Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Published by Feiwel and Friends
On Shelves Now
Reviewed by: Middle
Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say:
Charming (as in Prince….hehehe), Captivating, and Cool
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.
So, I finally broke down and read Cinder because I have an ARC of Scarlet,
and I needed to know what all the hoopla was about. I really enjoyed it; however, it had been put
on such a high pedestal that I don’t think it could have ever lived up to the
hype for me. I was expecting it to just
blow me away, and I ended up just getting another good YA book. (Now, Scarlet,
on the other hand, did blow me away!)
I am kind of new to fairy-tale retellings, only having read
a few, so I really enjoyed that part of this story. I loved how Marissa had taken the classic
characters and morphed them into something new and different, yet echoing the
sentiments of the originals. I
especially loved what she did with Cinder, making her a cyborg in a world where
cyborgs are looked upon as little better than scrap metal. She was a pariah, yet she didn’t let that
hold her down. Cinder knew exactly what
she wanted, and even in the face of adversity, loss, and unimaginable
revelations, she kept her focus and her strength. I found myself cheering for Cinder to succeed
and win the guy. Cinder herself was by
far the best part of this book—so unique, and I really loved her personality as
it shined through the pages.
Now, I’m not sure I understand the fandom behind Kai. I remember during our Crush Tourney this past
summer that so many people loved him, but I just don’t see it. Yes, he’s this Prince Charming guy, but other
than that, there wasn’t anything striking about him. He just seemed to be this normal guy in a not
so normal situation and place in society.
He seemed weak with the Lunars (although most people are I will admit),
and I just wanted him to be more…confident and charismatic. I’m hoping that in the future books he will
grow into his position more, and stop worrying about what the world
thinks/wants.
I really enjoyed the world that Marissa created—futuristic in
some ways, but in other ways, the same as ours.
Earth is being ravished by a deadly plague, and as a result, fear and
panic are overwhelming. I could feel the
tension and the uncertainty in Marissa’s words, and her world seemed to come
alive around me. I loved the androids
and technology that Marissa described, and I look forward to seeing more of it
in the future.
I wish that it would have been a little less predictable. But maybe Marissa wanted us to be able to
predict what was going to happen, I don’t know.
However, I like when I am surprised by the ending or a revelation in the
book, and unfortunately, I did not get a surprise in this one. I saw everything coming, and that was without
knowing anything about the book in the first place. Here’s to hoping that the next books will
leave more in the shadows.
Overall, this was a great and fun read. Is it one that I will rush over to my friends
and demand they read at once? Not
normally, but having read Scarlet and knowing what is coming, I just might do
it anyway.
Want more Cinder? It's also available in audiobook format! Check out a sample here
Want more Cinder? It's also available in audiobook format! Check out a sample here
