Monday, March 5, 2012

Review: CINDER by Marissa Meyer

CINDER
by Marissa Meyer
pub date 1/3/2012

product description from goodreads.com

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.

My Review:


CINDER was a tad bit different than what I had expected from all the hoopla, but a good read nonetheless. It's the story of Cinder, a cyborg teen living in New Beijing, who works as a mechanic fixing androids and the likes. As you can guess from the book's title, she's Cinderella--though the world in which she lives is far different from that of the Disney character.

And that world is perhaps the best thing about CINDER. Ms. Meyer has crafted a very interesting, unique setting for this Cinderella revamp. Androids. Cyborgs. Royalty. Moon People. Yes, I said Moon People. The Lunars. A race of people who harbor special powers over Earthens (that's what they call humans), and who also hold the key to saving our planet. See, the world has fallen prey to a deadly disease called lemutosis, which basically has a 100% kill rate. No one is safe, including the royal family in New Beijing. And the Lunars can help--but will they? Okay, no more details before I open my mouth too much! lol Rest assured, the creativity put into creating the world of CINDER is spot-on.

CINDER also has some well-written, interesting characters that keep you engaged throughout the entire novel. Cinder, her android friend Iko, her two "wicked stepsisters" (though only one is really wicked; Peony is sweet and endearing), Prince Kai--each has their own story that I can't wait to see unfold throughout the four books in this series.

My Rating:
Overall, CINDER is a well-written, super interesting story that kept me turning pages to the very end. I give it 4 stars, and will definitely be reading the next installment in the series, SCARLET.

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