Cinder

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Marissa Meyer

Pages: 387

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Age Group: Young Adult

Date Published: January 3, 2012

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the 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.

This book was incredible. I read it in one sitting, and nearly cried at the end (out of frustration). I'm dying for the next one now. Just, ohmygosh, I love fairy tale retellings, and this was certainly no different. I never much cared for Cinderella, but I loved Marissa Meyer's Cinder. I just... WOW.

With my incoherent babble out of the way, I'll talk about the plot. It starts off with Cinder, a mechanic, working at her booth, where she fixes things mechanical-like. Prince Kai comes and asks her to fix his android, and she agrees to, but it might take her a while. She goes home, and we meet her step family (not so nice, except for Peony). Then Peony gets sick with this plague, Peony's momma (Cinder's stepmother) goes a little off her rocker and gives Cinder away to be tested on with this plague. And then there's lots of interesting discoveries about herself and the people she thought she knew. And there's some romance, and intergalactic threats of war. And lots of sci-fi things (cyborgs, androids, aliens, ya know). It's all threaded into the classic tale of Cinderella (except this Cinder is kick-butt). It's amazing. I love the part her being cyborg plays into everything (Cinderella was a servant, and therefore looked down upon. Cinder is a cyborg, and therefore looked down upon). Marissa Meyer also put quotes from the original Cinderella before each "section" of the book, and they let us know what that part would correlate to, and that was really neat.

I adored Cinder. Like, she was the princess who didn't need to be saved from her tower. She could hold her own in the world, and against those who were cruel to her. She was resourceful, and kind, and intelligent, and awesome. And she did everything she could to help those who were important to her. Gosh, she was just such a great heroine. And then there was Prince Kai. He was a little arrogant, but I liked it. He was caring and kind, and handsome. He kind of just an all around good guy. And then there's this doctor guy, Dr. Erland. And he is so awesome. He's a little loony, but it works for him. He was like the cool grandpa we all wish we had.

I loved the cover. A lot. It's so different from what I've seen recently, and it's gorgeous. It's what originally drew me to the book. I love the shoe and the gears you can see through the leg and I even love the font of the title. It's all just so pretty! And it does cast the air of Cinderella, and that's so neat.

So yeah, 5 stars because it was awesome. This is another one of those books that I believe all literate people should read. It was fascinating and gorgeous and amazing. Now I need Scarlet!!!