Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Hardcover: 374 pages
Genre: YA - Dystopian
Read it in: 6 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Debut Author, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★★★

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Oh. My. God. SO many AMAZING dystopians for 2012. Seriously. I can't get enough of them. I checked this out from the library and made my husband read it while I was reading another  book. He likes Dystopians as well and I'm always throwing books at him to read. He liked it, so I knew I would definitely like it. Not that I didn't already know that from the summary!

I finished this over a week ago, but I still get all happy and excited when I think about it. It was just SO amazing. I seriously had to read TWO contemporary books just to try and get out of its world. The world that Aria lives in is REALLY scary. But so amazingly real! Every time I picked up this book to read I was drawn into it and felt like I was right there experiencing everything.

I got frustrated, and sad, and scared, and embarassed EVERYTIME Aria did. Her emotions were so well and the writing was so descriptive that everything was real. It's also told in alternating perspectives between Aria and Perry. I really loved being able to get into Perry's head. It really helps to understand the things he does and not just what Aria thinks he's doing when she experiences it.

At first I really wanted to smack Perry for being so mean to Aria, but I quickly fell in love with him and he's one of my top favorite characters from the book. I loved nearly all the characters, except for Soren and his dad and of course the creeps they met along the way. Not going to go into too much detail because you just really need to read it yourself.

Overall, this is a wonderful dystopian. I don't really have any complaints at all about it. If you haven't read this yet, do so immediately. Definitely addicting and one of my top favorite dystopians now.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add It: Goodreads | Shelfari

The second book in this series is called Through the Ever Night. It will be released on January 8th, 2013. 

Also, as a side note, this is definitely one of the BEST book trailers I have ever seen. It seriously makes me want this book turned into a movie even more than I already do.

Born Wicked, by Jessica Spotswood

Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Hardcover: 330 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Historical Paranormal Romance 
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Library 
Challenges: Debut Author, YA Fantasy 
Rating: ★★★★★

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

If you saw the genre part of the book info at the top, you may have noticed I put Historical Paranormal Romance. I did not know which one to put it in, Historical Romance or Paranormal Romance, ha! So I mashed them together.  When I first read the summary of this book, I fell in love, but I did NOT know it was  historical! I wish I would of known because I would of tried to get this even sooner. Though my library doesn't get books in very fast after release dates.

When I snagged this from the library, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read it. Once I started reading it, I was hooked from the first couple of pages! I kept picking it up throughout the night and reading it and then throughout the day and I just couldn't stop. I was sneaking pages of it in between chores and even letting my 17 month old jump around on my back and head as long as I was able to read.

I can't really describe how amazing this book is. There are no words, and I definitely don't want to give anything away.

I love the plot and I love the suspense you feel whenever the Brotherhood are brought up and/or are around Cate. I noticed myself holding my breath each time, especially if they showed up at her house out of the blue, because I was scared she'd be next! That she was caught!

The writing flows SO well, it was so beautiful and you would fly through the pages without even noticing! I am VERY impressed with Mrs. Spotswood. VERY! She's definitely on my author watch list now and I am DYING to read Star Cursed. Why can't it be February now?! I NEED that book. NEED IT!

Oh, gosh, and the characters! Cate drove me crazy sometimes, though she was loyal and she knew her responsibility and kept watch over her sisters. But sometimes I wanted her to be selfish ever once in a while. Just a little bit. But that's not how Cate is. I liked her sisters, though Maura was definitely my least favorite. She just got so annoying sometimes. GAH!

I liked Paul at first, he seemed pretty nice. But then Finn came into the picture and Paul was history in my eyes!

Overall, this was an amazing debut. I am seriously kicking my own self in the butt for not reading this sooner. I loooved it! I loved its time period, and its magic, and its writing, and just EVERYTHING. If you haven't read it yet, DO SO NOW! This definitely got me out of my reading rut, but now I hope that I don't dive back into it after this amazing book.
                                                                                                                                        
Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter 
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The second book in this series is called Star Cursed, it will be released on February 7, 2013. 

Pretty Crooked, by Elisa Ludwig

Series: Pretty Crooked, #1
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Release Date: March 23, 2012
Hardcover: 368 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Read it in: 13 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Debut Author, YA Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.
Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.
The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.
But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

When I first read the summary for this 2012 debut, I knew it was going to be an enjoyable read. It's just one of those books you know right of the bat is going to be fun. And it was. It took me a while to read it, nearly two weeks, but that was because I was in a rut. I just didn't want to read at all, but once I did I'd get through some pages pretty fast because it was funny at times and pretty snarky.

Willa was a great character, she lost her way a little bit toward the middle, but fixed it by helping those who didn't have much money. There is your classic mean girls in this book, the "Glitterati", they make it hell for those who are on scholarships and don't have the means to dress up to their standards. Willa thought there was something that needed to be done about that. So she turns into a modern day Robin Hood.

With the help of a new friend, she learns how to pick pocket and break into lockers and cars and eventually houses and steal things from those who have enough money to buy a million more of the things she stole. When she was on a "job" it really made my heart beat. My heart was pounding so hard thinking she was about to get caught. And then I'd exhale my held breath in relief.

Other than Willa, my other favorite characters were Cherise, Tre, and Aidan. Especially Aidan, he was so funny and all of his scenes made me smile. He's pretty different than the other rich kids. I can't decide who I want Willa to be with, though. I really like Aidan and she does too, but theres parts of me that see Tre and I'm like, "Noo Willa!". Maybe we'll see in the next book what will happen.

Overall, this is just an overall enjoyable book. The writing flowed well and I'd fly through pages when I was reading. This is definitely a debut to read this year! And a new author to add to my watch list. If you like Robin Hood and fashion, you should definitely give this book a try!
                                                                                                                                    
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The sequel, Pretty Sly, will be released on March 12th, 2013. 

Pushing The Limits, by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 1, 2012
e-Galley: 416 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary Romance
Read it in: 3 days
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Debut Author, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★★

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 I can't get this book out of my head. It's been three days since I finished this, and I just can't get it out of my head. When I have a free moment, my mind brings it up and I can't help it. I'm glued to the book I'm currently reading, and I love the book I'm currently reading, but I just CAN'T. GET. THIS. BOOK. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD!

If you can't tell by now, I really freaking loved this book. I LOVED it. Everything amazing. I mean, yes, I had a few issues with this book, but most of them were issues you're SUPPOSED to have while reading this book, like wanting to slap a few characters and cry because you think they are being stupid or making a very big mistake. The only problem and question that kept popping into my head was about Echo's mother. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but how, after ALL of the things that they think happened with her mother, did they NOT lock her up or put her into a psych ward? Really? I mean, I can kind of understand some of it, but at the same time I'm just left saying, "What....?"

But that's all!

I loved the characters. Except Grace. I wanted to smack a biatch when she popped into the story, ha! She drove me nuts. And I didn't really like Echo's ex-boyfriend all that well, he just seemed like your typical "I'm a jock and I'm popular, so you have to be too to be with me" guy. But Noah, oh God, Noah. I ADORED him. His past is pretty...wow, with all the girls, but oh my, Noah! *le dreamy sigh* That's all I can say about him. And Echo was a great character. She went through SO much, and I felt so bad for her. But she was a great character, even though I thought she was being stupid part of the time.

Echo and Noah were great with each other. They were complete opposites most of the time, but they fit so well together. They made each other better people. They learned a lot from each other and were just...perfect together. =)  Also, the book is told in both Echo and Noah's point-of-views with alternating chapters. Which I absolutely LOVED! I loved being in both their heads. (I need to get a physical copy ASAP because I read it on a messed up format e-galley. BOO!)

I also loved both of their issues. Echo trying to remember what happened with her and her mother, and then Noah trying to get his family back together. LOVED it. Not going to go into too much detail with that, but it really added to the story.

Overall, I don't know what else to say without rambling. It was amazing and I can't wait to re-read it in the future. I REALLY want to re-read it RIGHT now with a physical copy, but I don't have one. =( So boo! I  know there is another book coming out in 2013 in Beth's POV, but I wish there was another of Noah and Echo after they leave for school. I would definitely read it, even though some people think that it adds too much to a story that should of ended. But I love them so much! If you haven't read this yet, do it! I know you've most likely heard mostly GREAT things about it and you're probably suspicious, but don't be, it's amazing! Really! =D
                                                                                                                            

Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

Slated, by Teri Terry

Slated, by Teri Terry
(Slated, #1)
Author Info: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: May 3, 2012
ARC: 446
Genre: Young Adult - Dystopian
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 5 days
Source: Publisher
Challenge: Debut Author, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★★
To learn more about my rating badges, click here! 

Kyla’s memory has been erased,her personality wiped blank,her memories lost for ever.
She’s been Slated.
The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

To be honest, when I first saw this book I thought the summary sounded intriguing and I wanted to read it, but the cover just didn't do anything for me. Then when I got it for review, I was happy, but was also groaning inside. I kept putting it off and putting it off for review because I was worried that the summary sounded better than it probably actually was. But I was wrong! I'm so happy I was wrong!

The book was way better than the summary lets on. Don't let the weird cover fool you, though I do admit that now after reading it I get the cover. It does fit it, though I would still like a different cover. But I do love the eyes!

I'm not sure if this is going to be out in the US yet, but I did get it from the UK. It's a debut novel and a great one! This is a fresh dystopian that will have you at the edge of your seat. Some things were weird, but it was still intriguing and had me flying through the pages.

At first, I was a little worried by the main character Kyla. Due to her memory being erased, she was basically like a child. She had to learn everything all over again. She was also put into a family's home who wasn't hear "real" family. She was expected to call the woman "mum" and the man "father". It was just...normal in their situation, if that makes sense. In the home is also another slated girl named Amy. She was kind of annoying at times, but she was funny too at times.

My favorites were Kyle and Ben. Kyle is a lot different than the "normal" slateds. They are supposed to do what they say until they turn 21. They wear "levos" that tell their mood and if their mood levels get near the low 3's or to the 2's, they blackout. Slateds are those who have done something wrong and instead of locking them up in jail or killing them, they wipe their mind clean and give them another chance.

Kyla starts remembering things though. Snippets of things. She doesn't know if they are real memories or things that are just made up in her mind from things she sees.

Ben, who is also a Slated, is a bit different too. But only because Kyla draws that out of him.

The dad kind of creeped me out. He was weird. The mom was pretty nice though after a little while, you can tell she kind of has a rebel side. She doesn't fully agree on everything the government thinks.

Overall, this story was great. I don't want to get too into detail because I'll start rambling on and give away the whole story. I'm definitely looking forward to book two, this time with a full intention on reading it immediately. No worries! If you love Dystopians, you definitely don't want to miss this one!

The sequel, Fracture, will be released in May 2012. 

Someone Else's Life, by Katie Dale

Someone Else's Life, by Katie Dale
Author Info: Blog / Facebook / Twitter
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: February 14, 2012
ARC: 464 pages
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 5 days
Source: Random Buzzers
Challenge: Debut Author, YA Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★
To learn more about my rating badges, click here!

When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

When I first added this book to my reading list for the Debut Author Challenge, I thought it sounded really good. I got excited when I saw it in the Random Buzzer's store, but when it got here I just let it sit. I really wanted to read it, but was worried about the tough subject. Not that I've ever known anyone with Huntington's, but I was still worried.

Yes, it was a bit hard at times, but it's a wonderful book. Katie Dale really did her research and you learn a lot about Huntington's while reading it.  You also really get into the emotions of what it's like to love someone with the disease and all the effects it has on everyone.

Not only does she have the subject of Huntingtons, but she throws in what it would be like to be switched at birth! To have your mother, the woman you thought gave birth to you, die from Huntington's Disease, and then find out that you weren't really her daughter at all. If that happened to me, I would break down severely and sit in a dark closet for a very long time. But that's not what Rosie did!

Even though she loved the woman who she thought was her mother, the one who raised her, she wanted to know who her real parents were so she went searching! She hit a lot of obstacles along the way, but she was never completely selfish. Even when sometimes she had a right to be really upset and selfish, she tried her best to make the most of it.

Rosie was a really great character. It took me a while to get into the book and to get into Rosie's character, but as the story progressed I really started liking her character.Holly, on the other hand, completely annoyed me. At times, I really felt for her, but other times I just wanted to slap her. (Not going to tell you who she is!)


I really liked all the other characters. Especially Andy. I felt so bad for him a lot of the time, but he was a strong character. He was Rosie's rock.

Overall, this was a beautiful novel. It is also pretty uniquely written! Part One is told in chapters in Rosie's point-of-view. Part Two isn't cut up into chapters, but into point-of-views of Rosie and Holly.

If you've had someone close to you suffer from Huntington's Disease, or any disease at all, I highly recommend this book. Even if you haven't known any suffer from any disease, it's still a great book. Tough subject, but someone has to write them, right?! And Katie Dale chose to be the one with courage and to write this beautiful book. I'm very impressed and will definitely be keeping an eye out on Katie's work!

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Author Info: Website / Twitter / Facebook
Publisher: Houghtin Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Paperback: 204 pages
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 3 days
Source: Publisher
Challenge: Debut Author, YA Contemp, ABC Reading
Rating: 
To learn more about my rating badges, click here!

A story of crushes, corsets, and conspiracy

Libby Kelting had always felt herself born out of time. No wonder the historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd jumped at the chance to intern at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum. But at Camden Harbor Libby’s just plain out of place, no matter how cute she looks in a corset. Her cat-loving coworker wants her dead, the too-smart-for-his-own-good local reporter keeps pushing her buttons, her gorgeous sailor may be more shipwreck than dreamboat — plus Camden Harbor’s haunted. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, Libby learns that boys, like ghosts, aren’t always what they seem.

 When I first read the summary for this book, I was like, "This sounds like a fun, quick contemporary!" and added it to my list. When I got it in the mail for review, I was happy, but not OMG YAY! happy. Once I started reading this, I got sucked in. It was so dang hilarious! The main character was so crazy. She was REALLY into fashion, and had her high standards, but she was also an aspiring historian and a nerd!

So many people underestimates her upon meeting her. They thing she's just your average dumb blonde, but she's not! She has a deeper layer that you realize once you start talking to her. Which made her seem that much more real!

At first, I was worried that she WAS that typical dumb blonde. But after a couple of pages I started to like her and knew there was a deeper layer. I'd really like to read more about her! And gosh, I never thought about working for a history museum for the summer when I was in school! That would of probably been quite fun! I love the old time dresses like she had to wear and would of loved to learn how to do some of the colonial cooking and things!

It was such a fun read, I wish it were bigger! At first I grabbed it from my TBR pile on my nightstand of books I want to get to ASAP and just wanted it for a quick contemporary read, but now I'm really sad it's over with. I really would have read 100 or even 200 more pages of it!

I really liked Garrett as well, right from the start! And I did like Cam as well, but was really suspicious of the way he acted. He was just...too weird. Too "perfect". That's always trouble! Okay, not always, but mostly.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick, fun, contemporary that has  some historical points in it (i.e she went to a history museum for the summer to live in the "colonial times") you should definitely check this out! And this is Stephanie debut novel for this year!  I will definitely be adding her to my author watch list!

Illuminate, by Aimee Agresti

Illuminate, by Aimee Agresti
(Gilded Wings, #1)
Publisher: Hartcourt Children's Books
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Hardcover: 534 pages
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 11 days
Source: Publisher
Challenge: Debut Author, TBR Pile
Rating: 
To learn more about my rating badges, click here!

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?
Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

Illuminate was just wow. I was really curious about it when I read the summary and then when the cover was revealed, I fell in love. I was enchanted by the cover, so when I received it for review in the mail and saw the finished copy. I was in awe! I sat staring at the shiny cover for a few minutes. My husband had to literally pry it from my hands.

I couldn't wait to start it and when I finally did I was surprised. It was very good and hooked me from the very first chapter, but it was different than I thought it would be. You'd think that going through Haven's day to day life would be boring after a little while, but it wasn't. Each day held another clue to what will be happening later in the book and gives you another puzzle piece to your collection so you can keep adding them up.

It took me a while to read this book. I caught the stomach flu a few days after starting it and I didn't feel like doing anything, not even reading. But when I wasn't reading it I kept wanting to. I kept thinking about it and how weird the characters were. A lot of the characters in this book seem perfect, beautiful, established. But they have a huge secret! Which I'm not going to tell!

All the characters, even though most of them were bad, seemed really well put together and had their own voices. I liked Aurelia and Lucian, though after a while I started not trusting them. Something always bugged me about them. They were too perfect. And now I know why!

Haven, the main character, kind of annoyed me a little bit in the first few chapters, but then she grew on me and her character grew SO much by the end of the book. She's definitely a new person now, which is not a surprise with what she's learned and had to deal with.

And ah, Dante! I loved him, he was such a funny character and a great best friend. He's gay, which added to my list of awesome main character best friends. They are so fun to read about. He wasn't in the book as much as I would have liked, but you understand in the end. And ahh, Lance! He kind of weirded me out in the beginning, but I grew to love him and he was so swoon worthy by the end of the book. He is definitely a Clark Kent. =D

The writing was amazing. Aimee has definitely made it onto my authors I admire list. She gives such great detail and paints a vivid picture in your mind, and she wrote this HUGE book that was amazing and she added a lot of its own great history to it and I'm left thinking "Wow, I want to do this." She's definitely on my author watch list now.

Overall, this book was really good. The only problem that I had with it is that it kind of dragged a little bit in the middle, but surprisingly was still very much enjoyable to read even when it did drag. But the ending was kick ass. I loved it. I can't wait for the sequel, I wish I had it right now! This IS an angel book, but it's very unique. I recommend it! It has a little bit of heaven AND hell in it. Literally. =D You definitely want to check this book out. GREAT 2012 debut!

At this time, I have no idea of the title or release date of the second book. I'll come back and edit this later when I have the information!

Starters, by Lissa Price

Starters, by Lissa Price
(Starters, #1)
Publisher: Delecorte Press
Release Date: March 13, 2012
ARC: 368 pages
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 5 days
Source: Random Buzzers
Challenge: Debut Author, Dystopian
Rating:
To learn more about my rating badges, click here!

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. . . .

I have to admit, this was one of those books that I saw and thought sounded pretty interesting, but I wasn't going all crazy wanting it. I told myself I could wait and if I saw it in the library someday, I'd read it. Then it came in the mail as my book for the Ambuzzador program for Random Buzzers. When I opened it and saw it, I was a little disappointed.

I tried to get really excited about it, but I couldn't. Until I started reading it! It sucked me in and I couldn't stop. If I would of had more reading time, I probably would of finished it in a day, two tops. I wanted to keep reading it and reading it.

Every time a chapter ended and I had to put it down to go to bed or do something else other than reading, I kept wondering what was going to happen to Callie next. What would Helena do next? At first, I was wondering what kind of crazy Helena was on, but then as Callie--and I--got to know her, I really started to like her.

The characters in this book were so interesting, even the other "renters" that you would meet for a little bit along the way. I really liked Callie, she did what she had to in order to protect her little brother Tyler. She made a grown up decision and sucked in her pride and went in to Prime Destinations to be RENTED out to the Ender's who were over a hundred years old and wanted to use her body so they could feel young again and do things they couldn't do as an ender.

The world Price created was very intriguing and very scary. I love Dystopian novels, but so many are coming out nowadays that I'm getting worried that the genre is going to become too overdone and each new dystopian novel you pick up is going to have something in it that has already been used. And that scares me. But I can definitely say that this was not the case with Starters.

I mean, can you just imagine it? A world where everyone from 20 to 60 is just gone. POOF! Ceases to exist? And all that's left is the Starters, who are ages 19 and below, and then the Enders who are 60 to, like, 200! I really like the way that got this idea started in her head as well, all over the flu shot crisis a couple of years back.

Overall, this was a great dystopian. A great debut, and kept me completely intrigued until the last age. And you know, it doesn't even stop there, I'm intrigued on what is going to happen in the sequel. I really wish that it came out, like, right now. If you love Dystopian, I definitely recommend it. Heck, even if you don't like Dystopian at least give it a try. It could surprise you!

The second book in the series is called  Enders. It is expected to be published on December 12, 2012.