Cinder - My First Review!

I hope everyone will enjoy my reviews for my book challenges this year. I can tend to babble (like now), but when it comes to giving thoughts about things, I can sometimes have a problem with saying more than just a few words. Depending on the moment, I could have a very short review or a very wordy review. 


With my reviews, I hope to link to the book on Goodreads and the author on Twitter. I am a huge fan of stalking...errr...following authors on Twitter. :)


So, without further ado...CINDER!

Book Title: Cinder                         
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 387
Source: Purchased copy


Goodreads 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.

My take:

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the story of Cinderella and all of the movie versions that I have watched over the years: Disney's Cinderella, Ever After, A Cinderella Story, Ella Enchanted, Enchanted and Another Cinderella Story. I'm sure I will adore and own the upcoming A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song, too.

And now, along with all of the fun Cinderella movies, we have a fantastic new twist to the classic fairy tale.  A cyborg Cinderella. CYBORG! Genius!

The book begins with us meeting Lihn Cinder, a mechanic, working in a tent in the marketplace. We also meet Prince Charming Kaito (Kai) immediately. He has brought his personal android to have fixed and he has heard that Cinder is the best.


We then meet the [evil] stepmother, Adri, and the stepsisters, Pearl (the one we all loathe) and Peony (the nicer of the two and actually friends with Cinder). The girls are, of course, being fitted for dresses to wear to the Prince's ball. Shortly after that, Peony is discovered to have letumosis...the plague. Adri blames Cinder and sends her off as a "volunteer" for plague research. Adri knows that those who volunteer for research do not live after the testing. Cue the "dun dun duuuuuun" music. The evil stepmother strikes!


Cinder's blood is tested and she is injected with a strand of the plague but her body is immune and kills off the deadly microbes that were injected. She is really talked into being a volunteer to continue helping the doctor with more tests, with the option to stop whenever she wants. She really wants to help him find an anecdote so they can save Peony.


Now, to spice up the story a little more, there's another twist to our Cinderella story. In Cinder, there is a race of people, called Lunars, who live on the moon. They have the ability to "glamour" themselves. Meaning they look like they want to look for you -- beautiful. Their Queen does this as well and attempts to get Prince Kai to "fall in love" with her *cue the "dun dun duuuuun" music* so she can rule Earth.


The story goes on and the ball goes on, but Cinder has to go so she can pass on important information to Kai.


I loved the world that Marissa Meyer built and how it still felt real. It felt very "Jetsons" like to me and I loved it! Hovercrafts, people living on the moon, comms to communicate, ID scans...love, love, love! I was hoping the news from the doctor would be what it was. It adds a whole new twist and makes me giddy! I will definitely be ready for Scarlet in 2013!

My rating:

So AMAZING! I am glad to have this one on my bookshelf and will loan it out often.