to happen – the renting bodies aspect. I can’t imagine something like this in reality but the ideas behind it, the want of avoiding old age, is very much real. There was some nice twists in the book that surprised me and a few predictable spots. While I doubt I would reread this book I did enjoy it a lot and am looking forward to the next book.

This review is one I wrote a year ago, before I ever created Reader Rising. I came across it on Amazon the other day and decided to edit the review and post it here. What do you think? I can tell my review-writing style has changed. It feels like someone else wrote this! It is also has more paragraphs, as a month or two ago I reverted to 5-paragraph reviews! Anyways, enjoy.

Starters, by debut novelist Lissa Price, is one of those books that will leave you breathless.

At the beginning you feel sure of the plot, and where it's headed. Then, BAM, a new twist has been added or another unexpected factor reveals itself. I found myself pulled into the vivid, real world of starters and enders.

The book begins by introducing Callie, a 15 year old orphan, who is living on the streets with her friend, Michael, and her sickly younger brother. The USA, Callie's home, has just suffered a terrible biological attack. And the only people who survived are the ones that have been vaccinated, the young and the old. ('Starters' and 'Enders')

Callie needs money, and fast. She knows the chance of survival gets slimmer every day. When she hears about the body bank, and the generous amount of dollars it offers, she decides to take the job and rent out her body to Enders wanting to be young again.

Then, during her third rental, she wakes up in her own body. But she's not at the body bank. There was a malfunction with the rental process and she is cast into the life of her renter. Soon, Callie realizes her renter has some disturbing information about the body bank. Who can Callie trust?

The writing kept me interested the whole way through. And the characters never seemed dull or flat, Callie was a lively narrater. She was one of those smart heroines that you quickly come to admire. Also, there are many other key characters that jumped off the page, whether they were Callie's brother, friend (Michael) , an Ender acquaintance, or the mysterious Blake. Blake is a key character. And there is a large twist involving him. My favorite character, however, was Michael, which is a shame because we see very little of him in this book. I hope he is a more key character in Enders!

When I finished Starters, I immediately hopped on Amazon and looked up the sequel. I can't wait for it to come out! I absolutely love the world Price has created!I recommend this to anybody looking for an original dystopian novel. There are also some sci-fi elements, with the body bank premise, so fans of the genre should also enjoy Starters!

Note: There are two ebook short stories out about the world of Starters:
Portrait of a Starter: An Unhidden Story
Portrait of a Marshal: An Unhidden Story

Overall, this book earned
5 stars!

Very interesting plot that fits right into today's world of technology and gaming. The dystopian setting isn't too unique, the protagonist Callie lost her parents in a war and she has a younger brother to take care of. She's desperate and has to resort to renting her young body to seniors. The whys and hows of this renting bodies and complications thereof kept me reading.It's not a bad book, it can really get you thinking about youth and aging. This book is marketed for "young readers." I'd suggest it would be better for a bit older readers, maybe young teenagers because of some of the subject matter.

Oh woe is me...I never learn to not trust the cover of a book. Regardless of the lies it spewed onto me I still enjoyed most of the book.Once upon upon a time after the end of the Spore wars, 16 year old Callie Woodland is entrusted to take care of her 7 year old little brother with asthma. Due to governmental regulations that state minors under the age of 19 who are not claimed by legal guardians (grandparents, great-grandparents etc.), they must hide out in abandoned buildings to avoid being rounded up, separated and placed into "institutions" or as Callie likes to call it a "prison" or "hell". Along with their old neighbour Michael they narrowly escape capture within the first chapters. Running out of resources and hope for keeping her brother safe Callie decides to take a job at Prime Destinations, a place that recruits younglings/"Starters" to lend their bodies out to old icky "enders" to live out their lives again for a short period of time in a young healthy body. Believing that the payout will be totally worth it she signs a contract and decides to go through with it. But then when she discovers the chip inserted in her brain that allows her renter to control her is malfunctioning, Callie finds herself involved in a plan bigger than a simple lend-lease deal with her body and an even bigger mystery involving the big boss of Prime Destinations "affectionately" called The Old Man (that's what Doris said in the book :/ )Did I forget to mention that the population consists of kids to young teenagers and old people that are over a hundred years old? Yeah that's a result of the Spores that killed off anyone who didn't have a vaccination. That's all I'm summarizing.So, what I liked: it had an interesting concept. The summary on the back was extremely vague and made it seem like Callie was going to be involved in some bad ass CIA undercover mission...not to spoil anything but it wasn't exactly like that but still kept me interested, kinda spoilery it went from OMG HER NEURON CHIP WAS MANIPULATED to OMG HER RENTER WANTS HER TO KILL SOMEONE to Hmmmm I wonder what happened to Emma, a rich heiress who didn't need the money from Prime Destinations but lent her body anyway? to OMG SHE'S IN THE INSTITUTION to Holy crap The Old Man has Tyler! and a couple of other sporadic climaxes.... I also liked the development of Callie's character. I always enjoyed her relationship with her brother Tyler, he was adorable and she was always the best when she had scenes with him. Her personality did do a ton of turns but she was not totally an unbearable character that made me want to slap her across the face for her idiocracy. What I didn't like: minor characters were pretty much non-existent. I live for foreshadowing, comic relief characters and awesome minor characters. I didn't really have a favorite minor character aside from Tyler. Michael (1/3 of the blossoming love triangle I smell in the future) was kind of as flat as drywall. Very well done drywall but I didn't relate much to him aside from his apparently awesome art work (me loves them artists tho). Florina, some chick designed to create this into some sort of love quadrilateral wasn't even interesting enough to make it juicy. Sara, a sweet girl in one of the institutions was nice and all but I really would have loved to seen more from her. Blake (1/3 of the love triangle) seemed so flat and one dimensional I almost felt like I was reading another Julian from the book Pandemonium the difference being that I actually liked Julian...but not for Lena. Same with Blake, I honestly didn't see what Callie found so intriguing about him. But by the end of the novel when the final "twist" came around I kind of sort of got why he was so flat and boring to me but it still didn't change the fact that Callie still had feelings for Blake seriously don't click on this spoiler I mean, the fact that he was a teen forced into lending his body to The Old Man kind of explains why he was so flat and dull but honestly the only thing it managed to do for me was make me laugh hysterically at the fact that Callie basically fell in love with the villain of the story but also made me sad that we never got to meet "bookworm Blake" that he said he was in page 334 because I'd LOVE to meet that bookworm but the same page also has me questioning why he wants to be with Callie...based on one selfie... I think aside the stupid insta-love and sad minor characters I liked the rest of the book...oh wait the ending...but there's another book to this series that I'm going to read so let's see if I come back and complain more about it.

What a cliffhanger!!! I'm blown :) I'll be writing the review tomorrow, since my brain is kind of malfunctioning today ;)

*** tomorrow ***

I received "Starters" from Netgalley to review. I've got to say that I loved this book and definitely recommend it to lovers of the dystopian genre. The novel is 368 pages long, which made me think that it would take me a while to finish it. Truth is, it was a breeze. It was light, quick-paced and extremely entertaining. I gave it 4 stars only because some of the events seemed to happen out of nowhere. Otherwise, it was definitely worth my time.

"Starters" talks about the United States after a war waged in the Pacific Ocean. The US was attacked with a biological weapon that killed all the population that wasn't vaccinated against the deadly spores. Ironically, the vaccinated were only teens and the elderly. No one seemed to care that the middle aged generation died away leaving kids unprotected on the streets. Some elderly, called Enders, didn't care about their grandchildren, didn't claim them and they were left to take care of themselves in abandoned buildings or in the institutions.

One question that I never got answered was about the Enders. How come some of them were 200 years old? Perhaps I've missed a turn somewhere, but I never figured it out, so it's a mystery to me.

I didn't like the way the Enders treated the young generation. Sure, not all were like that, but most Enders seemed to despise the Starters. The kids weren't treated like they were the future. Rather, they were ridiculed, distrusted and toyed around. Many Starters died from starvation, or in street fights or in the hands of the law enforcing marshals. And no one cared.

What I liked about this book the most was the unpredictability. I never knew what will come out of where and accomplish what sort of change in events. It was well written, any clues were well covered, and I really enjoyed it. And the ending was a fabulous cliffhanger.

The characters:

*Callie - I could feel her desperation through the pages, her pain of knowing that she can do nothing to improve her brother's life. Little Tyler is all she's got, and she's ready to do anything to have him live in a real home. Which is why she signs up for the donor program. Not that she knew what she was getting herself into. But I think that was brave of her. And after all that she'd been through - the hunger, the insecurities, the life on the street - I was happy for her when that ray of sun shone in the end of the dark tunnel.

*Helena - that woman was something! She was fierce and ready to fight whoever came her way. True, she was right to feel the way she did, but she was a bit too rash. Spicy Ender! I loved her.

*Sara - she was by far my favorite character here. The hope she had of escape from the institution, the selflessness she showed.. it really moved me. She moved me. Little, fragile, undernourished, but brave and protective. That's true character.

The male characters were so confusing. None was who I thought they were, and I don't want to give out any spoilers, so I won't stop to analyze the boys. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read the book yourself :)) Have fun!!!

Starters is a thrilling Sci-Fi dystopia debut from Lissa Price. The creepy body rental concept and plot twists got me invested in the story from the beginning and kept me up late reading. It is fast moving and gripping and just the thing to get me excited about dystopia again.

As Starters begins, sixteen-year-old orphan Callie is struggling to survive in a near-future Los Angeles. She lost her parents to the Spore Wars, where the biological attack killed all adults aged 20-60, because there weren’t enough vaccines for them to be protected in an attack. Now Callie, and friend Michael, is responsible for her sickly little brother Tyler. Unclaimed minors like Callie (called Starters) are forbidden to have jobs, while the elderly (called Enders) live a luxury lifestyle, with job security, fancy cars, and mansions. But Starters do have something that Enders want, and that is youth, which is where Prime Destinations comes in.

With nowhere else to turn, Callie signs a contract with the body renting company Prime Destinations, run by the mysterious “Old Man.” This company rents the bodies of desirable Starters for up to a month to Enders seeking to be young again. After the Starter has fulfilled their contract by being rented 3 times, they in turn receive a big sum of money. But things don’t go as planned, and in the middle of a rental, Callie wakes up as herself in unfamiliar surroundings in the middle of a nightclub. She has to fight to keep control of her mind and body from her renter, who is cooking up a dangerous scheme.

The idea of body renting was so disturbing to me, and even though certain dangerous behavior was off limits, you never know what’s really going on. It’s interesting to see Callie portray someone else with her own body, and befriend other elderly “renters.” She gets an inside look into how renters view the donors and the dangers involved. It’s like an undercover operation for Callie as she gets pulled into a bigger mystery. I liked Callie – she’s resourceful and strong, and it made sense to me that she signed the contract in hopes for a better life for her brother.

There are no lulls in the action in this book. Callie is always on the move, and even though she has some allies it’s hard to know whom she really can trust. There are several jaw-dropping reveals that keep the story interesting. There is not a lot of detail about what led to the current circumstances in the world such as the reasons behind the war, why teens can’t work, etc. But for me, I was entertained just the same with the multi-layered characters, the action and the suspense.

The romance does not play a starring role in this book. There are two potential love interests introduced, but it was not enough of a focus for me to be invested in either character. Am interested to see how the romance develops in the sequel though.

The ending brings a surprising cliffhanger that will leave you clamoring for the sequel. The second and final book in the series, Enders, is due out in December, but in the meantime there are some short stories planned. And there is a prequel called Portrait of a Starter, told from Michael’s POV that is available now. If you are looking for something to read after Divergent or The Hunger Games, give Starters a try.