Series ~ Lunar Chronicles #1
Author ~ Marissa Meyer
Release Date ~ January 3, 2012
Publisher ~ Feiwel & Friends - Macmillan
Source ~ Feiwel & Friends - Macmillan
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.
Cinder promises a fairy tale retelling, and it delivers the goods with a strong science fiction twist. Think Cinderella with a handsome prince in a dystopian world with cyborgs and aliens. Oh, and there's an Asian element to the setting too. It may sound a bit all over the place, and I guess it is. But somehow this crazy mash up brings it with unexpected awesomeness.
The fairy tale part of Cinder is so well done by Marissa Meyer. She's a genius! At a glance, the story seems to be a very loose retelling with a heroine who is unloved by her stepfamily and then there is a fancy dance where she meets a handsome prince. Ah, but that doesn't even come close to what is in store. There are subtle, and no-so-subtle, glimpses of Cinderella everywhere. These gems are tucked away and peeking out here and there just waiting to be discovered.
Mystery surrounds Cinder’s past and she has suffered many losses. Cinder is treated as an outcast by her stepmother and two stepsisters, but she is emotionally stronger than them. She doesn't let them define who she is or what she is capable of doing. Cinder is made of confidence and it does not come off as she is trying to prove anything to anyone. She is simply being the amazing girl that she is, robotic parts and all. Cinder Rocks!
Relationships are key in this sci-fi fairytale. The relationship between Cinder and her stepfamily, as strained as it is, becomes even tenser when one of the stepsisters catches the plague. Cinder and Prince Kai have a relationship that blossoms bit by beautiful bit. Glancing into Kai’s mind gave me chill bumps because it confirmed he was thinking what I hoped he was. Kai has some majorly huge responsibilities to uphold, and he doesn’t even blink. He knows what he must do, and he faces it without question. Cinder and Kai? YES!
The Lunars are introduced as people from the moon with amazing powers that I will not spoil for you. They are a devious bunch and there is a complex relationship between the Lunars and the people of Earth. I’m not sure if complex even touches this. There is some outright shocking stuff revealed when it comes to the Lunars. Enough said. You will love it! Trust me! YOU WILL LOVE IT!
Cinder will kick off the 2012 young adult book year with a cyborg foot bang! This well played retelling of Cinderella brings new life to a classic story.
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