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 Thoughts:
The idea for this novel is pure genius. Cinder is a unique adaptation of the classic Cinderella story in which the main character is a cyborg. You may be thinking this is something like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, where the story is the same with just a few things changed. I assure you it is not. While some of the key components to the Cinderella canon are present, the story is far from an exact telling.
There is, as you might imagine, a pretty heavy science fiction theme throughout the book. The world is very different from our own. The large territory of New Bejing is the setting for this first book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Science has improved, giving the world hover cars and fantastic body implants. However, a horrific disease wreaks havoc with earth's population. It makes the world more believable having problems that have not been solved.
Cinder is a very likable main character. She is smart and daring. Her love for he sister endears her to the reader. But her insecurity and self deprecating outlook give her that illusion of reality that truly strong characters must possess.
Like most young adult fiction today, the cover for the book is wonderful. It caught my eye as soon as I saw it and had me wondering what the book was about. It seems the old saying about not judging a book by its cover just does not apply with this genre. The covers of the books I have read over the past two years are getting more and more eye-catching.
This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Marissa Meyer successfully mixes the young adult, science fiction, dystopia and mystery genres into a fast paced novel you will find quite hard to put down.
The Author:
Marissa Meyer was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, home of Almond Roca and Stadium High School, which was made famous when Heath Ledger danced down the stadium steps in 10 Things I Hate About You. Marissa didn’t actually go to Stadium High School, but she did attend Pacific Lutheran University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. She still lives in Tacoma, now with her husband.Cinder is her YA debut.
Rating: 4/5
Book Details:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Disclaimer:
I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher.
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