First Impression: I really don't mean to... but I am on another dystopian kick. No matter what I do, these type of books always find me... or I find them. I was drawn instantly to Starters because of the cover. It is striking in its starkness and simplicity. I just had to know more.While Reading:Starters is hands down one of the most original dystopians that I have ever read. While other dystopians seem to repeat the same ideas over and over again, each falling into the same trappings, Starters goes for the jugular and introduces one of the most successful multi-dimensional dystopians to date. The beauty of Starters is that it is not simply a dystopian nor is it simply a mystery nor does it get so caught up in the love triangle that it fails to produce anything else worth remembering. Nope... not Starters. Instead, it takes pieces of all of these elements, twists them together to create a read that will leave you breathless for more.Callie, Blake, Tyler, Michael... Sara, these characters will steal your heart. Each adds a bit to the bigger picture and illustrates how far people will go for their family... for their youth... for what they believe is really important. I loved Callie from the get go. Her strength. Her loyalty to her brother, Tyler and the makeshift family that she now has. Blake was incredible. His twist, at the end, I never, ever saw coming. It was a huge blow to everything. And I ate it all up.Verdict:It is rare that I find a book that actually lives up to all the hype that I have heard about it. But Starters did. Incredible premise. Characters that will steal your heart. Plenty of elements all blending together to make one outstanding read. There is a little bit of a cliffhanger ending. And while I sometimes hate cliffhangers, this one only made me want book two that much more. Lissa Price is an incredibly gift author. You will want to read Starters.
