Cinder Review

By: Claire Rankin

 

“Do your kind even know what love is? Can you feel anything at all, or is it just… programmed?”
― Marissa Meyer, Cinder

Cinderella never looked quite like this. Cinder is the first book, published in 2012, of The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer. The rest of the series is out as well and if they are anything like Cinder they will be a treat to read. So . . . hear we go!

Cinder Linh is a cyborg in a society where they are treated like second class citizens. Not to mention a world in which the plague rules and outbreaks have even touched the royal family. In New Bejing, Cinder Linh is one of the best mechanics available, but no one knows her stepmother takes all her money as recompense for being a cyborg and an adopted child. But what happen when Cinder befriends the Prince of New Bejing and is the star subject of research that could find a cure for the plague? Oh and, as if that weren’t enough, the Lunar Queen is out to kill her.

Cinder herself is fabulously real. While her stepmother and stepsisters share her realism though they are more privileged and spoiled. Prince Kai will make readers smile and yell at the same time, while he remains torn between what he should do and what he desires Kai is as tragic a character as Cinder is. Then, there is the doctor who allows Cinder to realize her true potential. Finally, the Lunar queen herself, Levana, whose wickedness and evil temperament reveal themselves in the stimulating climax of the first novel of what promises to be a wonderful series.

Marissa Meyer does an excellent job of making a 400 plus page novel seem to go by too quickly with her wit, characters development, and foreshadowing into the rest of the series.

As always we provide outside opinions:

“Singing mice and glass slippers are replaced with snarky androids and mechanical feet in this richly imagined and darkly subversive retelling of ‘Cinderella.’” ―BCCB

“First in the Lunar Chronicles series, this futuristic twist on Cinderella retains just enough of the original that readers will enjoy spotting the subtle similarities. But debut author Meyer’s brilliance is in sending the story into an entirely new, utterly thrilling dimension.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Cinderella is a cyborg in this futuristic take on the fairy tale, the first book in Ms. Meyer’s planned ‘Lunar Chronicles’ series.” ―Wall Street Journal, in a round-up called “After Harry Potter: The Search for the Magic Formula”

Cinder is delight to read and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other book stores near you. Please pick up a copy if it interests you and happy reading everyone! 🙂