Mundie Moms

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Book Review: Starters by Lissa Price


Published by: Random House
Released on: March 13th, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . -quoted from Goodreads

Lissa Price's Starters is a dystopian packed full of exciting twists, mystery and plenty of suspense. Living in a post war world, Callie and her young brother Tyler are orphaned and on their own. Wanting to make the most for her brother, Callie decides to donate her body to an organization that "specializes" in allowing the elderly to host a young teen body for a certain period of time. In Callie's world the elderly live to be well past one hundred. Sounds freaky doesn't it? Yeah it kind of is, especially after what Callie ends up dealing with, but the money is too good to pass up.

Callie for me is a very intriguing character. Her strong solid voice, independence and fierce protectiveness of her brother really impacted me. She's someone I grew to admire, because I sympathized with her, and understand her motives for doing what she does. I couldn't blame her, as I would have done the same thing if I was in her situation. Being able to relate to her made it easy for me to cheer her on through out her confusing ordeal. Callie is one tough, incredibly smart character! I loved that she's someone who was able to think on her toes and didn't just act without having a plan of action.

Wow, this book is loaded with twists and secrets! These alone kept the me reading this fast paced, engaging story. I had to find the answers right alone side Callie. Though there were parts of the book that left me scratching my head over some sketchy details, I didn't stop too long to dwell on them, because once on twist is figured out Lissa threw me into another and I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't until the end when I sat there trying to piece together everything that was revealed at the end did I realize some questions were still left unanswered. That only fuels my excitement to read the sequel!

STARTERS is a captivating dystopian set in an original world that's both imaginative, and intriguing. It's a story that once you start it, you won't be able to put it down until you're able to uncover the truth about what's really going on. Even then, you'll be surprised when you find out what Callie uncovers. That ending left me wanting more! I'm looking forward to reading ENDERS when it's out this Winter.

It's TRUE! Cassandra Clare has signed on to write The Dark Artifices' Trilogy


I know! This is beyond exciting as that means we'll get more of our beloved Shadow Hunter world!!

It was recently announced that Cassie has signed a 3 BOOK DEAL with Margaret K. McEldberry Books, part of the Simon & Schuster publishing house, to write The Dark Artifices, which will be a spin off series set in LA in 2012. The first book in this series is set to release in 2015!!

Here's what Cassie's posted previously about The Dark Artifices:

Okay, a quick recap. I have a plan for another Shadowhunter trilogy (contemporary, but not about the characters from TMI).

Working title: The Dark Artifices. It takes place five years after the end of TMI (ie in 2012) and deals with the Shadowhunters of the Los Angeles Institute. There is a tangential connection to the characters of TMI but they are not main characters. The main characters are teens (meaning that during the events of TMI they’d be 11, 12 years old.)

The main female protagonist’s name is Emma, the main male protagonist’s name is Julian. They are both Shadowhunters. They both have always known they are Shadowhunters.

There is love, magic, romantic confusion, etc. and so on. I have not sold these books; I haven’t written any of them, I won’t until I’m done with what I’m writing now. So I don’t have a pub date beyond “after CoHF”, and I have other, non-Shadowhunter projects I’m also planning on. But thanks for being so interested, everyone!

Here's what The Washington Post announced yesterday:

The first of “The Dark Artifices” books, currently untitled, will come out in 2015. According to a statement from the publisher, Clare, who placed her previous work in contemporary New York and Victorian England, will continue her tales of the Shadowhunters, a hybrid race “unseen but ever-present, our invisible protectors.”

“The series follows Emma Carstairs, the fiercest warrior and most skilled young Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and Emma’s sworn partner in arms, Julian Blackthorn,” the statement reads. “Despite Emma’s complicated feelings for Julian, the two must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.”

Clare said in a statement that she was sure readers would love both her new and her established characters.

“I know readers will come to love Emma, Mark, Cristina and Julian just as they have loved Jace, Clary, Will, Tessa and Jem,” she said. “Readers have often asked what will happen in the Shadowhunter world after the events of the ‘Mortal Instruments’ and this series will give them a chance to find out.”

You can also read Cassie's Tumblr post about this exciting news here. I can't even begin to say how excited I am by this news! CONGRATULATIONS Cassie!

Waiting on Wednesday: In Honor by Jessi Kirby


Published by: Simon & Schuster
To Be Released on: May 8th, 2012
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Honor receives her brother's last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn't. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences? -quoted from Goodreads

I fell in love with Jessi's writing reading Moonglass and have anxiously awaited to read her next book, In Honor for awhile now. I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this at ALA, and I have (very) patiently been waiting to read until a little closer to April. I'm really picky on reading the more "realistic" type YA books, but there's something about this synopsis that just hit me the first time I read it. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those fantastic reads that stays with me long after I read it.

What book are you waiting on?

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