Starters by Lissa Price

Blurb:
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.

Review by Dale

The world that Lissa Price has created in Starters is vivid and alive; it's packed with imaginative detail in every scene. From the food, the cars, the holo televisions to the radical new society itself. Price has gone all out to construct a setting rich and dangerous for her characters to survive. The most startling thing about this book, however, is the grand premise itself. That all the adults under sixty have died and only the children and senior citizens remain. Not the caring old nana that always has a candy tucked away in a pocket for you though; these 'Enders' are nothing but contemptuous of the displaced youth.

Young Callie Woodland lives in this dystopian disaster; and by living I mean only managing to stay alive. In an act of utter desperation in order to feed herself and buy medicine for her only other family member, her younger brother, she visits the body bank. That’s a place where mouldy, old, crusty Enders go to rent out hot young bodies for a bit of fun and excitement. There are rules of course, but what if one of those renters had a secret agenda that went beyond night clubbing and snowboarding? What if they wanted to assassinate someone?

This is such a spooky concept, I really felt for the young heroine as she struggled to stay alive and prevent her own downfall. I think that this story is best suited for younger teens. The descriptions and narration is aimed at a younger tween reader rather than the late teen reader. The romance is there between Callie and Blake but only a light taste. The fantastic details complementing the storyline also resonate with a younger mind more than a mature teen reader. I'm sure younger minds will delight in the Cinderella Easter egg tucked away in one scene. I'd see this book being a hit with the 12Yrs and up group.

Available March 13

Format eBook ARC at time of review

PageCount 335 Pages 

Author Lissa Price

Publisher Random House Children's Books

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Blurb: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12.



Review by Dale:

Finished the last book in the trilogy and its an impressive finish to an amazing series. I really admire the skills that Collins has displayed in putting this together. It's engaging, its educating its immensely entertaining and its almost one of those books that really makes you think differently about life. In fact for Young Adults it probably is. The first book I ever read like that was John Wyndham's the Chrysalids and there are parallels here with the Hunger Games. I might reread it and post a review so you can all compare.

But back to Mockingjay, and its easy to to point out that Collins manages to maintain her amazing style of keeping every scene buzzing, and forcing you to turn the page to see how things will turn out for Katniss. She has a great talent for building up a scenario and then doing the complete opposite of what you would expect. It almost become a little game of mine as I read. As Katniss would pursue some element of the story I'd try and guess how Collins would twist my expectations around.

And what of the characters themselves? Katniss Everdeen, is she someone you can relate to? I must point out that she looked much younger in the trailers for the Hunger Game's Movie than I had imagined in my head. Same was true for Peeta's character. I think it's great how both those characters developed over the series. And again in ways i didn't expect. Sorry to disappoint you mills and boons die hards, it's not a hands held gazing into your lovers eyes till time turns you into dust kind of book.

I would suggest you read it before Hollywood destroys it.


Highly recommended, 5 stars. Suitable for Ages 14+ (violence)


Format: Hardback
Available from Amazon Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3)

Link to Download: Here
Price: $9.50c (at time of review)
Pagecount: 390 pp (appx)
Author: Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Blurb: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival


Review by Dale:

A Happy New Year to all my followers and with a new year brings some new books. I have chosen The Hunger Games as the first book to read in 2012. I saw a trailer for the movie and was intrigued as to how the 'running man' theme for a young adult story might play out.

First impression, this book is amazing. The author, Suzanne Collins has a brilliant technique in her writing that makes even the most mundane of plot essentials riveting. She maintains the excitement of the story from page to page so that you can't help but read the entire story in one or two sittings. Obviously a lot of thought has gone into the construction of this meticulously crafted story. I really marvelled out how she has constructed her scenes

The story premise itself is also very powerful. The background of a dystopian future full of government control and censorship. The severe oppression of the subjugated peoples of the 12 districts, the 'reaping' of children; some as young as 12 years old. It is a disturbing theme that you know can't have a happy ending. The whole book has that edgy feel that George Orwell's 1984 or Animal Farm had. The scary faceless government watching and listening to everything the workers say and do. People forced to put on a brave face and hide or bury deep down inside themselves their true feelings.

When we are introduced to the other characters; the naive Peeta, the courageous Rue and the horrible Career fighters, we know by the nature of a death-match there is going to be tragic outcomes for these characters.

Since the writing is close first person how do the other characters fair in gaining our empathy and love? Again Collins does a superb job at this even when the character is present for only a small number of scenes. Rue who is barely in the book is mourned profoundly when she passes. How does Collins achieve this empathic connection with the reader in so few pages? Well you will have to read it to find out.

I consider this an awesome book for young readers. While the sentence structures and writing is easy for younger readers to follow the context and themes in the book might be more suitable for readers 14 years and up?

Highly recommended, 5 stars.


Format: Hardback
Available from Amazon The Hunger Games
Link to Download: Here
Price: $9.50c (at time of review)
Pagecount: 374 pp (appx)
Author: Suzanne Collins