Just Finished Reading...Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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.

My thoughts~ So last year when Cinder came out, it was plastered all over the bookish part of the internet. I was like, ehh...I don't know. Another Cinderella story. No thanks. For some reason the idea of this book always turned me off. When ever I read the word "cyborg" I kept right on going. Well now that everyone is raving about the soon to be released Scarlet, part two in the Lunar Chronicles, I figured I better jump on the band wagon and see what the fuss is all about. 

I absolutely adored Cinder. It is a dystopian, sci-fi, futuristic retelling of Cinderella. Even though it is a new version of the well known fairy tale  I still found Cinder to be unique and intriguing. What I liked best about this story was the high stakes tension that peppered the entire story. 

Cinder is a fabulous protagonist. I instantly liked her and cared about how she felt. She longs to escape her current life. Cinder has been mistreated by her family, but still has a warm heart and takes care of those who are important to her. She is smart, sassy and makes good decisions.

Then we have Kia, our prince. I just loved him. Not in a super swoon worthy way, but he is just a good person and a well developed character. Through his triumphs and trials, my heart went out to him.

The one thing I would have liked was more description of the city and the characters physical appearance. Cinder takes place in China. The setting was so rarely mentioned that, to me,  it could have been plopped down in any city. I was not sure if we were supposed to assume the characters were Chinese based on the origin of the story, or if the author did not think it was important. Personally, I like to be given a physical description so I know what to picture in my head. Plus, the big reveal was not much of a surprise.  I guessed it the first time it was mentioned. 

Overall, because of the tension and the unique twist of the fairy tale, Cinder is my first favorite of the year. I recommend the read and look forward to Scarlet. A fresh take on Little Red Riding Hood.