Living Fictitiously: EARLY REVIEW: STARTERS by Lissa Price

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

EARLY REVIEW: STARTERS by Lissa Price

Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Imprint: Delacorte BFYR
Publication Date: March 13th, 2012
Hardcover: 352 Pages
Format: E-Galley
Source: Netgalley for review

A major book for spring 2012—Starters is the first in a high-concept, two-book, futuristic thriller teen project by newcomer Lissa Price—a tremendous bestselling author in the making. Every major publisher wanted this book on their list.

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. . . .

Book trailer

Review:

Wow! I’m so impressed with this one! There are so many dystopian/futuristic novels out there right now, and Starters definitely made an impression. The story was well thought out, creative, and so original in this market inundated with copycat outlines and underdeveloped plots. I was hooked from the very beginning and was astounded by each event.

But most impressive of all was that it was believable. In a world where life expectancy has reached well into the triple digits and “spore” warfare has decimated the population and killed everyone between the ages of 18-60, I never once felt, “Oh, yeah right. That could never happen.” The story world is so well defined, and I can easily see how our future could become this world. The war, the politics, the division between the rich and the poor, the young and the old; it was so intriguing and captivating to see today’s problems magnified in a future world.

I would highly recommend this book to those of you who enjoy futuristic, dystopian novels, but if you don’t think this sounds like your kind of read, I strongly urge you to give Starters a chance. Its originality, strong characters, and fantastic storyline won’t let you down. I will definitely be purchasing a copy, and I’m already anxiously awaiting the second novel!