Cinder By Marissa Meyer

Synopsis/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.

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⭐⭐⭐.💫/5

Ever wondered how Cinderella’s story could have taken place in a dystopian world, where humans coexist with cyborgs and androids and there is even a mortal plague capable of killing every human on earth?

Well… if you hadn’t, then Cinder is the perfect book for you ;) After reading Heartless I wanted another taste of Marissa Meyer’s novels and beautiful retellings. Cinder is the first book of four in the Lunar Chronicles saga, set in a dystopian world where Earth is in an intergalactic struggle with the Lunars: relentless beings with the power to persuade your mind when they want and if they want. In this first novel, you are going to see the story through the eyes of Cinder Linh, a gifted cyborg mechanic that works every day in order to provide for her stepmother. Until one day her sister catches the plague and Cinder is the only one left to blame. You will find a slow-burn forbidden romance that will most probably lead Cinder into being the center of this intergalactic battle.

I quite literally ate this book; I have been wanting to read it for a long time, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I would recommend this novel to people who are looking for something fast, addictive, and very easy to read. There is no use of complex words and the world is simple to understand. Readers from 10-15: Cinder could be one of your next best reads ;)

What I enjoyed the most about it was seeing the original story of Cinderella retold in a way that was far more original and far less stereotypical. It was fun seeing the connections between the hypertext and the hypotext and the differences, filled with much more magic and a twinkle of fantasy.

Cinder is the main character but compared with the original Cinderella you don’t feel the need to roll your eyes every time a pathetic and cliche thing happens to her. Cinder stands for herself and does not need the prince in order to be saved; this time, maybe the prince needs her... She is a fighter who endured a lot and still has to. As the book keeps its curse you watch her grow and uncontrollably build a wall that separates her from her weaknesses.

Prince Kai was not that hackneyed person you imagine when I say the word “prince”. His character is as well developed and I saw all those issues he has to face because of his royal position. He has to make life-changing choices that can transform the whole country’s future. Does he have to follow his heart as prince or heart as human? In comparison to Cinderella, having a good-looking face did not resolve anything. You can see his vulnerable parts as well as strengths and feelings. I loved the relationship they had, because I thought that it was going to be like the one in Cinderella, all easy peasy… Well— not really, not at all. It is really slow but worth it. And in the end, even though I saw some things coming, there is a thing I DID NOT.

I gave this book 3,7 stars because even though the idea was very original, the beginning was a little bit slow. Then it exploded and obsession took over. It was a really good book for being the first one in a saga. I have hope that Scarlet, the second one, will be even better. It left me with a deep eagerness to read it!! I just cannot wait.