“Readers who have been waiting for a worthy successor to Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games will find it here. Dystopian sci-fi at its best, Starters is a terrific series kickoff with a didn't-see-that-coming conclusion that will leave readers on the edges of their seats . . .” raves the Los Angeles Times. In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .
"STARTERS is a smart, swift, inventive, altogether gripping story. Callie Woodland, the narrator, deserves a series, and happily I am sure she'll get one!"—Dean Koontz
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
90 of 100 people found the following review helpful.
Terrific debut, wonderful protagonist with crisp prose and nonstop action, one of the top YA books of the year
By Christina (Ensconced in Lit)
These days it is hard to write a dystopian YA and have it stand out. Starters did not have that problem; it was impressive from start to finish.In the first few pages, we are immersed in the dangerous world where Callie, the protagonist of the book, lives. There has been a horrible war where the US has fell victim to a terrible biological attack, where only the elderly and young have been vaccinated. Unsurprisingly, this leaves the young to fend for themselves. Callie is forced to make some tough decisions when an offer to rent her young body to an elderly person for a short time comes across the table. This money could save her little brother's life.There are countless strengths of this novel. The key, however, is Callie. She is a terrific main character; she is strong, resourceful, intelligent and brave... but at the same time believable and utterly likeable. She will do anything to take care of her little brother. Also, this novel begins in the middle-- right in the center of the action and never lets up all the way through. I blazed through this book and couldn't put it down. The starkness and clarity of the prose really came through; it was crisply written. I loved each of the twists and did not even predict the biggest one. It's hard to do that with a seasoned YA veteran reader. Furthermore, the other characters were well developed. Probably my other favorite character was Madison- I'll leave the reader to discover her. She was an utter gem. The world that Lissa Price builds is terrible but very believable; while not entirely unique (which is pretty impossible at this point), she gave a brand-new spin in her creation of this dystopian society.And the Old Man. There are several mysteries that I have still lingering in my mind and that will haunt me until December.Overall, a smashing debut in a genre that is very difficult to break into. This book is in the top 5 books that I have read in the past year, and one that I believe earns its place along with Pandemonium and Divergent. Lissa Price will be one to watch.
45 of 52 people found the following review helpful.Strong characters and refreshing idea.
By Brandi Breathes Books
This is such a creepy and delicious idea for a dystopia! The idea of renting out your body and not knowing what the renter does is so hard to imagine, and just reading the description makes you wonder why you would want to do that. We quickly see with Callie her heart and determination--she does it for her brother. The family bond there is so sweet and I love how that is woven into the story. Fighting for her only surviving family is a motivation that I can totally understand and makes her actions believable and commendable. The idea of the Enders is kinda creepy too... not knowing who is a real teen, and if you are seeing the same person inside a body every time. I liked some of the Enders that we met, and you can understand their motivations too. I really enjoyed the romance and how twisted the relationships really are. I hope that they are explored fully in the next books in the series because there is so much potential and I want to know what happens next. There is a lot of action and I was constantly engaged, wondering what would happen next and what would throw me for a loop. Essentially, I loved it and can't wait for the next. Strong characters and refreshing idea.
24 of 29 people found the following review helpful.MUST-READ for ALL Ages!!
By Mother/Gamer/Writer
Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/WriterRating: 5 out of 5 ControllersReview Source: NetGalleyReviewer: MeWhat Lissa Price created is nothing short of phenomenal. It took me a while to write this review, only because I had to take a break, sit back and mull over the epic tale that is Starters. You know a book is a gem when you can't stop thinking about it, decided to re-read it, and then still have to take a moment to collect your thoughts. It's kind of like Dollhouse with Matrix style action, only it's the elderly population in cahoots with the government creating havoc and mayhem. Maybe not intentionally, but nonetheless its happening.It all began when the US was attacked with biological weaponry which initiated the Spore Wars. Everyone except those who were lucky enough to get vaccinated died leaving the population with two distinct groups of people: The elderly population (60 and above) called Enders, and the younger generation (20 and below) called Starters. The Enders, with their beautiful white hair, will do anything to stay young; while the poor disadvantaged Starters, who are mostly homeless/unclaimed children, will do anything for food. Creating such a unique dystopian society was absolutely brilliant. With each passing page readers can get a feel for how wonderful and luxurious life is for Enders, while at the same time you can feel compassion for the helpless Starters who are constantly fighting amongst themselves for basic necessities such as food and shelter. It's definitely a game of survival of the fittest for these young children, in a world where they are viewed as an abomination.The story is told in the first person perspective of our main character Callie, a 16 year old girl who is both parentless and homeless, and is tasked with trying to protect her young brother who is very ill. I LOVED Callie. She is strong, independent, witty, and not afraid to fight and get her hands dirty. Over the course of the novel you will see Callie shine. Between finding love, being betrayed, and uncovering the deception, mystery, and true nature of what it means for a Starter to "rent" their body to an Ender, needless to say our main character has her hands full. Or better yet, overflowing.Because of her brothers' illness, their lack of a stable home life and food, Callie decides to go to the body bank - Prime Destinations - to become a "rental". She hopes by the end of the experience she will have earned enough money to provide a decent life for her brother as well as her best friend, Michael. Though her gut reaction was not to follow through with this plan, she ultimately agrees and is later forced to deal with the bizarre consequences once her rental experience goes awry. Not to spoil the plot, because much of the story centers around the reason Callie's rental is not so cut and dry, let's just say two head - or better yet two minds - are sometimes better than one.Overall, I loved everything about Starters. Price not only delivered one heck of a page turner, she created something perfectly unique and exquisite. The character, though some more than others, were well crafted and worth investing your time and energy on. There are several different mysteries going on simultaneously, and its exciting watching Callie uncover what is really happening around her. Starters is a book that I highly recommend, it's suitable for all ages and has a little bit of something hidden within for everyone. If you haven't read it, DO IT. And with the jaw clenching cliffhanger, you will probably be screaming at me later. But that's okay, because I know you will love it!
