This is a non-stop book - couldn’t put it down. If you liked the Hunger Games this may be another one for you to read. Can’t wait until Enders come out!

How weirdly amazing would it be to enter someone else's body and experience their daily life? Pretty cool huh? Well this book is just that. Callie, a sixteen year old girl, is an orphan, living, or rather squatting, with her younger brother Tyler, and her friend Michael. These three have to constantly move around deserted buildings due to marshals' searches. One day, Callie decides to rent out her body to an Ender in order to support Tyler, Michael and herself. What at first seems like a harmless and rewarding task becomes a frightful and life changing event, one filled with frustration, broken hearts and eventually, death. Callie must find a way to escape this horrific and frustrating nightmare and she will do everything in her power to find Tyler and make a good life for him, just like they used to have when their parents were still alive. Starters was such a unique and surprisingly well told story, one that I could hardly put down and one that I know I will never forget. I cannot wait until 'Enders' hits the book stands. Counting down the days until 12/04/12!

Starters takes place in a post-apocalyptic, futuristic, dystopian world where a large part of society has been affected by a biochemical war that killed everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. Starters are children under nineteen years of age, those just starting out in life, and Enders who are over the age of sixty-one. The bridge between poverty and wealth is vast and the Starters must work hard every day in order to survive. The story is told from the viewpoint of Callie Woodland who lives on the streets with her younger brother Tyler and friend, Michael. Against her better judgement, Callie turns to Prime Destinations to rent out her body so the rich and old can briefly experience virtual youth. However, what seems to be a painless means to gain money for a home and medical care for her brother goes astray when Callie wakes up in her renter’s life and finds out that Prime Destinations is not what it seems to be. Callie quickly finds out that her renter, Helena Winterhill, is planning to murder someone. Terrified, Callie pretends to be her renter to avoid suspicion in order to secure her payment, but also tries to escape Helena’s plan that would surely lead to her arrest and execution. Along the way, Callie finds herself developing a relationship with a handsome and cunning rich teen, Blake Harrison, who is the grandson of a senator. Time is of the essence and Callie soon finds herself being pulled deeper into Helena’s scheme. Under the bright façade of Prime Destinations lies a deeper world than Callie could have ever imagined. Will Callie find herself carrying out Helena’s plan or will she stand back and let the Enders of Prime Destinations win? Callie’s voice and strength captured me from the beginning. She has been thrown from living a normal life with her family into an unfortunate situation that she faces with great determination. Starters’ focus primarily is on Callie and Helena’s life, but not enough on the development of the other characters. I would have loved to have seen more of the Blake and the other renters. The beginning of Starters was gripping and emotional, but fell flat in the middle. However, what I did love was the ending. It took me completely by surprise and I was in shock at how much Callie was being played and monitored. Starters is fully entrancing and impossible to draw away from. The plot contains many twists and turns that reels you more deeply into the book and leaves you wondering will happen next. Enders, the second and final book in this enchanting series will hit bookstores December 11, 2012. Keep an eye out for it!

Are we all familiar with the awesomeness that is Total Recall? If not go out and rent it. We'll wait ... Ok now that we're all caught up, that excellent movie was based on an even more amazing book called We Will Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K Dick. That book is filled with awesome and cyber-punky action and Starters by Lissa Price reminded me of it in so many ways. This book is full of action right from the get go. It doesn't hold back - it just throws you right in. I loved it. It's been awhile since I've read a book that's had me right on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, waiting to see what happens next. The cover blurb compares this book to the Hunger Games. This drives me crazy. I don't know why there's this obsession with comparing everything to the Hunger Games when there's a more perfectly suited comparison. If you're looking for a real comparison think more Divergent. Starters has a more urban, action movie feel, rather than the dystopian feel of the Hunger Games. In addition to the action, this was also a really unique story. Has it just been me but has every YA sci-fi/dystopia felt incredibly similar lately? Well thankfully Starters was a breath of fresh air. The story wasn't predictable, and it held my attention from the beginning to end. Best of all I thought I had the big twist at the end all figured out and I was wrong. I know that probably sounds weird but I would much rather be surprised than be able to guess everything that was going to happen. Finally, I adored the main character, Callie. Mostly because she was so completely motivated by her love for her younger brother. Incredibly admirable. But I also loved her because she took action. She refused to let herself be a victim and didn't just let things happen to her. All of that equals a pretty boss young lady in my mind. This is a really fun book and if you're looking for an exciting read that really packs a punch this will be right up your alley. Perfect for fans of Divergent, The Maze Runner, Cory Doctorow, and young (or young at heart) Philip K Dick readers This and other reviews at Hooked on Books (http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com)

This was the kind of novel that kept me up late reading with a little book light because I just couldn't stand to put it down. There were many turns I didn't see coming, and a few I did, all together I was not at all expecting Starters to turn out the way it did. I read a lot of reviews before I decide to buy a book, the main complaint other people had with Starters was they felt it left a lot of questions unanswered. I didn't find this to be a problem being that the novel is written in first person and Callie doesn't know all the answers either. I am very excited for Enders to come out, and I hope you enjoy Starters as much as I did.

Starters by Lissa Price is a new story in the world of teen dystopian sci-fi that fascinates and terrifies all at the same time. Pit Callie against Katniss and I'd be hard pressed to guess which heroine would be victorious. Callie has lost her parents to The Spore Wars and is now an unclaimed minor. She is also responsible for her brother Tyler who is only 7 years old and ill. They live in a world of adults mostly over the age of 60, some who are as old as 200, called Enders and kids under 20 called Starters. Very few people between 20 and 60 (known as Middles) received the vaccine that Starters and Enders did. Running from the Marshalls and Unfriendlies, staying safe, warm and fed is difficult on top of all that Tyler needs medicine. What's a girl to do when she promised her father she'd look after her little brother? Callie looks into Prime Destinations as a way to make some money and possibly give them back a little bit of the life they were used to. What she discovers brings to mind the old adages 'Be careful what you wish for' and 'If it seems to good to be true, it probably is'. The Enders are 'renting' the bodies of Starters to feel young again but some young wealthy Starters have gone missing and their Grandparents are wondering why. Callie's journey to answer that question leads her on a thrilling ride that I guarantee you won't always be able to predict! The writing is vivid while the way the characters relate and interact with each other will alternately have you cheering, hoping and grinding your teeth in anger or disgust. If you are looking for an incredible gut-wrenching, page turning, twisty turny, didn't see that coming romantic adventure, what are you waiting for, you've found it in Starters. I can not wait to read Enders, though I guess I'll have to!

Starters is definitely a unique book. The idea of young adults renting out their bodies to seniors is both appalling and intriguing. The technology behind it, the reasoning. This sort of thing is reserved only for those that can afford it, and it's kept strictly under wraps from the general public. The old people keep getting older and richer while the young were just seen as nuisances. Why not put those useless but working bodies to use? Callie, having had to take care of her brother on her own, is quite the independent individual. She's strong willed and is willing to give up her personal freedom for the betterment of her family. When faced with a dilemma she tended to think things through rather that jump into action. She weighs her decisions carefully and I appreciated a character with a little bit of common sense. Mrs. Winterhill, or as she is to Callie, the 'voice', is the woman who is renting Callie's body. But the chip implanted in Callie's head goes haywire and she becomes in control of her body again, with the exception of hearing Mrs. Winterhill's voice in her head, and she has a lot to warn Callie about. At first I thought she was a woman with crazy ideas, as did Callie, but as she learns more about her renter, the corporation, and the seedy Old Man behind it all, her warnings couldn't be clearer. And I found myself warming up to her as much as Callie did. Blake is the normal son of a prominent government official, who also takes an interest in Callie. Their relationship was a little flat for me, and I felt it progressed too quickly for the time they knew each other. He seemed like a nice guy, but his intentions always seemed unclear to me. We'll see what role he plays in book 2, along with Callie's friend Michael. The pacing of the story was slower than I'd expected, with time passing in days or minutes. Sometimes Callie would 'lose herself' to Mrs. Winterhill and she'd wake up confused and seek out clues to what had happened while she was out. Mrs. Winterhill was a very busy bee and had quite the plan set up. I loved the conspiracy theory going on behind everyone's backs and appalled at the reactions of some people. And the end of the book took me completely by surprise. To me it played out like the end of an action movie where you get this big reveal and then it cuts to the credits. Completely shocking and oh so frustrating! There's plenty that could happen in book two, and I can't wait to see what'll happen! Bottom Line Starters is a unique story of a world where teens' bodies are rented out to seniors. The secretive company behind it all is hiding a sinister plan and there are people who won't stand for it and will do whatever, or use whoever, it takes to stop them. There's a couple shockers thrown in and Callie manages to keep her bearings throughout it all. She's been through a lot but there's more to come in Enders. Check this one out! Review from my blog: http://allofeverythingforyou.blogspot.ca/2012/03/review-starters-by-lissa-price.html

The cover for Lissa Price's Starters seriously freaks me out. There's something about the stark white and metallic grey cover, and the girl's unnatural eyes that makes me want to look away, only to stare right back at it again. With so many dystopian novels being unleashed onto shelves lately, I was rather weary at first about reading Starters, but its fresh concept and science fiction influence still managed to spark my curiosity! Lissa Price has envisioned a terrifying world in her debut novel where a deadly weaponized spore has wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty... and forced Starters, young teenagers, to rent out their bodies to the wealthy seniors called Enders who wish to recapture the feeling of youth. When Callie first walks through the doors of Prime Destinations, she only has the desperate intention of getting enough money to help her younger brother Tyler, their friend Michael, and herself, lead a better life. But everything goes wrong on what should have been Callie's final time giving up her body when her chip malfunctions. Her renter, a rich Ender by the name of Mrs. Winterhill, has been looking into Prime Destinations suspicious dealings... but their plans are more sinister than anyone could have imagined. While I really liked the premise and how it expands on modern concerns such as the lengths people would go to avoid growing older, I did think there were some inconsistencies with the storytelling. The romance came across as rather weak, and I didn't really understand why Callie would go out on a few dates with a handsome boy named Blake when she had such greater problems resting on her shoulders. While we later realize that Blake being the son of a senator plays an important factor in the novel, the relationship between Callie and him could feel so awkward at times for me. If you're looking for a fast-paced dystopian novel which ends with a twist, then I'm sure you'll be loving Lissa Price's debut novel Starters! There may have been a few areas that could have been more fleshed out, but I can't deny the novel was quite addicting to read once I began. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this two-book series will conclude when Enders is released later in the year. Callie is not out of danger yet and there are still more questions that need to be answered. You can also read this review at: http://midnightbloomreads.blogspot.ca/2012/04/starters-by-lissa-price-giveaway.html

The Spore Wars have left the United States ravaged. Citizens of middle age are all but destroyed. Starters and Enders live in a world of extremes, where the very old tread on the very young...unless they want to rent them. From beginning to end, Lissa Price has built a world that is dark, fascinating, and compelling. Her characters scream from the spine, enticing the reader through a flurry of twists, turns, and pages before leaving him or her breathless and ready for more. Fans of dystopian will fall in love with Starters, and will fall into a fantasy in which they can't help but wonder — could this happen in our world?

“Starters” is not just your daughter’s (or in my case) granddaughter’s novel. Lissa wrote an exciting page turner and did not “dumb down” to attract younger readers. I was fascinated by the cover and was curious to learn this cover girl’s story. It’s an intriguing concept…young people called Starters left to fend for themselves due to the Spore Wars that wiped out everyone between the ages of 20 and 60. Callie, the main character, is orphaned and left to not only fend for herself but to also care for her younger, sickly brother. She’s scared, desperate and makes a decision that ultimately takes her to a frightening place. Prime Destinations hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders – seniors who want to be young again. Romance, intrigue, murder…who could ask for anything more? Well, I can. I’m anxiously awaiting Lissa’s follow up novel, Enders.