Review: Starters by Lissa Price

I sat shotgun. I wondered if that was where the expression cam from. Or maybe they meant leaning out the window and shooting. In any event, I was sitting there holding the gun on the senator and Black was in the backseat right behind him. ~p. 247 

This book has so much action in it you will have a hard time putting it down. Every moment of this book is what is going to happen next, how will she get out of this? It’s a page-turner and a heart racing good read. 

Starters 

by Lissa Price 

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.

In this futuristic world that Lissa has created, a biochemical Spore War has wiped out the 20-60 year olds. All that are left are Starters (the youth of the nation) and the Enders (the elder generations, which can live to be well over 200 thanks to expanding technology.) There are two kinds of Starters, those claimed and those unclaimed. Callie is unclaimed. Both of her parents were killed off (or were they??? Gha I need to know!!) in the war and she is left to take care of her younger brother, Tyler, who is very sick. And living on the streets isn’t helping. With the help of Michael, her childhood friend, Calli and Tyler try to make the most of their life. But all Callie wants to do it provide a warm bed for Tyler. But as an unclaimed minor, who can’t work, it’s proven to be quite difficult. 

Until she hears of a company that is willing to pay a lot of money for their clients. Prime Destination is a young company that offers Enders the chance to be young again, to relive the days of their youth, by renting out Starter’s bodies. With a simple chip inserted into your brain, you form a connection that allows you to control your Starter. 

Unsure of the risk, but desperate for money and to have a better life for her brother, Callie signs up. But she gets more than she bargained for when her Ender has a plan to take down Prime, and plans to use Callie as her assassin. 

Callie doesn’t want to get involved with Helena’s (her Ender renter) plans to take out the head of Prime. Until she discovers that Prime has alterative motives, turning renting into buying. 

I had to shoot, but I didn’t want to. I imagined the bullet piercing flesh, ripping it apart, the skin curling back in flowerpetal shapes as blood spurted like a fountain, flooding the room. My finger quivered, and pulled. It was like I was trying to let go, let the trigger come back to position, but of course that didn’t work, so I shot him. I guess I did want to. The gun went off with a high, tinny pop. At the same time, or maybe sooner, I'm not sure, Blake went flying over to his grandfather, pushing him hard. ~p. 246 

This was such an original story and something that you can think might truly happen!! Which is scary!!! I really enjoyed this book. I really loved that it focused on two age groups that aren’t in the spotlight on very often, the elderly and the youth! I have a soft spot for the elderly population and I know all to well how they love to be young again. I think this population sometimes gets forgotten because of their age. But you have to remember that they were once teenagers, and were crazy and just because you get older doesn’t mean that changes. 

Even though this book is pure sci-fi and dystopian, it’s a romance at heart. Of course there are cute boys in it (yes I made it plural, there is indeed a love triangle in there, but its still in the infant stages of development, and I hope that in Enders I grows into a hormone riddle teenager!!!) and this is a wonderful chance for Callie to discover all about the love that the world has to offer! But there is also an undying loving relationship between Callie and her brother. And that is where this book sparkles (aside from the SUPER shiny cover!) 

My brain, no less. Probably my favorite body part. No one ever complained about a fat brain. No one ever accused their brain of being too short or too tall, too wide or too narrow. Or ugly. It either worked of it didn’t, and mine worked just fine. I prayed it still would after the surgery. ~pg 39 

Callie is willing to lay down her life for her brother and their relationship is just specular! It warms your heart and is the driving force behind my need to make sure Callie lives! 

He had the face of a gloating astronaut who has lost his tether and had only one chance to grab a lifeline or forever drift away into endless black. I knew that feeling, the sense of panic that stretched time, turning seconds into years, and the deep pain that came from being hurt by not one person but many, a gang of bullies that expanded into a neighborhood and then into a community, until you questioned the whole world. And your last thought, as you stretch your arm until your fingers are inches from that lifeline, is how if you survive, you’ll find a way to help fix what was broken, so you can say that yes, you want to be part of the world again. ~p. 335 

Starters is a highly addictive, and tantalizing unique take on a dystopian world that leaves your heart racing and your fingers itching to turn the pages. Starters plays the game, “Just one more chapter” so damn well you will loose sleep wondering how will Callie get out of the craziness that keeps happening to her. Starters is such a fast pace action packed book, it will leave your head spinning and your heart aching! And as always, leave you wanting more more more!!!! 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money was exchanged for this review.