Review: Enders by Lissa Price

Enders

Author: Lissa Price
Series: Starters #2
Publisher: Random House Children’s
Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Source: Received eARC from publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 4 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too ...and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body?

My Review:

It’s been awhile since I read Starters so I was a little fuzzy on the details, but Lissa Price did a great job of reminding us enough that I felt like I had a solid grasp on what was going on. Prime Destinations has been destroyed, but Callie still can’t have a normal life. She will never be free until the chip inside her head is removed, but removing the chip is more complicated than a simple surgery. Until the chip is gone, Callie will continue to hear the Old Man inside her head, but now she’s hearing a new voice. One that sounds like her father who died one year ago in the Spore Wars. But is it her father or just the Old Man playing tricks on her? His plans are dark and treacherous and Callie has to stop him before someone she loves gets hurt.

I really enjoyed this book, the ending to the Starters duology. The plot is interesting and moves quickly, making me unable to stop turning the pages. The main character, Callie, is awesome. She’s smart, courageous, and has a huge heart. Not only does Callie want to protect the people she loves (her brother and Michael), she also wants to protect the other innocent Metals, teens with chips in their heads just like her. At first, Callie wants to run away and hide in her new mansion, but she develops throughout this novel and stands up to a man that everybody else is afraid of. I loved watching her inner strength grow and her character develop. This book also touches a bit on inner beauty which was a great add-on to the already interesting plot. It was a great learning point for young women and I enjoyed that aspect immensely.

“But we’ll look a lot better if we’re happy inside. If we used our brains and our talents instead of stressing over what someone else defines as pretty.” –Callie

The author introduces us to a new character in this book, Hyden, a guy who claims that he can help Callie stop the Old Man once and for all. He was a really interesting, complex character, with a haunted past and plenty of problems of his own. I enjoyed watching him open up to Callie and let her in.

Some issues. Michael. I really wanted to get to know Michael better. I wanted him to play a bigger role in this book, but he doesn’t. He was just kind of there, on the side lines. I felt like he was there to form a love triangle, but there is zero chemistry between him and Callie and I didn’t see what the point was. He kind of felt like a filler character that could have been eliminated.

The other issue I had was with Blake. He kind of falls off the face of the Earth in this book. We find out what happens to him, but his relationship with Callie from the first book is never addressed or tied up. He just kind of fades into the background.

But those were my only two issues with the book. Everything is wrapped up and readers will be rewarded with a great sense of hope at the end of the novel. The plot of this series is dark, original, and fascinating. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I thought I was burned out on dystopians, but Lissa Price managed to write a dystopian that felt fresh and original. If you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for? Happy reading all!

Have you read this series? What did you think? Did you also feel like Michael was just kind a filler character?