Review: Cinder

Title: Cinder

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Format: Hardcover, First Edition

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet

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

I saw this a while ago on Goodreads, and I always meant to buy it simply because of the Cinderella retelling. I love a good retelling, and I am a sucker for anything that has to do with Cinderella. I kept seeing it at Target for the longest time, but I never took it home because I was afraid that I wouldn't like it because of the robots and androids. I was so wrong. I should have just taken it home with me on the first day I saw it in a store, but days passed, and then years passed before I finally bought in on Book Outlet.

I was taken in by this book from the very first page. Meyer has a way with words that can just suck a reader into a story. This might be a cliche, but I really felt like I was seeing everything in front of me as it was unfolding.  

Cinder is an amazing retelling and an amazing story of its own. Obviously Cinder is the book's Cinderella. She was adopted when she was eleven by a man, and soon after, he dies, so she is stuck living with his wife and two daughters - the step family in the story. Then there is Prince Kai who is the Prince Charming of the tale. There are also some other important characters such as Dr. Eland and the Lunar queen, Queen Levana.

Oh, and if that's not enough, the Lunar princess is missing, and Prince Kai is searching for her so he can get out of an imminent marriage with Queen Levana.

I really liked the Princess Selene storyline in this book. Missing princess rumored to be alive? People are searching for her? She could bring hope to the country? It reminded me so much of what I learned about Anastasia when I was younger.

I'm truly glad that I finally read this book. It is amazing, and I'm sure that I'll be starting Scarlet tonight.