I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time which is one of the reasons I chose it as my first book to read in 2019. And it was the perfect book to start my new reading year!
Book Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Book 1) by Marissa Meyer
Category: YA Fiction, 400 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; First Edition edition (2012)
Release date: January 3, 2012
Content Rating: G
Book Description:
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.
With high-stakes action and a smart, resourceful heroine, Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that is at once classic and strikingly original.
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time which is one of the reasons I chose it as my first book to read in 2019. Although my expectations were high because there was so much hype around this book, I was eager to read it simply because I needed a good escapism fun novel. And it was perfect to escape into this very original Cinderella retelling.
I enjoyed every page. The heroine was smart, feisty, generous, but not your typical damsel in distress. I liked that she was different, doing work typically associated to men, and more concerned with others than herself. The message that outer beauty cannot rival inner beauty comes across clearly and is a message that cannot be stressed enough to our young girls today. There was actually very little description of Cinder to the point where I could not picture her, which was not the case for Prince Kai. Perhaps this was done intentionally by the author? So that the reader could envision her as they chose? And she gradually became more and more beautiful as the story progressed?
I also loved that the book is set in a futuristic Beijing, rather than the typical alternative America. I am enjoying diverse reads and was pleased with this aspect of the novel. The world-building is well done and impressive, with the whole human / cyborg interaction.
What I was not expecting was that cliffhanger ending! So needless to say, I'm now hooked on the Lunar Chronicles and MUST read the next book, and probably the next after that and so on. They are in this order:
Cinder
Scarlet
Cress
Winter
Stars Above
Fairest
Scarlet
Cress
Winter
Stars Above
Fairest
If you're one of the few who still hasn't read this book and you like YA fiction, this series is worth getting into. Even if you're not into fairy tale retellings, this story is so original, you may enjoy it for that reason alone. So my first book of the year is on my Best Reads List for 2019. That's a good start to my reading year!
Buy the Book:
About 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.
Connect with Marissa on her Website
My sister loves books like this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm glad you liked it too. I plan on listening to Cress in the near future.
ReplyDeleteScarlet is next for me and I hope to get to it soon.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed your first book for the year. Glad to know it was so good.
ReplyDelete