Starters (Starters #1)
5 Stars: Recommended
Publication: March 13, 2012 (Hardback)
Pages: 368
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Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy it: Amazon (Hardback) | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie’s head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator’s grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations’ plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .
Dystopian, mystery, and thriller come together in this novel. There are secrets, deception, and the threat of the unknown. From the first page, Lissa Price had me questioning the structure of this dystopian society and trying to find answers in a tangled web of loose threads.
Callie is a wonderful protagonist. She is strong and independent, but her love for her younger brother exposes her vulnerability. Her desperation to protect him is a reminder that Callie is still a teenager fighting for survival in a world where her parents and would-be mentors have been wiped out from the disease. She can only rely on herself to protect her younger brother and herself.
Prime Destinations seems to be the solution. It’s shady, but Callie has no other way of securing herself. When she wakes up, she realizes that there is more to the deal than she thought there was. The characters that she meet are fascinating. While the story doesn’t have a romantic focus, there are fun interactions between characters and interesting plot twists.
Starters is a chilling debut from Lissa Price that contemplates life in a world with a huge age gap in the population. The villains are compelling; the plot is enticing. Every chapter built the intrigue and engaged me. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy if you are looking for a dystopian that haunt you from the first page and even as you pick up the sequel Enders next year!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. No payment was received in return for a review. The receipt of the book had no influence on the opinions expressed in my review.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Christina Kit. says
This is so great! Everyone's raving about this book and it's awesome to have such a unique idea and great characters! Excellent pacing too:))
Natalie Aguirre says
I SO loved this for all the reasons you said. It was so unique. My daughter is reading it and then I'll be giving away my ARC. Can't wait for book 2.
Shortskie says
Great review, I've read many mixed reviews of the novel but I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it. I'm waiting for my amazon order to come in the mail soon C:
Giselle says
Awesome review Kris I agree completely! I enjoyed the mystery in this one and Callie is an fab protagonist! Glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Debz says
I've heard so many amazing things about this book! The premise sounds kind of creepy, but I'm willing to give it a go! Thanks for the great review!
~Debz @ Debz Bookshelf