Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)by Marissa Meyer
387 pages
Macmillan Publishers, January 2012
young adult/romance/science fiction/dystopian
Read in 4 days
Read in 4 days
My Rating: ★★★★1/2
My Review: Very few people don’t know the story of Cinderella. If you’re like me, you’ve seen several movie versions of the movie growing up as well. Not only that, but being a fairytale, it’s easy to see aspects of this story in other, more modern tales. The classic (and oft times tragic) story of girl who likes boy but due to some societal or financial reason she does not feel worthy of his affection. Similar to that of Romeo & Juliet, only not as tragic because in Cinderella it’s one of those “and they lived happily ever after” kind of endings. This book is the story of Cinderella but told in the future and in Beijing, China. I think that location would never have entered my mind for a Cinderella remake but I must say, for the larger story she’s looking to tell in the continuation of this series, it works.
If you like the fairytale and are not open for huge change from that idea this book will not interest you. Otherwise, read on, because there is something for everyone in this story. Cinder is a cyborg (meaning certain parts of her anatomy and internal organs are robotic) and as such is looked down upon by some people, including, of course, her wicked step-mother Adri, and her two step-sisters. I was happy to see that one of the step-sisters actually befriends Cinder and they get along rather well until tragedy hits. I’ll try not to give any spoilers but let’s just say there is SO much more to this story that some stupid ball and fairy godmother. There are no pumpkins (unless you count the orange car she finds in the junkyard) or midnight bells to listen for. There is a greater danger in this story than losing ones slipper too. Try losing ones mechanical foot!
One criticism I had with the book was the humor. I found it VERY dry, but I suspect that is because the culture where it takes place is different from what I’m used to here. If that is the case then I get two thumbs up to the writer for being so thorough in her research on this book that she was able to perfectly capture the way the Chinese communicate to each other in dialogue.
Summary: 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.
To learn more about Marissa Meyer please visit her site.
[...] created by Marissa Meyer. I’ve reviewed her first book already and you can find my review here. I enjoyed the stark similarities between Cinder and the fairy tale we all know of Cinderella. [...]
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