Cinder: review

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Scource: ARC provided by Changing Hands bookstore
Genres: YA, science fiction, dystopian, fairytale retellings, steampunk
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.

Wow! That was great. But I wish the rest of the series was out already. Such a big climax and ending! 

It's been a few books since encountering a unique book that was hard to put down. Seriously, you just can't stop reading it. Even though it's based off Cinderella, it's so much MORE than that, with layers of politics and science fiction, only now and then are you reminded how it relates to the old fairy tale. But in the good way. Make sense? Because its tied in so intricately. :) 

Also , the romance aspect? SUCH a nice break from all that paranormal crap nowadays. Sure, it's a fairy tale so expect that kind, but really, most of the book is NOT focused on that, which leaves room for creating a wonderful history-future- for Earth instead of swooning and eye descriptions in popular YA books. 

The setting is perfect too. How to make the fairy tale work in a futuristic setting? New Beijing! Brilliant. You have a prince and everything. 

And even though I guessed lots of secrets in the book (like maybe 5 out of the 7. Because there are a LOT of twists.) it didn't make Cinder at all less enjoyable while reading, and still fun to watch the actual characters figure out. :) 

I could write a longer review about this book, but just read it. I'm sure you will love it if you are a fan of sci-fi, steampunk, fairy tales or dystopia, because it's got it all, and then some.


Full 5 stars. It just rocks.


You might also enjoy...hm...can't think of any right now. It is such a mix of everything...Battlestar Galactica?


*waves*
-Jane


Fun fact! In a survey conducted in 1988, 13% of those surveyed believed that the moon is made of cheese. When it in fact it is actually occupied by an alien race with magical powers...just kidding. Shh...