Starters

April 30, 2012
Newcomer Price launches a dystopian series that offers familiar elements of the genre, but also a notable command of technique. The immersive storytelling swoops along with minimal exposition. As a result, readers may initially feel as disoriented as heroine Callie Woodland. Sixteen years old and homeless in a post-plague world, Callie has a sick brother to keep safe and few choices. "The spores" wiped out most of the working-age population; the seniors who remain have developed ways to dramatically extend their life spans. To them, young people (aka "Starters") are just another resource for voracious "Enders" to consume. When Callie sells her body as a rental, to be occupied by the mind of a wealthy Ender, all she knows is that the fee will pay for a place to live afterward. She's not supposed to wake up in someone else's life or hear someone else's voice in her head. And she never imagined her body being used to implement a horrific scheme. Raising questions about class, property, and body/mind separation, Price's thriller features well-crafted tension, believable villains, and moments of stolen sweetness. Ages 12âup. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman.