Recent Reads - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1), Marissa Meyer

 5 of 5 Stars

Genre: Young Adult, SciFi/Fantasy

Pages: 387

Publication: 1/3/2012, Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan)

Buy It:


Why I Chose It: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) from the publisher in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

My Review:  One word: AMAZING. It's billed as a fairy tale retelling and while I caught the references to Cinderella, Cinder is so much more than that. This one has it all--an engaging and relatable heroine, a unique plot, a prince, an evil queen, magic-like powers, cyborgs (YES, cyborgs), a futuristic setting, and a deadly plague threatening to decimate the population of Earth. Yeah, it doesn't get much better than Cinder.

Add to all this the smooth, easy writing style of Marissa Meyer and you have one of the best debuts of 2012. I'm already counting down the days until the release of part 2 in 2013. Feiwel & Friends seems to be just hitting it out of the park with their releases for the coming year.

Cinder is totally likeable. Her guardian (evil-stepmother) Adri treats her as a servant and as a burden. She has no friends save for her stepsister Peony--who contracts the plague--and a "defective" android. But she's feisty, smart, and confident even though she is trapped in a hopeless situation. I couldn't help but love her.

Kai wasn't ultra swoon-worthy, but he had his moments and I certainly found myself sympathizing with his plight--losing his parents to the plague, the burden of becoming emperor at such a young age, dealing with the demands and the threat of war from the evil Queen Levana.

Speaking of Queen Levana, I have to tell you that she is one of the creepiest villains. She's unfeeling, calculating, manipulative--all while projecting an image of perfect beauty and wearing a painted-on smile. I LOVE her.

The setting is a futuristic society in China, still reeling from the effects of World War 4 and currently suffering from a plague that kills everyone it touches. I liked the fact that while there was a mixed populace, hovercrafts, and androids, there was still a sense of Old World tradition and prejudices that made it familiar and real.

In the end, I was left wanting more. I will warn you that there is a cliffhanger ending. This story won't be resolved in one book, so don't be surprised when it happens. That being said, this is an incredible book that is not yo be missed. Covet, borrow, acquire. Do what you have to do, just get your hands on this book. You won't be disappointed.

---

Cinder is also available as an audiobook from Macmillan Audio and they've been kind enough to offer a free preview:

From Publisher - Cinder webclip - eSnips

Like what you hear? Buy It From Amazon or Macmillan Audio

--