Title: Starters (Enders #1)Author: Lissa Price
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blurb: 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. . . .
Review: Alright, where to start... I'll be honest to say that the cover page of Starters pulled me in more than the description. The little blurb on the back was interesting, but I couldn't find anything unique about it. I mean, I can't number the times I've read about a post-something story where the main characters are on the streets (OK, maybe not that many books, but the idea just doesn't fascinate me as it did the first time). So honestly, I didn't have great expectations for this book. I had hope, but I have that for most books, or else I wouldn't try them.
OK, I'm boring you. So let me cut to the chase. The thing I really loved about this story was the suspense. Lissa Price did a good job staying away from a predictable conclusion, and that basically kept me from putting the book down. I wanted to know what all the hubbub was about, and along with an unpredictable conclusion, there was a good pace, whereas things weren't too slow, or too fast. As the story played on, the characters were nicely built on. We get to know more about them and for me, the relations became very important, and fascinating.
I'm not just talking about the romance, there was a bit of that (not a whole lot), but Callie, the main character, and her relations with the people she meets and her renter. In the beginning the reader doesn't know who Callie will be able to trust, and who she can't. Even when the good guys are brought into the light, things end up being different, and here's why:
The whole story revolves around young people renting their bodies to old people, Enders, allowing them to do whatever with that body. So if this is the case, than how can you tell who is really who they say they are... are you guys getting me? Oh, the suspense!
Another thing that I loved was the whole idea of young people renting their bodies. Throughout the book, this idea becomes scarier and scarier, and you start to want the main character to overcome this scary reality, and when good things do start to happen, the relief that follows is very strong. I loved how Lissa Price was able to play with out emotions like that.
Finally, let me say a word or two about the romance: Team Michael. There you go folks, you heard it here first. Now go try the book out, it's as good as it's cover! Better!
