Bobby Book Review: "Starters"

Starters

by Lissa Price

What is it about?

Set in a post-apocalyptic future (like seemingly every Young Adult novel) where a disease has wiped out everyone in America except the very young (ages 17-and-under) and the very old (ages 75-200, people can live longer due to advances in medicine). There is a service where old people can "rent" the bodies of young people for a month, with their brain operating the young person's body to relive their youth. When Callie wakes up due to a malfunction, she realizes the old woman renting her body is plotting murder.

Who is the author?

Lissa Price is a newcomer who got the idea for Starters when she was trying to get a flu vaccination a few years ago. They only had a limited supply, so they announced that they would only vaccinate those 17 and under and those 70 or older. And it made her think, "What if this was a serious disease?"

Simple but effective. Maybe she stole a bit of Being John Malkovich but hey, what is 100% original these days?

What's any good about it?

I've read several Young Adult novels over the past few years. Mostly because their plots to me sound much more daring than typical adult fiction. This new one is being hailed as the book that Hunger Games fans have been waiting for since the trilogy ended, and it isn't far off. It has nothing to do with the plot of Hunger Games, but is wholly engrossing and breezes by with a pretty legitimately surprising plot twist as well.

Callie, not unlike Katniss Everdeen, is a very identifiable and lovable protagonist who is doing something she knows is very shady to help out her little brother and potential future romantic partner.

The best element of the novel is that you can't trust anybody. Any teenager could potentially be an old person using their body. Even Callie herself has no idea when she will black out and have the old woman regain control over her to do God knows what. Then she has to wake up and put together the pieces all over again.

Throw in a mysterious villain named simply "The Old Man", who never shows his face, is up to unspecified evil deeds, and who wears a holographic mask portraying his face as anything from a star basketball player to a frightening snake, and you have a recipe for intrigue throughout. 


All of this builds to a very satisfying conclusion to ensure that my Kindle Touch will be purchasing Enders the day it comes out in December.

Do you have any complaints, you whiny bitch who complains about everything?

I mean, it's obviously borrowing a ton from a Bobby Hall of Fame film, Being John Malkovich, and once you compare yourself to a work of art like that, you will inevitably pale in comparison. It's like when Simon Cowell used to advise on American Idol to never do a Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston song.

Best Scene?

There is a phenomenal reveal at some point that literally made my jaw drop. Then realized that several 12 year old girls had the same reaction. Then shame and sadness. But still, jaw-dropping nonetheless.

Final Thoughts

Solidly my 3rd favorite Young Adult book I've read in the past 2 years. Hunger Games is #1, and a somewhat unheard of ghost thriller Anna Dressed in Blood is #1A. But this is a very solid 3.

For anyone who wants to get into these kind of books for a quick, easy, entertaining page-turner, I'd suggest this or Hunger Games in a second. Just trust me. I used to play Angry Birds for an hour before bed every night. This is much more rewarding.

Bobby Grade: A

Great Quote

"You have no idea how lucky you are being a monkey. I think. I feel. I suffer. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. And all I ask in return is to be able to do my work. And they won't allow it. Because I raise issues."

---Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), Being John Malkovich