Writing has always been instinctual for author Lissa Price. She loves telling stories and is excited that with the release of her first novel, “Starters,” she now “has a wider audience beyond my circle of friends.”
“Starters” is set in a future where a genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first, the most vulnerable — the very young and very old. Callie is 16. She and her little brother survived, but their parents didn’t. With no grandparents to claim them, they become squatters, always scavenging and always on the run. But there is hope for a better future. Prime Destinations offers teens a chance at a better life. The catch. They must rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who want to flirt with being young again. It should be painless, feel like taking a long nap. But when Callie’s neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, Callie learns that renting is only part of what turns out to be a horrible plan.
The idea for this “body snatching” drama came to Lissa as she was trying to get a flu shot a few years ago. There wasn’t enough vaccine, and it was only available for the infirm — the young and the elderly. “I thought, ‘What if this was a deadly disease and all that were left were the most vulnerable?’” Lissa told Cracking the Cover.
With the amount of dystopian/sci-fi books currently on bookstore shelves, it can be a struggle to stand out, but Lissa says so far she’s heard from readers that “Starters” has a fresh feel. “I do like to keep the reader guessing and present them with a world and concept that feel different,” she said. “I love playing with different levels of reality where I have two characters talking and at least one does not really know who the other one is.”
There are a few themes Lissa hopes her readers take away from “Starters.” It’s important to note “that no matter how bad things may seem, if you hang in there and be smart, it will get better,” she said. “You can not only survive, but thrive. And also that what you are on the inside is much more important that what you look like on the outside.”
Lissa wrote “Starters” with a young adult audience in mind. For her, that’s where some of the most exciting writing is currently taking place. “When I read the work of Suzanne Collins and Catherine Fisher, I realized that I could just tell my stories and not write “down” to a younger reader,” she said. “That was an exciting revelation. I’m already discovering readers of all ages who relate to ‘Starters.’ But that said, some bloggers have been pleased to note that I don’t have any elements that would be inappropriate for a young reader. My first young beta reader was 12. I thank her in the acknowledgments.”
Already finished with the first draft of “Enders,” the follow-up to “Starters,” Lissa says her writing is still evolving. “I’ve developed more world-building skills, even though I still love the story movement and peak emotional moments best of all,” she said.
“Enders” is slated for a December publication date, and if it’s anything like “Starters,” it will be a good bet for a wild ride.
And speaking of rides, Lissa says if she had to choose between becoming a donor or renting someone else’s body, the answer is simple. “The only fun is in renting! It might be wild to be Shaun White and look down at all the snow while I’m up in the air.”
**Lissa took a lot of time and care answering Cracking the Cover’s questions. Read a complete transcript of her interview.
*Lissa will be at the West Jordan, Utah, Barnes & Noble, 7157 Plaza Center Drive. Monday, March 19th at 7 p.m.
