Portrait of a Spore is a short story that takes place on the day the Spore missiles are released in the dystopian U.S. of Starters. You get two POVs in this story: the main one coming from Callie's mother and the other from a Spore itself. Readers of Starters already know that the story will end with Callie's mom being exposed to the Spore that will eventually lead to her death but it is a beautiful telling that shows the devastation and terror of the beginning of the Spore wars. This story furthers acts to give the reader a greater insight into the loss Callie and her brother Tyler must feel, showing the old life they had and how quickly everything changed and was taken away from them. ( )