Starters

Saat dunia nyaris hancur akibat Perang Spora dan kini hanya tersisa Starter – anak-anak serta remaja – dan Ender, manula. Mereka yang berumur di antaranya sudah punah. Callie adalah Starter yang menyewakan tubuhnya di Prime Destinations. Di sana para Ender bisa menyewa tubuh untuk menjadi muda lagi. Penyewa masuk ke dalam kepalanya. Suatu hari neurochip mengalami malfungsi. Callie tersadar di tubuhnya saat masa sewa belum selesai. Semua orang mengira dia adalah Ender penyewanya. Keadaan menjadi rumit ketika dia mengetahui rencana mematikan penyewanya.
Beli ini Karena obral. Isinya dystopia seperti yg sempat menjadi trend bbrp saat yg lalu. Tidak begitu istimewa, banyak plothole & hal2 yg kurang masuk akal. Penyelesaian terlalu mudah. Dan masih ada lanjutannya...

The world in Starters is one that I don't completely understand, but know enough that I wouldn't want to live there. After a weapon takes out everyone between the ages of 20 and 60, children are left to fend for themselves on the street. For some reason, most of the old people who remain completely lose all compassion and maternal/paternal instinct and choose instead to spend all of their time “renting” the bodies of the young people (think Avatar) to joy out and party! There are some glaring similarities in Starters to many other YA dystopian books (like Fever, everything published in 2011, and of course the Hunger Games). What stands out is the writing, which is above par with only a few exceptions-what the hell is a “caffeine table”? and the characters, who were pretty decent. Callie, especially, was shown to be more kick ass and motivated than I expected. The secondary characters are all rather interchangeable.

Here's my problem, and it's not really with the book per se, but rather with the idea of the book: we live in a youth centered society that really values our young people, especially if they are good looking. The older generation in this story is portrayed in such a way to confirm what we want to hear: old people are gross and bad. Even the “loving” grandparents in this story (meaning the ones who claim and raise the offspring of their offspring) really only care about their own kids, and happily step over starving, homeless youth on their way to work everyday. In this world in which people live to 200 and the youth has zero rights, young people are expendable because the “Enders” still work and function as they have before (think 185 year old busboys at restaurants). There is no need for young people. No one seems concerned about the continuation of the species, no one seems to care about the planet at all (except for Beverly Hills, the country is a wasteland).
I'm worried that this would devalue our own elders in society even more. I think what this book has to say about our own current society is WAY more interesting than what it says about Callie's society. This felt like an outcry for respect from a youthful generation that has not proven itself yet. And one knows, if you don't give respect, you don't get it back. And that is truly why this would make a great book club choice.

We meet Callie as she is struggling to survive in a post-war world. Biological warfare has ravaged Callie's society, and now the only people left are either very young or very old. With modern technology allowing people to live well into their triple digits, things have drastically changed. Lissa Price builds a world that pits the “Enders”, or the elders, against the “Starters” or the young people. The idea of borrowing someone else's body sounds far-fetched, but Price manages to make it a reality. This concept definitely keeps the book moving.

The story line takes off at a quick pace, expertly weaving the past with the present to give the reader a bigger view of this new world. Callie isn't given a moment to rest, as she tries to unravel what Prime Destinations is really up to. As a character, Callie is just wonderful. She is the perfect mixture of a normal teenage girl, and the mother figure that her world has forced her to become. Her affection for her brother is palpable, and it made me adore her that much more. No matter what decisions Callie made, I was always right there with her. Price has created a character who is easy to fall into step with, and it makes this book that much more immersive.

I'll stop gushing for a moment to make a small announcement. I've seen other reviews that complain about the lack of character description, and unanswered questions about the past, in this book. I'll admit, it's true that some things are aren't blatantly spelled out. For me though, that was half of the magic of this book. I was given a great base world, and as I read I filled in information for myself. I was lost in creating Callie's life in my head. Building it word by word. Perhaps it's my fantasy based mind at work, but it didn't phase me at all. I'm all for literary escapism, and Starters definitely allowed me that opportunity.

So, if you couldn't tell already, I loved this book! Starters has a unique premise that makes it a deliciously quick read. By the time I reached the ending I was out of breath. I also probably had a shocked look on my face. Yes friends, there is a cliffhanger and it's a big one. Starters, and its lovely creator Lissa Price, get my highest seal of approval and adoration. I know that I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book. Hurry up and get your hands on a copy of Starters so you can join me.