PREVIEW - Starters by Lissa Price

I had the pleasure of meeting Lissa Price at a Mysterious Galaxy meet and greet in San Diego during the World Fantasy Convention. I wasn't able to attend WFC but I had a great time at the Mysterious Galaxy store seeing Cindy Pon again and meeting TONS of other great authors. It was a wonderful experience, full of surprises. Meeting Lissa was definitely one of those surprises.


When I went to this event at the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore I hadn't been keeping up with forthcoming books so when Lissa told me she had a dystopian novel coming out I was REALLY excited. We had a great time discussing the genre and she told me to get a sample chapter booklet out of the store. The first thing that struck me about Starters was the cover. I have seen pictures of it online and it just doesn't show all the amazing detail that you can really see in person. I begged Lissa to sign it for me and she was more than happy to.

I was instantly in love. The cover was overwhelming me, Lissa was wonderful to chat with, and I could not wait to read Starters.  But I did wait. I didn't want to read the sample and be left in agony waiting to read more of the book AND I don't like to know about a book before I read it. I know I say this a lot, but the more I start thinking about the concept of a book the more expectations I start to have. Usually there is no way a book can live up to them.

But in preparation for Lenore's Dystopian February kick off TOMORROW. I have read and am presenting to you a little mini review of these sample chapters of Starters. First I need to tell you that this book would have lived up to my expectations!

Lissa did not disappoint my overpowering need for strong world building in a dystopian novel.  The first two chapters of Starters were spectacular. World building in young adult dystopias can be a tricky matter, especially when they are written in first person. Lissa did a perfect job of revealing the world through the limited perspective of first person in a completely organic way. I really hope the rest of the book lives up to these opening chapters. Lately a lot of books have disappointed me by starting off strong and tapering off.

In Lissa Price's novel there are Starters, people under 20, and Enders, people over 60.  Everyone in between is dead. Callie is trying to care for her slickly younger brother. She learns about a program that allows Enders to rent younger bodies through a company called Prime Destinations.

Rules for Renters at Prime Destinations:

1. You may not alter the appearance of your rental body in any way, including but not limited to piercings, tattoos, hair cutting or dyeing, cosmetic contact lenses, and any surgical procedures, including augmentation.
2. No changes to the teeth are allowed, including fillings, removal, and embedded jewelry.
3. You must remain inside a fifty-mile perimeter around Prime Destinations. Maps are available.
4. Any attempt to tamper with the chip will result in immediate cancellation without refund, and fines will be levied.
5. If you have a problem with your rental body, return to Prime Destinations as soon as possible. Please treat your rental with care, remembering at all time that it is an actual young person.

The concept of this body rental is both amazing and terrifying at the same time. And is extremely effective in grabbing the reader's attention. When I think about it, I am not sure what price I could possibly accept to let someone rent my body while I basically took a nap, but I am not in a desperate situation. Callie is worried about the health and stability of her brother and after being displaced from yet another living situation she decided she HAS to "volunteer" to become a rental body for the money to give her brother a better life.

Because I have not read more of the book I wanted to give you a little summary of what was presented in the sample booklet I had.  What I found while reading it was a compelling and thought provoking beginning to the book. I am extremely curious to see where the story is going next and how it will reveal more about this future world. So far the book is laced with complex concepts, fears, and possibilities for where the story can go.

I am definitely dying to read more, and I bet you are too.

And guess what? |
YOU CAN! 

Lissa has graciously offered up an ARC of Starters to the wonderful readers of my blog. To be entered all you have to do is comment on this post with some aspect of Starters that sounds good or interesting to you.  Make sure your comment is connected to a way for me to contact you or leave you email address in the comments.

For an additional entry tell me in the same comment that you've added Starters to your GoodReads to read list.

The contest ENDS February 15th, 2012 at midnight  Pacific Standard Time.

Check back later in the month for my full review. Until then be sure to check out Lenore's dystopian reviews, interviews, and giveaways happening all month long.