Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder (#1 of The Lunar Chronicles)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA sci-fi/ fairytale retelling

Published by: Macmillan

Length: 387 pages

Source: borrowed from school library

Blurb: 

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.

I put off reading this for as long as I could. Mostly because my sister likes it and that MUST mean it’s awful. But after hearing soooo many people rave about it, eventually I had to see what all the fuss was about.

And it turns out the fuss is not ludicrous, because I loved it! In fact I’m going to make a list of the things I loved about it because lists are great:

1)      I loved Peony and how she wasn’t an awful stepsister.

2)      I loved that it was set in New Beijing – diversity FTW.

3)      I loved that Cinder was a mechanic; you don’t see that very often in YA.

4)      I loved that it’s a fairytale retelling in a sci-fi book with some elements of magic (although that’s explained as science anyway).

5)      Cinder is just a great character.

6)      So is Iko.

7)      And Kai.

8)      Marissa Meyer made me hate Adri more than I have ever hated a character ever. Well, that’s not true because Umbridge. But Adri came very close!

Buuuuuut, there were things I didn’t like as much.

Mainly, I guessed the end plot twist right at the start of the book. I mean, come on.

And that was even with my sister’s misleading comments of “no, you’re completely wrong.” Sophie, if you’re reading this that was rude.

Also, towards the end of the book there’s reference to a “coy” pond. I mean, really. I laughed out loud and it was quite a tense moment (yes, I’m nitpicking GREATLY, but incorrect grammar annoys me).

I also would have liked to see more of the Chinese culture, since not much of it was in the story. But overall, I really really liked it. On with Scarlet!

Rating: 4/5 Wonderkitties.