Starters by Lissa Price. Published by Random House 2012.
Here's a new twist on the myriad of horrific possibilities described in previous dystopian fiction - the possibility of an Elder renting the body of a younger person (a Starter), so that youth can again be experienced. In many ways, this seems a very gross concept.
This is not to say I did not enjoy this book - I did. But the premise on which it is based is pretty foul even for Dystopia!
Callie, the heroine, and her little brother who is suffering from a potentially life-threatening illness, are living as squatters, on the fringe of starvation all the time, and at risk of losing what little they do have to bands of renegades.
Enter the Body Bank, a group of warped individuals who offer money in return for the loan of your body, as long as it's attractive and young. And of course, Callie signs up so she can help her little brother. So far, so good. However as these things go, something goes significantly wrong and Callie finds herself in way more trouble than she could have imagined.
This is Lissa Price's first novel, her writing style is fairly easy, and she has a quirky sense of humour which helps to alleviate the bleak nature of the plotlines. However towards the end, I felt that the various threads of the story were cobbled together a bit quickly - the last couple of chapters seemed only to tie up ends, without adding much value.
The ending, however, does give rise to some disconcerting thoughts. I 'll leave it to you to discover what those might be.
Overall, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Not a must-read, but good enough if you are keen on dystopian fiction.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dogthoughts
Worried about our new dog, Ripley, who is actually an older dog. She's at the vet having a back xray to see what is causing the pain. She's been on morphine for a couple of days, which helps.
Gives new meaning to the expression "drug dog" :)
She is quite a character, and has a variety of greetings ranging from a whimper to a full-throttle huntaway bark, which ramps up if she thinks no attention is being paid.
Everyone who comes get a present, either with or around the bark - so far gifts include all her toys, old socks, a potato, a can of tuna and most recently a pot of coriander from outside the back door..........
Gives new meaning to the expression "drug dog" :)
She is quite a character, and has a variety of greetings ranging from a whimper to a full-throttle huntaway bark, which ramps up if she thinks no attention is being paid.
Everyone who comes get a present, either with or around the bark - so far gifts include all her toys, old socks, a potato, a can of tuna and most recently a pot of coriander from outside the back door..........
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, October 22, 2007
From Seattle where it is sunny for the first time
The IB conference has been really good. Huge amounts of work to be done, of course. But a very interesting exercise overall.
Met up with all kinds of great people from all over the US, not one fitting the stereotype of American which many of us have!
School librarians in the US are all teachers as well, and are called School Media Specialists. They are the ones responsible in general for instilling good practice in information literacy into their kids, but again it's a variable exercise and some states have programmes in place, others don't.
The IB seems to be in a position to encourage really good collaboration between teachers and librarians, even if the librarians are not teachers as well - the skills needed are transferable, I think, and most NZ school librarians would find the expectations "meetable" - I know that is NOT a word, okay?
The library is significant in the IB programmes, and I see it as essential for librarians to be involved in the planning for implemenation of IB in schools in NZ, probably meeting with coordinators regularly.
I will write this up more fully later, but that's the overall impression for now.
Seattle rains a lot. Today it's sunny, for the first time in 6 days. Minor miracle , it seems, as from now till April it is usually overcast and grey and frequently raining. Sound familiar??
This has been a great end to my trip, and although I was pretty apprehensive about the whole conference, it has been a positive experience. Now my apprehension relates to the amount of work I will have to do back in NZ!
Signing off, but will keep this blog going I think just for local stuff and my deliberations on the way through this IB process.
Met up with all kinds of great people from all over the US, not one fitting the stereotype of American which many of us have!
School librarians in the US are all teachers as well, and are called School Media Specialists. They are the ones responsible in general for instilling good practice in information literacy into their kids, but again it's a variable exercise and some states have programmes in place, others don't.
The IB seems to be in a position to encourage really good collaboration between teachers and librarians, even if the librarians are not teachers as well - the skills needed are transferable, I think, and most NZ school librarians would find the expectations "meetable" - I know that is NOT a word, okay?
The library is significant in the IB programmes, and I see it as essential for librarians to be involved in the planning for implemenation of IB in schools in NZ, probably meeting with coordinators regularly.
I will write this up more fully later, but that's the overall impression for now.
Seattle rains a lot. Today it's sunny, for the first time in 6 days. Minor miracle , it seems, as from now till April it is usually overcast and grey and frequently raining. Sound familiar??
This has been a great end to my trip, and although I was pretty apprehensive about the whole conference, it has been a positive experience. Now my apprehension relates to the amount of work I will have to do back in NZ!
Signing off, but will keep this blog going I think just for local stuff and my deliberations on the way through this IB process.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
suffering in Seattle!
Well, only in that last night's dinner was good then but not now!
Meant to write this funny story from the boat yesterday - the salmon hatchery is on the river just near where we were sailing, and apparently about 4 years ago a young male Californian sea-lion (problematical up here) found his way on to the fish ladder and stayed there, eating the salmon as they came back to spawn. The ag and fish people caught him, and returned him to Southern California. Next year he came back, and took up the same pozzie. They returned him, but further south still than his original starting point. Third year, same story - however by now ag and fish staff decided they could outwit Hershel (his nickname) and sent him to Florida where he leads a happily captive life miles from any fish ladders!
There is a storm warning out here - it was all over the tv and papers, and the morning telly only ran stories about how awful it will be, and what precautions to take etc. It is now blowing a bit, not specially bad for a welly-town girl, and is quite mild. I wonder how often they get such storms, given the panic that it seems to engender. Traffic delays this morning were up to an hour for a journey that usually would take a quarter of that time!! bizarre.
May have to eat my words, but gusts of 40 mph don't seem too horrific to me :)
Off to the Hilton tomorrow for the conference. ..........more from there.
Meant to write this funny story from the boat yesterday - the salmon hatchery is on the river just near where we were sailing, and apparently about 4 years ago a young male Californian sea-lion (problematical up here) found his way on to the fish ladder and stayed there, eating the salmon as they came back to spawn. The ag and fish people caught him, and returned him to Southern California. Next year he came back, and took up the same pozzie. They returned him, but further south still than his original starting point. Third year, same story - however by now ag and fish staff decided they could outwit Hershel (his nickname) and sent him to Florida where he leads a happily captive life miles from any fish ladders!
There is a storm warning out here - it was all over the tv and papers, and the morning telly only ran stories about how awful it will be, and what precautions to take etc. It is now blowing a bit, not specially bad for a welly-town girl, and is quite mild. I wonder how often they get such storms, given the panic that it seems to engender. Traffic delays this morning were up to an hour for a journey that usually would take a quarter of that time!! bizarre.
May have to eat my words, but gusts of 40 mph don't seem too horrific to me :)
Off to the Hilton tomorrow for the conference. ..........more from there.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Staggered in Seattle
This is a great place. everyone is helpful and what's more they all know where they are, unlike NY where everyone is "not from around here"!
I explored the Pike Street Market, got a good tip on excellent coffee, the barista gave me a good idea for a trip on Puget Sound, and the internet cafe gives you free internet for half an hour with a glass of wine (well, it is 6.30 pm!)
Plus the hotel is really very nice and walking distance from the centre of the city.
i am sold!, but then I am a soft touch, I loved NY, remember!
so, enough raving as my wine and my time are both running low!
more tomorrow, I expect.
Only a week before I am back, and will have to make up for all this trekking around and enjoying myself.
last thing I did in NY was to hang out with my lovely nephew Aaron at his flat and his recording studio (Matt Rogers, if you read this, eat your heart out!- the sound desk is HUGE and came from the Osmond family home recording studio. It is wicked, in a good way!)
Anyway, more later.
I explored the Pike Street Market, got a good tip on excellent coffee, the barista gave me a good idea for a trip on Puget Sound, and the internet cafe gives you free internet for half an hour with a glass of wine (well, it is 6.30 pm!)
Plus the hotel is really very nice and walking distance from the centre of the city.
i am sold!, but then I am a soft touch, I loved NY, remember!
so, enough raving as my wine and my time are both running low!
more tomorrow, I expect.
Only a week before I am back, and will have to make up for all this trekking around and enjoying myself.
last thing I did in NY was to hang out with my lovely nephew Aaron at his flat and his recording studio (Matt Rogers, if you read this, eat your heart out!- the sound desk is HUGE and came from the Osmond family home recording studio. It is wicked, in a good way!)
Anyway, more later.
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