Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:

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. . . .


This was a book that I saw on NetGalley and got super-excited to read.  I love nothing more than a creepy dystopian novel, and this one fit the bill!  While it's exploration of society's obsession with youth was interesting, the overall book was a little bit underwhelming.


Personally, I felt that the characters were where this book fell a bit short.  Callie, the protagonist, was entertaining and believable as the narrator, but just didn't strike me as original.  I would have loved to see a bit of an "edge" to her, rather than just carrying the flag for her brother and the good of all youth.  Similarly, the love interest, Blake, was ... blah.  Cute, rich... ehhhhh.  I just wanted a bit more, and it wasn't delivered.  I honestly found myself not caring whether the two of them ended up together, which is never a good sign.  The characters I did love, however, were the various "enders" who were renting youthful bodies.  Their obsession with "living a youthful fantasy" did lead to some chuckle-worthy moments.


The plot in this book was exciting and engaging, but felt a bit too fast-paced.  Perhaps the event-driven plot was why there was so little character development.  I felt like I barely had time to breathe before the next car chase, explosion, or spy mission happened.  While fun to read, it left some holes in other areas which, unfilled, made the whole novel fall a little flat.  However, the ending was AWESOME, and left a cliffhanger that I am eager to see play out!


Content-wise, there is nothing with which a teacher should be concerned.  And honestly, the above whining is just because I am an overly picky reader.  I think the fast pace of the book, easy to understand characters, and suitably creepy premise would all hook my readers.  Plus, who doesn't love an attractive and shiny cover?


Overall, though perhaps not my favorite book, I will be happy to recommend it to my students.  It is the perfect quick read, and potentially a good "starter" for those new to dystopian fiction (couldn't resist a pun... :).