Review - Starters

by Lissa Price
publisher: Delacorte BFYR
date of publication: March 13, 2012
format: eGalley
pages: 450
source: Netgalley
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

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. . . .

What I Thought

There's nothing quite like a good dystopia, and Lissa Price has written one to give others a run for their money.  Set in a world in which there are children/young adults, senior citizens with enhanced life spans, and nothing in between, Starters is a story that will make you wonder.  With a combination of fantastic technology and an insidious society where the young are, for the most part, less than second class citizens, an action-packed thrill ride is at your fingertips.  

I simply adore Callie.  She will do anything to take care of her younger brother, yet has a distinct moral compass that sets her apart from most of the other characters in the book.  Her experiences are absorbing and you can't help but become part of the story through her eyes.  Her renter, Helena, was also surprisingly compelling and I immediately wanted to know more about her.  The villain, Prime Destinations as fronted by a mysterious figure known as The Old Man, is truly chilling and made for an excellent foe for Callie.  They constantly took me by surprise with the sheer amount of evil they were capable of.  The Old Man is definitely a villain you love to hate.

Starters has a great pace, as well as a really compelling storyline.  The concept is truly imaginative and the setting is an interesting blend of bleak, war-ravaged land and high-tech opulence.  The air of threat is thick and the trials Callie goes through are exciting, all making for a read that seemingly flies by.  Don't be surprised to find yourself fully immersed in Callie's world and coming up for air after hours have flown by. 

Starters now has a place as my newest must-have book.  There wasn't a single thing I didn't like about it and I can not wait to add it to my shelves.  The next book in the series is going to be one for which I anxiously wait.  If you're looking for a thrilling dystopia set in a post-apocalyptic setting, Starters would be an excellent addition to your TBR pile.  This is one I'm going to want to read over and over again.

  
Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.