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Starters (Starters and Enders #1)

by Lissa Price (Goodreads Author), Birgit Reß-Bohusch (Translator)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 10,327 ratings · 1,914 reviews

Nach einer unvorstellbaren Katastrophe gibt es nur noch sehr alte und junge Menschen. Mittellos kämpfen die 16-jährige Callie und ihr kleiner Bruder auf der Straße ums Überleben. Callie entschließt sich daher zu dem Undenkbaren: Sie verleiht ihren Körper an einen alten Menschen, dessen Bewusstsein übernimmt ihren Körper und kann so wieder jung sein. Doch alles verläuft and...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published March 12th 2012 by IVI

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Mar 01, 2012 Phoebe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: intergalactic-academy-reviews, sci-fi, young-adult

Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Starters is Lissa Price’s debut, and it opens with one of my favorite conceits in near-future sci-fi: the evil corporation. I was particularly fond of the eerie dream-destroying company of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (less enamored of the one that appeared in Dollhouse, though I thought it was, perhaps, that franchise’s strongest feature), and was excited to see a similar trope employed here. Teen Callie visits a clean, stylish office to offer...more Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Starters is Lissa Price’s debut, and it opens with one of my favorite conceits in near-future sci-fi: the evil corporation. I was particularly fond of the eerie dream-destroying company of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (less enamored of the one that appeared in Dollhouse, though I thought it was, perhaps, that franchise’s strongest feature), and was excited to see a similar trope employed here. Teen Callie visits a clean, stylish office to offer herself up for sale. In a universe where everyone is either very young, or very old, Prime Destinations offers the oldest residents the chance to borrow a young body for a few hours, and Callie intends to to lend hers out for a ride or three.

She’s seeking this opportunity because she and her brother and her sort-of-boyfriend live in abject poverty, squatting in a building where they must fight off bands of rogue teenagers. Our first glimpse at Callie’s home life provided my own first taste of trouble with this novel. The prose up until this point had been rosy and simplistic. It remained so even when describing her younger brother’s crippling health problems. These scenes seemed to lack a certain necessary gravity. They felt like fluff, even when describing some very heavy subject matter.

Callie’s childish tone continued to pose a problem for me throughout the book, and the simplicity contained therein would be repeated in worldbuilding as the story unfolded. Callie’s body is lent out twice. The third time, she abruptly wakes up in the middle of one of her body’s outings. Finding herself in a club filled with old people who are inhabiting young people’s bodies, Callie begins to ask questions of those around her. We get our first taste of the wider world of Starters, and a disappointing world it is.

This is a universe where, because of vaccine scarcity (a vaguely plausible excuse, though not perfectly executed in the particulars) everyone is either very old or very young. Further, the elderly now live and work until they are two hundred years or older. This could have introduced captivating changes to society. Given a new lease on life–increased mobility and a chance to see one’s golden years unfold for twice the normal length of time–how would a population react?

Like stereotypes, that’s how. It’s not just that most of the old people here are villains, though the assumption that teenagers would be okay with such ageism unsettled me somewhat. It’s that these characters are far less interesting than what we’d see on Golden Girls. Theirs is a culture that only goes so deep as games of bridge (what, no bingo?!) and nagging their grandchildren. I got the impression that Price was simply not interested in exploring anything deeper here. If she was, she didn’t show it, instead spending most of her time on a half-baked sort-of-pre-murder mystery or with scenes that seemed to mimic other dystopian titles.

There are some bright spots: the ultimate villain is undeniably creepy; the book moves quickly, propelled by Callie’s young and chatty narration. But it’s just not a very deep novel. It’s not as if a book can’t be both playful and complex. Megan McCafferty’s Bumped, for example, is a tongue-in-cheek social satire which successfully explores meaningful ethical questions–all without losing its sense of humor. Meanwhile, Starters succeeds in the fun department, but it fails to do anything more. (less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-publication, dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, young-adult, read-2012, action-packed, inexplicably-violent, sci-fi-or-futuristic, march, rh

This was pretty entertaining, if a bit sketchy on some of the details. Still, there's a very interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming! And I will definitely be reading the sequel. Review to come.

30 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-expectations, dystopia-utopia, favorites, books-i-own, wish-i-wrote, men-i-would-marry, favorite-lead-character, best-heroine-ever, love-triangle, young-adult, cover-love, romance, read-in-english, sci-fi

Wow, I had high expectations about this book, so i thought I'd get disappointed.. But no. I loved it. It's a YA book in all its splendour; and the best thing is that the romance in this book is not the main subject. I can say that I look forward to reading the next book.

First of all Callie is a nice character, not the I'm-so-annoying-main-character we've all read about. Second, Michael is handsome, sweet and he is her best friend (Never saw it coming right?) and third, Blake is the super-smokin...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Thien Thanh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: summer-reading-2012, 2012, im-a-book-worm, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

17 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Reynje rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-egalley, e-book-kindle, dystopia, read-2012, welcome-to-the-apocalypse, young-adult, saw-it-coming

2.5 stars

The description of Starters immediately snagged my attention: teenage donor bodies, elderly renters, a vaguely sinister business commercialising on desperation, poverty and the allure of eternal youth for hire.

I think it’s a strong idea and ripe for ethical discussion, in this case examined through the lens of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian world where the fallout from biological (I assume) warfare has rendered life precious, and youth a commodity. The balance of power has been drastical...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

corrected for spelling error (that was nicely pointed out to me... thank you!!)

I had issues with this book. Sometimes I can get into the story, the characters, and overlook the issues with the world building. This was not one of them. I tried. I really did. But yes, it is another review full of ???????

THE WAR

Why was there a war?

What kind of spores were put in the missiles?

What kind of missiles were used? It couldn’t be one with an explosive head since spores are vulnerable to heat and explosio...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Amy or "Ames" rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of TV's Dollhouse

Shelves: futuristic, dystopian-or-post-apocalyptic, young-adult, netgalley, arc, 1st-in-series, read-in-2012, sci-fi, kindle-other-sources, free-read, series-abandoned

A super strong beginning with a premise similar to TV’s Dollhouse which although interesting threw up more questions than answers.

Starters puts the spotlight on a section of society which is sometimes overlooked or given the least respect but which will in future be the most powerful: the old. One day there will be fewer young people to support the ever-increasing number of elderly citizens, and here we can see how things could change in their favour.

Starters are under 19 years of age, those jus...more

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May 09, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, dystopian, post-apocalyptic

In a dystopian society where a so-called ‘Spore Wars’ have wiped out all those aged between 20 and 60, Callie, our main character, is forced to turn to Prime Destinations, a facility in which teen bodies are ‘rented out’ for the elderly population. With no living Enders (those aged above 60) to claim for her and her sick brother Tyler, Callie makes a bold decision in an attempt to depart the life of squatting and scavenging. Leaving Tyler in the care of her friend Michael, she prepares for the u...more In a dystopian society where a so-called ‘Spore Wars’ have wiped out all those aged between 20 and 60, Callie, our main character, is forced to turn to Prime Destinations, a facility in which teen bodies are ‘rented out’ for the elderly population. With no living Enders (those aged above 60) to claim for her and her sick brother Tyler, Callie makes a bold decision in an attempt to depart the life of squatting and scavenging. Leaving Tyler in the care of her friend Michael, she prepares for the unbearable – shutting down for a month while an Ender takes full control of her body. What Callie isn’t prepared for is a glitch in the system. Waking up to find her body living a rich and alien life and having no idea of what went wrong at Prime Destinations, she soon finds herself in the middle of something much greater and more significant than she had bargained for...

With a premise so riveting, it was difficult not to expect excellent things from this book. Admittedly, the mixed reviews dampened my enthusiasm a little, but the bar was still set high for Starters and I was determined to enjoy it. And enjoy it, I did – sort of. While the world-building was mostly mesmerizing (with the exception of a few aspects), and the plot was fairly engaging, everything else fell flat and failed to meet my high expectations. Callie for instance, was distant and indistinguishable from the typical main characters in average young adult reads. I neither liked nor hated her. I was indifferent to her, and for that reason, there was very little emotional investment from me as a reader.

What I did appreciate was the start and end of this book. The opening was gripping and instantly weaved together a picture of the setting and the state of society in Callie’s world. The writing was easy and comfortably paced, and it didn’t take long at all for me to declare myself hooked to the story. It was intriguing to find out about Prime Destinations and the process by which a body is prepared for rental, including the pre-rental makeover. After all, if you were 150 years of age and shamelessly looking to borrow a younger and fitter body to wear, you would want to get your money’s worth and also look beautiful, right? It’s a scary thought – leaving your body behind while you float off to god knows where and having no control or awareness of what you are doing. I was entranced by Lissa Price’s world, but, unfortunately, this was momentary as the story soon appeared to be running in slow motion.

Detail doesn’t hurt. Yes, I am forever complaining of drifting off when there is too much detail in a book, but that is when detail is unnecessary. In Starters, I wanted a better understanding of the Spore Wars and hope that is something the sequel will bring us. I also wanted to know more about Tyler and Michael – two characters I felt were cheated out of screen time. Both appealed to me almost instantly and, surprisingly given the limited presence they had in the book, both appealed to me a great deal more than Callie and any other character. Again, a better chance for the reader to appreciate the relationship between Callie and Michael and Callie and Tyler is something I hope the sequel will deliver on, though this is personal preference.

Although the middle fell flat and dragged occasionally, once I entered the last quarter or so of the book, the story transformed into something fully entrancing and impossible to draw away from. With action and plot twists I would never have imagined, the ending of the book has most definitely got to be my favorite part. I only wish the rest of the book had as much spark. Regardless, that ending has secured the fate of this series and I will definitely be reading book two once it is released. It makes enduring the duller parts of this story worthwhile which is why I still recommend giving this a try.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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Jul 08, 2012 Jop rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jop by: http://www.lissaprice.com/?page_id=295

Really looking forward to this book. Think it will be a real page turner!!
A Very Striking Book Cover!!
Update- Was not disappointed after having read this terrific novel. Kept me captivated from start to finish and was difficult to put down. Full of interesting twists and turns with a very surprising ending that has me highly anticipating Enders, the second book in the series. Definitely recommended!!

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Mar 23, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-2012, annoying-love-triangle, netgalley, post-apocalyptic, ya, totally-saw-that-coming, reviewed-in-2012

During the Spore Wars, genocide spores killed every person between twenty and sixty years of age, thus reducing the population to Starters and Enders, those who were once most vulnerable. Since Callie and her baby brother Tyler have no living grandparents or any other family older than sixty, they are now unclaimed and squatting in a ruined building, together with many others. The only way for an unclaimed teen to earn some money is to rent their body for a month or more to an Elder through a co...more During the Spore Wars, genocide spores killed every person between twenty and sixty years of age, thus reducing the population to Starters and Enders, those who were once most vulnerable. Since Callie and her baby brother Tyler have no living grandparents or any other family older than sixty, they are now unclaimed and squatting in a ruined building, together with many others. The only way for an unclaimed teen to earn some money is to rent their body for a month or more to an Elder through a company named Prime Destinations. With a sick brother and no place to go, Callie is forced to do just that. But her renter isn’t just an old lady looking to have some fun in a young body. She is on a mission to destroy Prime Destinations and Callie has no choice but to get involved.

Based on the reviews I’ve read so far, most people had issues with Price’s worldbuilding. I didn’t. Wiping out the entire population between twenty and sixty is, admittedly, a bold move, but if an outbreak were to happen, something similar to the described Spore Wars, we probably would inoculate children and old people first. What I found harder to believe was that the society would so easily discard unclaimed minors (children with no grandparents or guardians). If all you had were old people and kids, you’d first ensure the survival of your species by taking care of those who can actually reproduce.

The process of renting out teenage bodies to old people reminded me a little of that horrible movie Surrogates with Bruce Willis and that blonde actress whose name I always forget. (It’s Radha Mitchell, I googled her. If you ask me in five minutes, I probably won’t be able to remember.) It took a while for me to think of the movie because, up until that point, I had been doing my damndest to forget I ever even saw it. It wasn’t until I remembered it that I realized that Price hasn’t given us enough information on what happens to Elders’ bodies while they’re renting a teen. I can believe that they would stay in a chair connected to tubes and wires and surrounded by nurses for a week, but how exactly would that work long term? When they started talking about a permanent arrangement, I got a mental image of an old, wrinkled body rotting and melting in a chair. I’ll probably need to wash my brain with soap… again.

However, I think Callie was the source of most of my problems with Starters. Everything she did, from going into Prime Destinations, renting her body for a limited time, to helping Helena fight the Old Man and the Senator, seemed entirely selfless. And yet I never believed her. It seemed awfully convenient that she would have a sick baby brother to take care of, thus making Prime Destinations her only viable option. Perhaps I’d have been more comfortable with that if Price chose to explore their relationship a little bit more. I simply wasn’t as emotionally invested as I should have been and I felt that first Michael, and later a complete stranger, were doing a much better job of taking care of Callie’s brother than Callie ever did.

Starters was focused more on the technical, and less on the emotional side of the story which rarely works for me. However, I have many friends who enjoyed this book. If you’re into dystopias with sci-fi elements, I say go for it. Despite the issues I’ve mentioned (which may not even be issues for some), Starters is a solidly written and action-packed novel that will surely have a lot of fans.

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
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Mar 06, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

First I have to say how surprised I was to see this cover in real life. It's such a reflective shiny silver/white that you can see yourself in it. I mean look at it -I love it!

Inside this flashy cover, Lissa Price has written a fun, original dystopian that reminded me a bit of The Host (one of my favorite books ever), and even though the world itself could use more details, the story is highly entertaining.

After a war that only left children and seniors alive, Callie, orphaned, has decided to donate her body for a few weeks so she can get enough money to save her brother. As you can guess, things go wrong, and Callie ends up living someone else's life. This premise enticed me the second I started reading, in addition to its fast pace that turns it highly addictive. Every chapter ends with such intrigue that you just. Can't. Stop. It's also full of suspense, as you never know when Callie will lose her body to her renter again, for how long, and worst of all - what she will be doing with it. One thing I would have liked, would be to have gotten more background details on the world itself; how exactly it managed to get to this point. As well as a bigger picture on the current civilization - or lack thereof. The story is so engaging, though, that I only cared about these sketchy details after the fact. My advice - just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Callie's voice captivated me from the start. She's tough and everything she's doing is for her brother. It's easy to ache for the loss of their world- being thrown from a normal loving family, a great comfortable life, into this unfortunate dystopian future. I loved how Callie handled herself in situations; always thinking on her feet but staying smart. I really had no problems connecting with her. The story mainly focuses on her, but there are a few interesting side characters to fill in the space that I'm hoping to get to know better in the upcoming books. There is also no big love story in this novel, however we still get to enjoy a fun romance that is sure to catch everyone's attention. Especially with the fascinating twists that I never saw coming.

The twists- they're plentiful. The secrets- even moreso. There is not a page in this book that didn't have me pining for answers: Trying to figure out what exactly was happening; what these people really have planned; and the most intriguing - who is this Old Man? The man who's face NO one ever saw. Who seems to be involved with everything, and everyone. The man who knows all the tricks, and he's not afraid to use them! At last, the book ends with a bang!

Combining mystery and excitement, Starters is a vacation from reality that will leave you captivated through to the end. With the amount I've read, I'm surprised how dystopians keep being so interesting as well as original. Starters is definitely on my list of recommended, and I hope it makes it on yours too!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads (less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Della rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Starters is a futuristic novel in which the world only has kids, teens, and senior citizens. The Starters are the kids and teens, and the enders are the senior citizens. The government developed a vaccine for a particular kind of germ warfare that would probably be used on their people. There weren’t enough vaccines for everyone so they started with the weak. They vaccinated the young and the old first and left the others until last. Before the others could be vaccinated however, the bomb goes o...more
Starters is a futuristic novel in which the world only has kids, teens, and senior citizens. The Starters are the kids and teens, and the enders are the senior citizens. The government developed a vaccine for a particular kind of germ warfare that would probably be used on their people. There weren’t enough vaccines for everyone so they started with the weak. They vaccinated the young and the old first and left the others until last. Before the others could be vaccinated however, the bomb goes off and wipes out anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated, which is pretty much any adult between the ages of 18 and 70. In Starters, we meet Callie and her little brother Tyler. They are both on the run and squatting in houses that have been abandoned. There are two choices for ‘unclaimed’ children such as Callie and Tyler who have no living family: they can live on the streets, or if they are caught they are institutionalized and used as slaves, though they aren’t called that. They never have enough to eat, never get enough clean water and Tyler, who had health problems before the bomb, is getting worse.

Callie is sixteen and hears about a new procedure that guarantees fast money with no consequences. She leaves Tyler with her best friend Michael and goes to check it out. It’s called Prime Destinations and it is a way for the very old senior citizens to ‘rent’ the bodies of the teens and use them for a period of time to have fun. They offer Callie lots of money and initially, she refuses. When she returns to her brother, his illness has gotten worse and that night their safe house is raided by the wardens. They barely escape. This pushes Callie to accept the offer at Prime Destinations. To begin with, things go smoothly and it seems that Callie will be finished and have her money soon. Then Callie finds out that she has to let someone live in her body for an extended period of time, a month, and Callie balks at the idea. Prime Destinations has her signed contract and she’s trapped and forced into it. After a couple of weeks into the rental there’s a problem. Callie wakes up, in her own body, even though she’s supposed to still be unconscious and the ‘renter’ is supposed to be in control; from there things get complicated.

There are assassination attempts, political intrigue, murder, suspense, mystery, romance, and much more. Prime Destinations has plans for the Starters and for Callie.
Starters was impossible to put down and if I could have read it in one sitting I would have. This one is going to be very popular and I think it’ll be a great series. It ended on a huge cliff hanger, and I can’t wait for the next one. This one is a 5 out of 5 and all public libraries should get it.
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Jan 14, 2013 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starters by Lissa Price
Review by Kara Grant
Here is a link to an interview Lissa provided from last year to give a preview of Starters: http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/...

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...more

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Apr 06, 2012 John Dixon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What if you could rent your body -- basically go to sleep for a day or a week, while another person's consciousness "lived" inside of your body, skiing, skydiving, or skipping through fields -- for big, big bucks? No way, right? What a creepy thought...

Well, what if your parents were dead and your little brother was sick... really, really sick, and the only way to save him was go on into Prime Destinations and rent yourself out to a stranger?

That's the basic premise behind Lissa Price's fantasti...more

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Mar 11, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, sci-fi, ya, dystopian

Straight up, you can’t trust the elderly, this is an important life lesson I learned from Lissa Price’s exciting debut Starters. Like, I hate to compare books, but I feel like Starters might be 2012′s Divergent. The two books aren’t alike plot wise, but they both have that up all night quality. I mean, I read Starters mostly during the week and was ITCHING to get out of work so I could read more of it.
Read the rest of my review here

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May 21, 2013 Jacquy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Inhalt: Nach dem Krieg leben nur noch junge und sehr alte Menschen. Die alten Enders sind ausnahmslos reich, während die Starters ohne Angehörige auf der Straße ums Überleben kämpfen. Um sich für kurze Zeit wieder jung zu fühlen, können die Enders die Körper der Starters für kurze Zeit mieten. Dabei kommt es den Starters so vor, als würden sie schlafen, während die Enders deren Körper übernehmen.
Callie meldet sich bei der Body Bank an, um ihren kleinen Bruder vor dem Verhungern zu retten. Irgend...more Inhalt: Nach dem Krieg leben nur noch junge und sehr alte Menschen. Die alten Enders sind ausnahmslos reich, während die Starters ohne Angehörige auf der Straße ums Überleben kämpfen. Um sich für kurze Zeit wieder jung zu fühlen, können die Enders die Körper der Starters für kurze Zeit mieten. Dabei kommt es den Starters so vor, als würden sie schlafen, während die Enders deren Körper übernehmen.
Callie meldet sich bei der Body Bank an, um ihren kleinen Bruder vor dem Verhungern zu retten. Irgendetwas geht jedoch schief und Callie bleibt, anders als es geplant war, in ihrem Körper. Dabei wird sie in das gefährliche Vorhaben ihrer Mieterin verstrickt.

Meinung:
Zugegeben: Die Grundidee kam mir bekannt vor. In „Seelen“ von Stephenie Meyer stecken auch, mehr oder weniger, zwei Menschen in einem Körper, obwohl das nicht hätte passieren dürfen. Was Ms. Price daraus gemacht hat, ist aber was ganz anderes.
Zum einen können die beiden Personen meistens nicht miteinander kommunizieren. Zum anderen ist immer nur eine Person „anwesend“ und hat Kontrolle über den Körper, wobei sich die beiden aber abwechseln.

Das Unternehmen, das den Enders ermöglicht, die Körper der Starters zu mieten, heißt „Prime Destinations“. Helena, die Mieterin von Callies Körper, meint, etwas über Prime Destinations zu wissen, was niemand sonst weiß und was unbedingt verhindert werden muss. Für dieses Vorhaben hat sie Callies Körper gemietet. Sie kann jedoch nicht zulassen, dass Helenas Plan durchgesetzt wird – immerhin ist es immer noch ihr Körper und sie sollte darüber entscheiden können, was mit ihm passiert.

Das Buch hat mich von Anfang an fasziniert. Schon das Cover sieht ziemlich mysteriös aus, auch wenn es sehr schlicht ist. Man weiß nicht genau, worum es eigentlich geht und der Klappentext macht total neugierig.

Das Buch startet damit, dass Callie auf dem Weg zur Body Bank ist. Was das überhaupt ist und was sie dort vor hat, erfährt man erst später. Nach und nach werden zwischen den aktuellen Ereignissen Dinge aus der Vergangenheit erklärt, so dass sich alles Stück für Stück zusammensetzt.

Nach ungefähr der Hälfte des Buches dachte ich mir, dass es theoretisch zu Ende sein müsste, weil ich mir nicht vorstellen konnte, was noch passieren kann. Dann kam es zu einer Wende, die mich in die zweite Hälfte des Buches gebracht und nicht mehr losgelassen hat.

Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite war ich gefesselt von der Geschichte. Ich weiß nicht genau was es ist, aber irgendetwas hat dieses Buch an sich, was es mir fast unmöglich gemacht hat, es aus der Hand zu legen.

Charaktere:
Callie ist eine sympathische Hauptperson mit nachvollziehbaren Handlungen. Manchmal reagiert sie ziemlich überstürzt, aber niemand ist perfekt. ;-)
Sie war natürlich ziemlich verwirrt, als sie plötzlich in ihrem Körper wieder aufgewacht ist und sich außerhalb der Body Bank befand, aber sie fing sich schnell wieder und hat sich ihrer Rolle angepasst. Hätte sie das nicht getan, hätte man ihr Vertragsbruch vorgeworfen und sie wäre nicht bezahlt worden. Sie wird in eine ziemlich große und gefährliche Sache verstrickt und das alles nur, um ihrem kleinen Bruder zu helfen.

Fazit:
Dieses Buch habe ich regelrecht verschlungen. Es ist von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite spannend und ich warte jetzt schon sehnsüchtig auf den 2. Band.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Kali rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia-postapoc-apoc, won-traded-gifted, own, favourite-young-adults, fantasy, science-fiction, 2012-favs

This book is amazing! I read it in one sitting through the noise of screaming children playing, so you know it had to be good to keep me from being distracted and into the story! ^_^

I really loved every character in the book. I loved the Enders that Callie "befriends" as "Helena". I loved Blake. (view spoiler) Blake is a 'real teen' that Callie befriends while she is still in her rental perio...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Maiko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm counting down the days until the official book release comes. I don't often read books for fun except for physical therapy textbooks or journal articles, or quality books like Harry Potter, but this one I wanted to see the rest of the book (I am so fortunate to get my hands on the chapter sampler). Right away on the first page, there were so many intriguing information that kept me turning the pages. People are living far longer than the current period. There is snazzy technology described t...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Colleen Houck added it · review of another edition

Wow! So loved the premise of this book! Creepy and fantastic. My favorite part was the end when she learned...Ha you thought I was gonna share a spoiler. Nope. But still loved the end! Who knew grandmas and grandpas could be so evil! There was some really cool forward thinking technology in here. If you didn't notice it skim through it again because it was really brilliant.

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Jan 28, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starters is another book in the YA Dystopian genre. I thought Starters started out well, but then the story line just had me asking too many questions. There were too many things that I just didn't get. With a lot of the dystopian novels there are certain world-building aspects that may be a little odd or unrealistic that you just have to accept before you can enjoy the novel. The key is whether you can move past it or not. For example, with Matched or Delirium, I find it unlikely that Society w...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Katie Ellis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good book is hard to come by. After my friend's high praise and insistence that I read this book I thought to myself WHY NOT?

The beginning reminded me of The Host (Stephanie Meyer), that's what made me want to read on. I was a little annoyed with how she would go into detail of what she had for breakfast that morning. She got her bowl out of the cupboard, poured in the milk. That sort of thing. Why do I need to know that?

Despite all that, what intrigued me most about this book was the whole R...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Obviously, I was looking forward to Starters, because it includes the magic word in its description: dystopia. However, I wasn't nearly as pumped about it as about a lot of others (The Selection for example. Why? Because the cover seriously gives me the heebie jeebies! Most dystopias go for the gorgeous covers to lure the reader in, but they definitely didn't here, even though they could have justifiably. I admire that they did their own thing here, but I still don't want to stare at this cover...more Obviously, I was looking forward to Starters, because it includes the magic word in its description: dystopia. However, I wasn't nearly as pumped about it as about a lot of others (The Selection for example. Why? Because the cover seriously gives me the heebie jeebies! Most dystopias go for the gorgeous covers to lure the reader in, but they definitely didn't here, even though they could have justifiably. I admire that they did their own thing here, but I still don't want to stare at this cover for too long!

Starters grabbed me from the very beginning. From the first words, both Callie and the society she's living in come alive. Callie is an amazing narrator, strong and sassy, even when completely at wit's end. Actually, all of the characters are incredibly awesome, full of depth and personality. I really like Blake, but, hey, I also love Michael. Heck, I even like Tyler, and I don't usually much like moppets.

When I first read the description above, I already knew that the book was about old people (Enders) borrowing the bodies of young people (Starters), so I was really confused about the whole Spore Wars business. I was worried it might be overkill; some dystopias try to make everything that can possibly go wrong all happen all at once, which can end up just being ridiculous. Anyway, Price builds a firm foundation for her world of Enders and Starters with the Spore Wars. Excellent world building! The one thing I would really like to know more about in particular is how the Enders are able to live so long, and also how the society still functions the same with so many people gone.

I find it really comforting that, despite the sheer mass of dystopian novels, with more on the way, authors can still find new, astounding things to do with the genre. Although Starters can definitely be compared to some other dystopian titles (Unwind for example), it definitely stands on its own two metaphorical feet as something unique. Her story is in no way just a reimagining of something extant or an awkward mishmash of several other dystopias (which Matched sort of was).

Even though I guessed some of the ending, I still loved it. Price didn't go for the easy cliffhanger; there's a resolution of sorts, although obviously there's still more to be done. Usually, a book is less fun if you figure out a twist early on, but I actually liked Starters more because of it, because the reason that I knew is that Price hid a clue. I love finding the one hint; it makes me feel so smart.

I think I may just have found a new favorite dystopia and possible new favorite author. My ARC informs me that Enders will come out in Winter 2011, but I'm assuming they meant 2012, haha. CANNOT WAIT. Okay, I should officially have been asleep for about a half hour now, but I just had to finish reading this. If you like dystopias, get this now. Actually, if you like good books of any sort get this now!(less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Jennifer Rinehart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to harsh on a book you don't like than it is to write something nice about one you love?

I'm not even sure where to start with this one. I'm a third of the way through and so far, I love it! Have to get back and finish it.

Update:
I'm done and feeling a bit deflated. This book was so good, so exciting, so fun, that once I started turning the pages of the last few chapters I made myself slow down, I tried to really savor each moment, but there was so much...more Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to harsh on a book you don't like than it is to write something nice about one you love?

I'm not even sure where to start with this one. I'm a third of the way through and so far, I love it! Have to get back and finish it.

Update:
I'm done and feeling a bit deflated. This book was so good, so exciting, so fun, that once I started turning the pages of the last few chapters I made myself slow down, I tried to really savor each moment, but there was so much going on and the ending was such a surprise that I read the last line with shock and disbelief, bummed it was over so soon and happy that the ending wasn't what I thought it would be (I love a surprise).

First off, I'm a sucker for quick starts. This book starts with a bang as Callie enters the posh, beautiful lobby of Prime Destinations to find out how much money she can get for renting her body. Yep, I did just say 'renting her body.' Callie's parents are dead and her little brother is ill, partly from living in such poor conditions with a lack of adequate food and water and she finds out from Prime destinations that just one month of her life could change their lives forever. Enough money for good food and a warm, dry and clean place to live. Enough money to move away from the street gangs. For Callie, there isn't much of a choice, rent her body or starvation.

But the trade off, letting some old lady use her body, well, it's not only terrifying but completely repulsive.

Now, I'm not going to summarize anything else about the story. To say that everything doesn't turn out the way Callie expected is an understatement. Her rental turns everything Callie knows about the world upside down and her life goes from hard, brutal and dangerous to downright hellish. But it's the way Callie reacts to the dangers that kept me up way past my bedtime. Callie is brave, but not foolish, she does what has to be done even when it is terrifying.

The evil characters in this book are beyond greedy and selfish, they truly do not see Callie or other young orphans in similar circumstances as less than human. They are merely tools to be used to achieve their evil ends. Coming face to face with this kind of character was a bit jarring in a teen book, but softening it would have come off weird.

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Mar 08, 2012 Von rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2012-releases, for-review, favorites

Firstly, I don’t know how to begin this review. I’m not even sure if this review can justify this amazing story of Starters. Starters is a story you really don’t read every day. It is a story like no other. I certainly did not expect that this book left me no choice but to devour it entirely in just a minimum amount of time.

The world of Starters was almost perfectly written. It was very well thought out. Price was creative enough to ever think a future more challenging, more engaging, more bleak...more Firstly, I don’t know how to begin this review. I’m not even sure if this review can justify this amazing story of Starters. Starters is a story you really don’t read every day. It is a story like no other. I certainly did not expect that this book left me no choice but to devour it entirely in just a minimum amount of time.

The world of Starters was almost perfectly written. It was very well thought out. Price was creative enough to ever think a future more challenging, more engaging, more bleak and definitely more spine-chilling than what I’d imagined it would be. I’ve read countless books that had the worst future ever thought. I thought dying in an arena full of murderers was worst. I thought being imprisoned in the darkest cell alone was worst. Then Lissa Price walked in and she just proved me wrong.

Callie’s character is one of the best that happened to this story. I totally loved her. I reckoned her for being a brave and strong heroine who never gives up just to protect her loved ones. She is a character that will stay in your mind long after you read this book. I had to admit that I did cry seeing the life Callie had together with her brother. She had no parents to rely on but thanks to Michael’s presence and care, who will soon be one of the guys that will contend for her love. Though, Michael’s character wasn’t given much attention because most of the romantic scenes were with Blake. And Blake is another character that would definitely make the girls go crazy.

I just have one issue on characters’ physical feature. They weren’t that defined. I was thinking that maybe Price was so caught up with the whole story that she hadn’t quite mapped it out. Still, I didn’t mind it for after all, Starters gave me an adventure worth reading.

Overall, I couldn’t believe that until now the scenes were still absolutely embedded into my system. Starters is definitely a riveting page-turner that had me squealing for Callie, crying for Callie, and telling her to run as fast as she could. This story was full of different unpredictable twists and tensions that you couldn’t imagine in real life.

Starters is an overwhelming, phenomenal book with unique blend of Dystopian and Science Fiction adding perfect amounts of mystery, suspense, mixed identities, and deceits that made the story more dramatic, more sinister, and more brilliant. This is the book that has it all. If only I could give Lissa Price a standing ovation, I’ll definitely do. Her debut novel just set the bar higher. I demand for the second novel now especially after I read the last three pages that left me hanging and wanting for more.

For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, get Starters and get started now! It’s totally a jaw-dropping ride! I do promise you that this book will really make your heart pump up more blood than ever. You will never ever be disappointed by Starters! You don’t get to meet a book like this!

--
Visit Mr. Book Wonder for more reviews.(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Suzanne Gates rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just read the chapter sampler and am completely engaged in the story. Actually, the first two or three lines in chapter 1 and I was hooked. The protagonist is a girl caught in a difficult situation and scrambling to save what family she has. She's doing it in a completely hostile world, with a few spectacular twists. What elevates this story is its take on the generation gap (and what a gap it is) and on the importance of staying compassionate in a world that has forgotten that children are ou...more I just read the chapter sampler and am completely engaged in the story. Actually, the first two or three lines in chapter 1 and I was hooked. The protagonist is a girl caught in a difficult situation and scrambling to save what family she has. She's doing it in a completely hostile world, with a few spectacular twists. What elevates this story is its take on the generation gap (and what a gap it is) and on the importance of staying compassionate in a world that has forgotten that children are our best hope for the future.

The story is a page-turner and I love that, of course, and I love the way I thought about complexities and issues, and continue to think about those issues, even though I've read just two chapters. I'm a teacher, and I can see this book being used in certain courses to discuss, for example, the long-range consequences of biological warfare, the differing perspectives of young people versus the very old, the consequences of forgetting what it's like to be young, how far one will go to attain beauty (or money), our changing views of family and of what one considers home, and the ultimate price we pay for technology.

I was reminded of My Fair Lady, of all things--the story of a dirty cockney girl who is cleaned up, taught, and manipulated by her mentor. The outcome in the musical is a love match, but in Starters the outcome is much darker. In my view, the best reason to read a dystopian novel is to see ourselves reflected in its contents, to be jolted out of "My Fair Lady" complacency, to be reminded that in our darkest hours we must be at our must humane (we certainly are at our most human during those times).

I was with my niece yesterday who of course was talking about the new Twilight movie, and I suffered the inanity of vampires. I imagined the discussions we will have after we both have read Starters, because I know when she reads this book she'll be like me: we'll have to keep talking about it, keep it alive, because this book will change us. It's a powerful story, and aren't these the ones we keep on our shelves? (less)

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Apr 25, 2013 King Reyes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 15, 2013 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anna, Lea

Dieses Buch ist wirklich einfach total toll! Ich mochte es echt von Anfang an, die Charaktere gefallen mir, die Geschichte gefällt mir und es ist so spannend. Als es zum Ende ging war ich ein bisschen enttäuscht weil ich dachte das Callie ihrer Beziehung aufgeben muss. Aber am Ende gab es noch einmal so einen Wendepunkt, es machte für mich das ganze Buch nur noch besser und ich kann es kaum abwarten bis endlich der nächste Teil veröffentlicht wird.

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Jul 15, 2012 Karen & Gerard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, survival, suspense, teens, thriller

Starters by Lissa Price is really, really good! WOW! You will meet Callie, a young girl whose parents are dead, and her 7-yr.-old brother, Tyler, is very sick. Her only hope to get money is to rent her body out to old people to use. She really doesn't want to do it but gives in to help her brother. Everything goes fine at first, but then takes a turn for the worse! I devoured this book in just two days; kept those pages turning to see what would happen next. Can't wait for the second book to com...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley

I’ll be frank. STARTERS came short of something I’d have probably enjoyed. It’s just that I had a so many issues with it. I’ve read so many books of world order altering diseases and the outcome that Callie’s world read similar to the lot of those. Add the fact that the characters could have been so much more; they had potential, but there’s potential unmet here because Callie and Michael and Blake and even Old Man never reached theirs.

Her potential lay in being strong and doing what needed to...more I’ll be frank. STARTERS came short of something I’d have probably enjoyed. It’s just that I had a so many issues with it. I’ve read so many books of world order altering diseases and the outcome that Callie’s world read similar to the lot of those. Add the fact that the characters could have been so much more; they had potential, but there’s potential unmet here because Callie and Michael and Blake and even Old Man never reached theirs.

Her potential lay in being strong and doing what needed to be done; the boys’ potential lay in being more than love interests. And finally, there’s The Old Man, (who IMO was the most interesting character,) little was said as to who he was and what drove him. But what’s worse is, in the final moments of the book, a touch creepy came out of nowhere. Things were not helped by them seeming stilted. Her interactions with Blake felt manufactured and out of nowhere. That they became special to each other is explained later on, but while it was happening, well, I will just say that it felt ‘off.’

I think I’d have liked it more if there were a greater sense of urgency as called for by the situation, but Callie’s reactions things just flowed along. The pacing is not helped by the sudden dumping of histories. I found it funny that a character just met could make an off hand lengthy explanation on the background of the chip, or even their own personal histories. Even the changes in location and people would have been interesting additions to this story, YET they still didn’t do anything for me: from slums to big mansions to institutions; from friendlies to renegades to Marshalls. Or Enders versus Starters? Ah! All those bits read interesting; it’s simply too bad that none of them were tackled in detail.

I suppose my biggest problem is there’s a lot going on but not that much detail. And while others still on the post apocalyptic, virus altered world kick will enjoy this, it just wasn’t for me. See for yourself though.

2/5
THANKS NETGALLEY

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Jan 14, 2013 Sudha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A different world. Old people rent kids bodies and the kids get money. Then a mix-up happens while Callie tries to save her brother. She also finds out about her fake friends. She thought she had a boyfriend, but... Her world has changed. A stunning two book series about a world of Starters and Enders after the happening of the Spore Wars.

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For those who read the story: Blake + Callie?	23	159	May 16, 2013 09:57am
Crazy for Young A...: Starters by Lissa Price → Start Date: April 13, 2013	20	18	Apr 16, 2013 03:01pm
Too Much (in a rip-off formulaic way) like Hunger Games?	10	97	Apr 03, 2013 06:59pm
Young Readers &am...: * BOM(1) - December 2012 - Starters by Lissa Price	3	20	Jan 13, 2013 10:31am
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About Lissa Price

Lissa Price’s debut novel STARTERS is an award-winning, international bestseller published in over thirty countries. Dean Koontz called this YA futuristic thriller “a smart, swift, inventive, altogether gripping story.” The LA Times said it is “Dystopian science-fiction at its best,” and “Readers who have been waiting for a worthy successor to ‘The Hunger Games’ will find it here.”

STARTERS was a...more

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Books by Lissa Price

Portrait of a Starter: An Unhidden Story (Starters and Enders, #0.5)

Portrait of a Marshal: The 2nd Unhidden Story (Starters and Enders, #1.25)

The 3rd Unhidden Story (Starters and Enders, #1.5)

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Quotes from Starters

“Did Cinderella ever consider fessing up to the prince, that night she was enjoying herself in the fancy ball gown? Did she even think of telling him, oh, by the way, Prince, the coach isn’t mine, I’m really a filthy little barefoot servant on borrowed time? No. She took her moment. And then went quietly away after midnight.” — 49 people liked it

“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 or it didn't, and mine worked just fine.” — 42 people liked it

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Starters (Starters and Enders #1)

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