"Starters" by Lissa Price

I received "Starters" from Netgalley to review. I've got to say that I loved this book and definitely recommend it to lovers of the dystopian genre. The novel is 368 pages long, which made me think that it would take me a while to finish it. Truth is, it was a breeze. It was light, quick-paced and extremely entertaining. I gave it 4 stars only because some of the events seemed to happen out of nowhere. Otherwise, it was definitely worth my time.

"Starters" talks about the United States after a war waged in the Pacific Ocean. The US was attacked with a biological weapon that killed all the population that wasn't vaccinated against the deadly spores. Ironically, the vaccinated were only teens and the elderly. No one seemed to care that the middle aged generation died away leaving kids unprotected on the streets. Some elderly, called Enders, didn't care about their grandchildren, didn't claim them and they were left to take care of themselves in abandoned buildings or in the institutions.

One question that I never got answered was about the Enders. How come some of them were 200 years old? Perhaps I've missed a turn somewhere, but I never figured it out, so it's a mystery to me.

I didn't like the way the Enders treated the young generation. Sure, not all were like that, but most Enders seemed to despise the Starters. The kids weren't treated like they were the future. Rather, they were ridiculed, distrusted and toyed around. Many Starters died from starvation, or in street fights or in the hands of the law enforcing marshals. And no one cared.

What I liked about this book the most was the unpredictability. I never knew what will come out of where and accomplish what sort of change in events. It was well written, any clues were well covered, and I really enjoyed it. And the ending was a fabulous cliffhanger.

The characters:

*Callie - I could feel her desperation through the pages, her pain of knowing that she can do nothing to improve her brother's life. Little Tyler is all she's got, and she's ready to do anything to have him live in a real home. Which is why she signs up for the donor program. Not that she knew what she was getting herself into. But I think that was brave of her. And after all that she'd been through - the hunger, the insecurities, the life on the street - I was happy for her when that ray of sun shone in the end of the dark tunnel.

*Helena - that woman was something! She was fierce and ready to fight whoever came her way. True, she was right to feel the way she did, but she was a bit too rash. Spicy Ender! I loved her.

*Sara - she was by far my favorite character here. The hope she had of escape from the institution, the selflessness she showed.. it really moved me. She moved me. Little, fragile, undernourished, but brave and protective. That's true character.

The male characters were so confusing. None was who I thought they were, and I don't want to give out any spoilers, so I won't stop to analyze the boys. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read the book yourself :)) Have fun!!!


My rating for "Starters" is