I avoided reading Cinder for so long. I read the description and decided it wasn’t for me. I’m not above saying…I WAS SO WRONG! This book is awesome and amazing and surprising.

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA – Science Fiction, Retelling

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Series: #1 in Lunar Chronicles

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

Cinderella as a Cyborg

My first thoughts after reading the book description for Cinder were “This is not for me.” Looking back, I tried to figure out why I felt that way. I think it had a lot to do with the terms “cyborg,” “android” and “lunar.” What the heck is this book about?! How can Cinder have anything to do with this?!

I’m here to tell you how WRONG I was and how amazing Cinder is. If you’re like me and read a light science fantasy (ish) type book every once and awhile (like Unravel Me or Pretties), then trust me, you can handle this book.

What makes Cinder fantastic is that it takes the basic elements of the Cinderella story – evil stepmother, working as a laborer, ball at midnight – and gives it new life. Cinder was adopted into the Linh family when she was a child. She was in a terrible hovercraft accident and survived because of the new, metal parts she was given (like her whole leg).

After she meets Prince Kai, her daily routine is shaken up. As the top mechanic in New Beijing, Cinder is asked to fix a royal android who has stopped working.

There are so many new threads in Cinder that I didn’t feel like I’d heard this story over and over. The city of New Beijing is a monarchy in the new world formed after additional world wars (after World War II). Add to that, there’s a deadly plague spreading across what’s left of the world, and there’s no known cure.

THEN add that unraveling history of Cinder’s childhood and background that she’s only just discovering.

Phew. It’s a wild ride.

The Glass Slipper The Metal Foot

Cinder is a wholly unique and untold tale. Which is just masterful, as the nuances to the original fairytale are subtly present.

Let’s talk about romance in Cinder. I was a fan. It wasn’t overly swoon-ish, BUT it wasnt’ instalove. Thank you!

In fact, it was only really in slight touches and side glances that you could really see anything going on, BUT Meyer has me guessing. I hate it when I know for sure what’s going to happen in the romance department. It’s exciting but not really surprising.

I think Meyer is going to totally shock me. Dunno, guys, dunno.

OVERALL

I was so pleasantly surprised with Cinder. I took a “risk” by reading a book outside of what I normally read, and it seriously paid off. I highly recommend Cinder, and think it makes a great addition to the YA science fiction scene.

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