Review: Starters (Starters #1) by Lissa Price

Starters (Starters #1) by Lissa Price

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. . . .

Published in US: March 13 2012
Source: Netgalley
1st in Starters series, 2nd named Enders releases Dec. 12th 2012, the novella Portrait of a Starter: An Unhidden Story (Starters, #0.5) released Feb 14th, The 2nd Unhidden Story (Starters #1.25) releases July 14th, The 3rd Unhidden Story (Starters #1.5) releases Oct 9th.

My Review:
     This is such a creepy and delicious idea for a dystopia! The idea of renting out your body and not knowing what the renter does is so hard to imagine, and just reading the description makes you wonder why you would want to do that. We quickly see with Callie her heart and determination--she does it for her brother. The family bond there is so sweet and I love how that is woven into the story. Fighting for her only surviving family is a motivation that I can totally understand and makes her actions believable and commendable.
    The idea of the Enders is kinda creepy too... not knowing who is a real teen, and if you are seeing the same person inside a body every time. I liked some of the Enders that we met, and you can understand their motivations too.
    I really enjoyed the romance and how twisted the relationships really are. I hope that they are explored fully in the next books in the series because there is so much potential and I want to know what happens next.
    There is a lot of action and I was constantly engaged, wondering what would happen next and what would throw me for a loop.
   Essentially, I loved it and can't wait for the next. Strong characters and refreshing idea.

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Review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

Published in US: 2/14/12
Source: Teen Book Scene and Netgalley

My Review:

   Ms. Dale sure knows how to write. The beginning (and really all throughout the book) she conveys such heart wrenching emotions through her characters, she also does well at the highs, and capturing the true essence of teenage emotions, from one extreme to the other then back again in a new york minute. The emotions really came alive to me with her vivid descriptions.
   The jumps in narration was a little confusing for me at first, and then I totally got it, and it was a masterpiece! I love the generational struggles and how they transcend time, she did a really good job with that.
   I also had a hard time getting a grasp on Rosie at first, one minute strong and standing up for herself and then the next doing things that seem extreme like being all over a random guy, but I guess that grief, especially raw and fresh grief will do that to you. All in all, I think that her character ressonated with me more than Holly's because she came across as selfish. I tried to remind myself all she faced and the fact that she is just a teenager, but I never really could bring myself to like her much until the end.
   This was a hard book to read in that I have no clue what I would do if I were in Rosie or Holly's shoes (or even Kitty at first for that matter.) With the Huntington's hold and the cycle of choices and possibilities, and then the whole family situation to deal with--on top of Holly's other secret, I just can't imagine.
   I really liked the adults in this book--Trudie was so strong, and through Nana we can see she had such a positive attitude even in the face of such a horrible disease, and Nana herself is awesome--she reminds me of my own grandma in some ways and that is high praise. Jack is so strong and such a great dad. I can't say alot more without spoilers.
    This one had me at Huntington's disease and held on to me until the end.
You may also like:
Sing me to Sleep by Angela Morrison  
A Blue so Dark by Holly Schindler 
Black Box by Julie Schumacher
Change of Heart by Shari Maurer 
Girl Next Door by Castrovilla 
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

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Review: Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe

Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe

It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.
As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, but she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.
Dez’s guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.

Publishes in US: Jan 10 2012
Source: author
My Review:


Wow. That is the one word I'm left with!

 Trish is a friend of mine, and I feel so lucky that I got to be a part of reading this story before it was published! I knew that Trish was talented, and she had amazing stories to share, and I'm so proud of her that she's on the shelves and more people get to read her awesomeness.

Destiny's fire was amazing. I love Dez's character. She has spunk and she's strong, all those traits that I admire and wish I had more of. She is relatable, and she has a great voice.

Destiny's Fire has so much action, and everything flows together so wonderfully. There are some truly hot scenes, and the plot is paced perfectly.

I like the secondary characters too- Lana is a great friend with her own personality. I also like Mr. Liam--I love that they have an ally with him, and that he helped out so much.

Book boys slight spoiler: Both of the guys are awesome, and I lean towards Jace for myself, but I do think that Dez is perfect with Reese.