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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I've read a LOT of dystopian YA, and this one was pretty good. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. It could have laid less on the dreaded love triangle, but it's not as bad as some. The premise is pretty interesting, and despite a few minor complaints about repetitive stuff, I mostly enjoyed it. Listened to the audiobook version, and Rebecca Lowman is a great narrator.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“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.”
i was really enjoying this book until the plot twist at the end. i’m sad to say this but it really ruined a lot for me.
however, i really liked the idea of this book in general and the setting. the plot in general is probably this book’s strength, even though there a little too many twists for my taste. there were really thrilling scenes full of adrenaline that were really well executed.
the relationships on the other hand were really messy and did not really lead to anything in my opinion. yes, there were characters that i liked, but i still wasn’t really attached to any of them.
overall, if it wasn’t for the plot twist at the end, which is very problematic in my opinion, i probably would’ve given this book 3-3,5 stars, but now i don’t feel the need to keep on reading the series any further and sadly have pretty mixed feelings about it.
i was really enjoying this book until the plot twist at the end. i’m sad to say this but it really ruined a lot for me.
however, i really liked the idea of this book in general and the setting. the plot in general is probably this book’s strength, even though there a little too many twists for my taste. there were really thrilling scenes full of adrenaline that were really well executed.
the relationships on the other hand were really messy and did not really lead to anything in my opinion. yes, there were characters that i liked, but i still wasn’t really attached to any of them.
overall, if it wasn’t for the plot twist at the end, which is very problematic in my opinion, i probably would’ve given this book 3-3,5 stars, but now i don’t feel the need to keep on reading the series any further and sadly have pretty mixed feelings about it.
Una historia que no es la novedad del año, pero engancha un montón. Una distopía bastante impactante que hasta me ha dado terror. Con crudas descripciones y una protagonista fuerte. Aunque tal vez se ha dejado bastante de lado algunos elementos esenciales, espero que, en su segunda y última parte sea explicado.
Reseña completa: http://thebooksaremylife.blogspot.com/2013/10/resena-starters-lissa-price.html
Reseña completa: http://thebooksaremylife.blogspot.com/2013/10/resena-starters-lissa-price.html
Teen dystopian novel, with striking similarity to "The Dollhouse" TV series some years back. Story of renting out your body for someone else to use. Callie is a Starter (youngsters), and rents out, for money, her body to Enders (old people). The spore wars have wiped out the human population between the ages of 20 and 60. Good read, if a little contrived in places and rushed ending. Love the cover art, mesmerising!
Originally published at Booking in Heels.
I didn't just love this book, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I refused to put it down to the extent where I was sneakily reading it in bed at 3am, using my Thomas the Tank Engine booklight (cause I'm a grown-up y'all). I know I haven't exactly been quiet about my feelings of disillusionment with YA lately, but Starters has got me right back on track.
The basic concept is fairly well explained above, but just in case you're allergic to italics- all the adults have been killed before the book begins, leaving just children and the elderly because they received a particular vaccine first. While the older generation can claim their grandchildren and provide a home for them, those unclaimed are left to fend for themselves on the streets. One option is to allow Prime Destinations, an advanced private company, to temporarily put your mind on hold while an Ender inhabits it to do all the things they can't do with their old bodies, like partying or rock-climbing. One day, after Callie has consented to this process, she suddenly regains consciousness in her own body and she discovers exactly what her renter has been planning for her body.
I actually really liked the story concept - it's not something I've heard anything even vaguely similar to before. I can't help but think that in the real world something would have been done to help the unclaimed children, they wouldn't have just been left to fend for themselves, but the narrative does at least attempt to explain that. Perhaps the prequel, Portrait of a Starter, helps it a little more.
It's a very fast-moving plot, but it doesn't sacrifice the world-building either. For me, dystopian fiction needs to adequately explain why society ended up how it did, along with providing little details about how they love. I'd say there's a perfect mix of action and explanation in Starters and I love it.
I actually liked Callie - she doesn't make sudden, stupid decisions, nor does she automatically believe whatever she's told to. She doesn't spend a ridiculous amount of time pining over a boy or irrationally whine about everything. In short, she's a perfect heroine who tries to do the right thing by everyone she can.
The other characters are just as fun too. I particularly liked Helena and the other renters that Callie meets. Lissa Price has done a wonderful job of describing the elderly trying to be young. It just seems realistic somehow - kind of awkward and not quite in sync.
And now for the main event! The writing. Nothing ruins a book for me worse than 'clunky' writing - I don't care how excellent the concept is, if it's not written well, I'm just not going to like it. Simple. Fortunately, Starters isn't just written acceptably well, it's actually good. The dialogue is natural, the description is lovely and the action is explained. It still has a casual, easy tone, but I haven't read a YA novel this year that has such great prose.
There's a twist near the end that I absolutely did not see coming and I loved the inventiveness of it. It put a whole new spin on the rest of the book. That said, there's also a plot development on the very last page that I saw coming from about half-way through and annoyed me a little.
Starters is just everything the first novel in a series should be. It's a unique concept, written very well with a few twists to keep you grasping for more. It's a self-contained story but with a clear direction for the second book. Speaking of, we don't actually have that long to wait. Ender, the second book, is out in December 2012 and if it's even half as impressive as this book, it should be great :)
I didn't just love this book, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I refused to put it down to the extent where I was sneakily reading it in bed at 3am, using my Thomas the Tank Engine booklight (cause I'm a grown-up y'all). I know I haven't exactly been quiet about my feelings of disillusionment with YA lately, but Starters has got me right back on track.
The basic concept is fairly well explained above, but just in case you're allergic to italics- all the adults have been killed before the book begins, leaving just children and the elderly because they received a particular vaccine first. While the older generation can claim their grandchildren and provide a home for them, those unclaimed are left to fend for themselves on the streets. One option is to allow Prime Destinations, an advanced private company, to temporarily put your mind on hold while an Ender inhabits it to do all the things they can't do with their old bodies, like partying or rock-climbing. One day, after Callie has consented to this process, she suddenly regains consciousness in her own body and she discovers exactly what her renter has been planning for her body.
I actually really liked the story concept - it's not something I've heard anything even vaguely similar to before. I can't help but think that in the real world something would have been done to help the unclaimed children, they wouldn't have just been left to fend for themselves, but the narrative does at least attempt to explain that. Perhaps the prequel, Portrait of a Starter, helps it a little more.
It's a very fast-moving plot, but it doesn't sacrifice the world-building either. For me, dystopian fiction needs to adequately explain why society ended up how it did, along with providing little details about how they love. I'd say there's a perfect mix of action and explanation in Starters and I love it.
I actually liked Callie - she doesn't make sudden, stupid decisions, nor does she automatically believe whatever she's told to. She doesn't spend a ridiculous amount of time pining over a boy or irrationally whine about everything. In short, she's a perfect heroine who tries to do the right thing by everyone she can.
The other characters are just as fun too. I particularly liked Helena and the other renters that Callie meets. Lissa Price has done a wonderful job of describing the elderly trying to be young. It just seems realistic somehow - kind of awkward and not quite in sync.
And now for the main event! The writing. Nothing ruins a book for me worse than 'clunky' writing - I don't care how excellent the concept is, if it's not written well, I'm just not going to like it. Simple. Fortunately, Starters isn't just written acceptably well, it's actually good. The dialogue is natural, the description is lovely and the action is explained. It still has a casual, easy tone, but I haven't read a YA novel this year that has such great prose.
There's a twist near the end that I absolutely did not see coming and I loved the inventiveness of it. It put a whole new spin on the rest of the book. That said, there's also a plot development on the very last page that I saw coming from about half-way through and annoyed me a little.
Starters is just everything the first novel in a series should be. It's a unique concept, written very well with a few twists to keep you grasping for more. It's a self-contained story but with a clear direction for the second book. Speaking of, we don't actually have that long to wait. Ender, the second book, is out in December 2012 and if it's even half as impressive as this book, it should be great :)
Starters was excellent! I fell in love with all the characters. Also, I really felt what they were feeling throughout the story. Lissa provided enough detail to keep you satisfied and intrigued with each character, but did so without giving too much away. It was very mysterious and fast paced. At times I felt that I was Callie (the main character) and felt like I couldn't trust anyone in the story. The pain, joy, love, and hope, were feelings that were very intensely written. I would say more, except I tend to give away spoilers so I will just tell you to buy this book because it is absolutely fabulous and fresh! I loved it!
This book was chalked full of drama, suspense, romance and sadness. Callie is basically forced to do something that she does not really want to do, but, in order to make a better life for herself and her brother she decides to go for it. Callie agrees to become a renter for Prime Destinations, but when she wakes up part way through her rental cycle, she realizes that something is terribly wrong. She also starts hearing a voice in her head warning her not to return to Prime Destinations. Should she listen?
The writer drew the awful picture perfectly of what Callie and her family have to live through everyday. They struggle to literally survive by scavenging food, shelter and even water. Throughout most of the book, I was on the edge of my seat with worry about these characters. There were many twists and turns to the story and the reader never could even guess what was going to happen next. There was no way to predict the ending and I was left kind of shocked.
The character of Callie was stronger than she gave herself credit for. The story of how she lost her parents is a tragic one and she became the sole caretaker of her brother. For such a young girl, she really puts her brothers needs before her own. Tyler is very sweet and you can really tell that he looks up to his sister. He worries about her safety and is probably fearful that he will lose her too. Michael, hmm, what can I say about Michael. Michael is a sweet guy and he looks out for Callie and Tyler. They have kind of formed their own little family. I believe that Michael has feelings there for Callie, but it was not really acted on too much throughout the book.
Callie does have a love interest in the senator’s grandson which plays a HUGE part in the book. I cannot say that I think he is the one for her though, I am rooting for Michael!
I really enjoyed the premise and look forward to the next book in the series, Enders, coming sometime winter 2012. I hope that the next book gives us a little more of a glimpse into the spore wars which started it all.
“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.”
The writer drew the awful picture perfectly of what Callie and her family have to live through everyday. They struggle to literally survive by scavenging food, shelter and even water. Throughout most of the book, I was on the edge of my seat with worry about these characters. There were many twists and turns to the story and the reader never could even guess what was going to happen next. There was no way to predict the ending and I was left kind of shocked.
The character of Callie was stronger than she gave herself credit for. The story of how she lost her parents is a tragic one and she became the sole caretaker of her brother. For such a young girl, she really puts her brothers needs before her own. Tyler is very sweet and you can really tell that he looks up to his sister. He worries about her safety and is probably fearful that he will lose her too. Michael, hmm, what can I say about Michael. Michael is a sweet guy and he looks out for Callie and Tyler. They have kind of formed their own little family. I believe that Michael has feelings there for Callie, but it was not really acted on too much throughout the book.
Callie does have a love interest in the senator’s grandson which plays a HUGE part in the book. I cannot say that I think he is the one for her though, I am rooting for Michael!
I really enjoyed the premise and look forward to the next book in the series, Enders, coming sometime winter 2012. I hope that the next book gives us a little more of a glimpse into the spore wars which started it all.
“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.”
For starters, let's start with Starters:
This Sci-fi sucked me in right from the start. I loved the way that things were described/alluded to throughout to remind the reader of being in a future setting. The suspension of disbelief here was still plausible so everything just clicked.
I loved Starters even though it had small grammatical errors scattered about. I found its "plot twist" at the end predictable and eye-roll worthy. All the other twists along the way, yeah okay I accepted and was surprised by, but without giving any spoilers away this big final one just didn't seem as plausible.
Overall, the general idea/concept was enough that I felt compelled to seek out the second/conclusion of the series right away.
I liked the premise and everything, but this book, I felt fell very short. That makes me sad. It had all of the flaws of the first one while losing the "want-to-keep-reading" vibe that Starters at least had going for it.
Moving past the ghastly "twists" (seriously, ugh) the book didn't end in a romance. For that I am very grateful. Again mindful of spoilers, I will say that the bizarre twist from Starters seemed tame in how it tied together with the very easily predictable "big twist" in Enders.
Highlights: The ending itself felt good while not forced. SPOILER ALERT: Callie found her Dad and that was nice.
Lowlights (not previously mentioned): SPOILER ALERTS: The "twist" with the husband/wife team that nabbed and "tested" on them? That part felt forced and bogus. The villains were not memorable at all.
While Enders did bring closure and again thankfully, didn't end in romance, it still left a lot to be desired. I felt while reading it my suspension of disbelief ended, which made me say "I don't buy it!" more than once.
This duo tries WAY TOO HARD to make twists happen when they don't need to, going for the "shock" that doesn't really stun so much as make the reader roll their eyes while saying, "Really? Why?"
If you are intrigued by the concept of body/mind control in general, dystopian futures (which seem hot at the moment), or if you like "light Sci-fi" stories you may enjoy this. It was worth reading both novels to get that sense of closure, however, I don't know that I would say I recommend them. They were interesting reads that made me ponder which is always nice, although I think I like the villains in books I read to have a little more teeth to them. That may have been part of the problem for me with this duology.
Verdict: This duo isn't for everyone.
This Sci-fi sucked me in right from the start. I loved the way that things were described/alluded to throughout to remind the reader of being in a future setting. The suspension of disbelief here was still plausible so everything just clicked.
I loved Starters even though it had small grammatical errors scattered about. I found its "plot twist" at the end predictable and eye-roll worthy. All the other twists along the way, yeah okay I accepted and was surprised by, but without giving any spoilers away this big final one just didn't seem as plausible.
Overall, the general idea/concept was enough that I felt compelled to seek out the second/conclusion of the series right away.
On to Enders:
I liked the premise and everything, but this book, I felt fell very short. That makes me sad. It had all of the flaws of the first one while losing the "want-to-keep-reading" vibe that Starters at least had going for it.
Moving past the ghastly "twists" (seriously, ugh) the book didn't end in a romance. For that I am very grateful. Again mindful of spoilers, I will say that the bizarre twist from Starters seemed tame in how it tied together with the very easily predictable "big twist" in Enders.
Highlights: The ending itself felt good while not forced. SPOILER ALERT: Callie found her Dad and that was nice.
Lowlights (not previously mentioned): SPOILER ALERTS: The "twist" with the husband/wife team that nabbed and "tested" on them? That part felt forced and bogus. The villains were not memorable at all.
While Enders did bring closure and again thankfully, didn't end in romance, it still left a lot to be desired. I felt while reading it my suspension of disbelief ended, which made me say "I don't buy it!" more than once.
This duo tries WAY TOO HARD to make twists happen when they don't need to, going for the "shock" that doesn't really stun so much as make the reader roll their eyes while saying, "Really? Why?"
If you are intrigued by the concept of body/mind control in general, dystopian futures (which seem hot at the moment), or if you like "light Sci-fi" stories you may enjoy this. It was worth reading both novels to get that sense of closure, however, I don't know that I would say I recommend them. They were interesting reads that made me ponder which is always nice, although I think I like the villains in books I read to have a little more teeth to them. That may have been part of the problem for me with this duology.
Verdict: This duo isn't for everyone.
