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Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Published by Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: January 3, 2012
400 Pages
My Source: Borrowed
Cinder by Marissa Meyer |
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. -(summary from Goodreads.com)
My Thoughts: A futuristic sci-fi retelling of Cinderella complete with cyborgs and a plague that wipes out a huge chunk of the population? Political unrest, a race of people living on the moon, a dash of adventure, and the dreamy Prince Kai? Friends, what we have here is an imaginative story that Asheley loved.
Cinder was nothing short of a delight to read. It took some of the classic elements of Cinderella that we know from our childhood — the wicked stepmother and stepsisters, for example — and mixed in some of the elements I mentioned above and made a story that was engaging, interesting, and completely fun.
I was initially a little bit unsure of what this book might hold for me. I mean, the idea of a futuristic cyborg Cinderella seems almost crazy, right? But it really does work. I was so caught up in the story that I felt like I was inside of it, watching it unfold. Marissa Meyer did a nice job of using the base structure of the Cinderella story and adding tons of details to make it her own.
Where I am normally smitten with world-building and secondary characters more than anything, I think that in this case Cinder herself is the shining star. She is a strong female leading character and she’s great. Orphaned in a hovercraft accident as a child, she was adopted by a kind man and brought to New Beijing to live with his family (you know, the wicked stepmother and stepsisters). The man soon died of the Plague, leaving Cinder to suffer the mistreatment and prejudices of her adoptive family as well as a society that does not view cyborgs as equals. Cinder is constantly aware of her inferior status and dreams of leaving New Beijing, thinking that maybe life can be different for her if she can just get away. Despite her social status, Cinder is the most gifted mechanic in all of New Beijing and ends up very important in the fight against the Plague.
I was so thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy of Cinder! I flew through it, enjoying it immensely. The only downside to this is that I have to wait for the next book to come out, and it will seem like forever as Cinder isn’t set for release until early 2012. My understanding is that the Lunar Chronicles is set to be a series of four, so there’s no telling what kinds of twists and turns this series will take in its life. I do know that I am really excited (and impatient) to grab the next book and what happens next.
If you love fairy tales and are a fan of retellings, make sure you read this book. If you like stories about androids, cyborgs, and futuristic machines, you might enjoy this one! If you like a little science-fiction mixed in with your romance, add Cinder to your to-be-read list and pick it up when it comes out in January 2012. I loved it and thought it was just a JOY to read.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. I received no compensation for my review. Thank you Feiwel & Friends!
About Asheley
Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.
You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.
Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!
So happy you liked this and thanks for the great review! I requested it on NetGalley and fingers crossed that I get approved!
NC
Truly Bookish
I just requested this from Netgalley. I honestly didn't know if it was something I would like, so it's good to hear that you liked it so much!
I haven't requested this one, but this one looks so good! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the great review!
Great review, Asheley! I do like fairy tales! And cyborgs! And ever since I saw this cover I thought — "oh that's interesting, Robocop's got some hot girl shoes on."
But MAN OH MAN with the sequels and trilogies and GAH I DON'T LIKE WAITING.
I'm way intrigued! I love retellings of fairy tales and I love sort of sci-fi-ish or speculative fiction. This sounds like it would be right down my alley!
I saw this on Goodreads and my interest was immediately piqued! Based on your review I'm definitely checking it out now!
OOOh excited 😉 Just requested this on NetGalley *fingers crossed* I'll get accepted!
I first saw this on I Read Banned Books blog and when I saw the arc tour and I jumped all over it! I can't wait to read it! I know if you liked it, I will too! 🙂
I have a copy of this and I'm super excited to hear how much you loved it! We all know that Ashley just loves fairy tales! 😀 I hope I can get to this one soon!
I was also a bit unsure about this book. Cyborg Cinderella does sound crazy! I actually was going to pass on it until I have read so many reviews that loved it. I can't wait to read about Cinder.