Published: March 13th 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: ARC via NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
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. . . .
My Thoughts:
The Good:
Price certainly knows how to write a compelling story. I think I finished the entire book in about 2 days. She has an interesting idea with body renting and with the general population being so split, everyone either being a “Starter” or an “Ender”. She knows how to give a story a good twist and toy with our emotions, leaving us wondering “what the heck is going to happen in book 2!”
The Bad:
I feel as if there is a bit of a pattern happening with dystopians. There is some kind of war that has happened, there are homeless kids living on the streets, the MC has a younger sibling who is somewhat sickly that the MC will do anything to protect. Starters certainly fits the bill, but it easily manages originality.
The Gist:
Starters is not a book to be missed. There is a reason it has been getting the hype it has. Check it out if you love dystopian and adventure! I can’t wait for book 2 (which I believe is called Enders?) to come out!
4.5 out of 5 stars!
