Starters

Starters by Lissa Price

Despite having begun my "over it" view of the dystopia books when I read this, I still enjoyed it a lot. The premise is awesome, and I liked the family element in this one (not that it's revolutionary, but it's nice). I liked the action in it, it read as exciting, and even though the "evil plot" behind the bad guys is pretty predictable, it was interesting to meet the other Starters and learn who was fighting for who. - Liz G, Merrimack - FYI this is also an Isinglass nomination, I think it fits a little better for that age group, but it could go either way.

What a creepy concept! A virus has wiped out all but "Elders" (the elderly) and "Starters" (young people) -the only populations to receive the vaccine, since they were supposed to be the most susceptible. Now, there's an underground trade in Elders renting the bodies of Starters in order to live as teens again. The teens get paid well for giving up their bodies and consciousness for a few hours, days, or weeks, so no one gets hurt, right? Callie is a Starter who decides to become a renter in order to earn money to take care of her sick brother. Things don't go as planned. Great for middle and high school aged readers, both boys and girls. -Kirsten Rundquist Corbett, Sandown Public Library, 1/6/14

It was a fun read and held my attention. I think it would be a fine addition to the list and it can stand alone. There is a bit of a cliff hanger at the end, but not one that is overly frustrating. ~ Sharon Flesher, Nashua High South

I read this 1.5 years ago and didn't write a review, so I'm afraid I won't be very detailed here. However, I did give it 4 stars at the time and I remember it as being a different sort of YA novel. Maybe not a different sort of science fiction novel, but a nice change from the current trends in YA. I have every intention of reading the next book. -- Julie A. Nashua PL 1/2014