Bookwhit

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Published: 01/03/2012 by Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Fairy tale

Stars: 4

Content Rating: 3

Cover: Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.
But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

     Why oh WHY have I put this book off for so long? I read the cover and thought cyborg? I mean what is a cyborg? It seems weird. I dunno. Then I kept reading peoples reviews and everyone really loved this series.  I decided it was time to give it shot and now I’m kicking myself for waiting!

     Cinderella set in a futuristic “New Beijing.” The technology is crazy advanced. There are hovers and androids. I imagined screens everywhere. I think of Beijing now and the buildings and the amount of people and then picture all of that futuristically. The moon has its own people called “Lunars” and it is ruled by Queen Levana. Lunars are different than humans and because they don’t understand each other it has always been the earth against the moon. Or the moon against earth I should say.

     This story starts out with a girl named Cinder who is a very good mechanic. She can fix anything. She is also cyborg. One of her arms and a leg are mechanical. In my mind I think all of it being very transformer like. She’s got gadgets and gizmos aplenty! (Ariel anyone? No?) Cinder has a step mother who doesn’t want anything to do with her. Adri makes her set up shop in the market as a mechanic fixing things for money. She also has two step sisters. Pearl hates Cinder as her mother does but Peony does not. Cinder also has a side kick android named Iko who helps her. I LOVE Iko. She has so much personality it is supposedly faulty. Too much personality! HA! Genius. Since this in New Beijing there is a royal family. Prince Kiato who is referred to as Prince Kia. He meets Cinder when he needs an android fixed who has top secret information. The Emperor has made it his life work to find a cure for the plague that has taken so many lives on Earth. When the Emperor loses his life to the plague Prince Kia also takes on this burden. Cinder’s sister Pearl also is infected with the plague. This is the turning point in this book. *You all know I don’t like to do spoilers because I feel it ruins the book! I’m going to wrap up the basics* When Pearl gets taken into quarentine her mother volunteers Cinder to the palace research team. All who go never come back. While she is there she starts to learn more about her past. The main doctor also has a startling past and Cinder is more confused as ever. While she is trying to figure things out, Queen Levana is trying to pounce on the Prince. Will there be war? Will Cinder find her true identity and destiny? Will Prince Kia find a cure? and maybe love too? ( I always have to have a little bit of a love story.. don’t you?)

     I will admit that I got a little frustrated when I figured out what was going on and the character still hadn’t figured it out. Sometimes that gets dragged out and I’m thinking, “Come on already!” That being said I loved this Cinderella retelling. I thought it was very clever and fun. A new twist that I’m excited to continue. It sounds weird but what new world doesn’t? The book didn’t end Cinder’s story so now I am on to the next book in the series: Scarlet.