Book Review: Cinder

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format: ARC
5 stars: Keeper
Publication: January 3, 2012 (Hardcover)
Pages: 387
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)
Buy it: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

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.

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that's enthralling.

This is the best story with a fairy-tale touch that I've ever read. I love books with action and mystery, and Cinder has it all. The poor, mistreated girl. The threat of intergalactic war. The hot prince. And a Lunar princess, killed by her aunt in a power struggle.

Cinder is a resourceful girl. People who know what she is--a cyborg--detest her, believing her to be less than human. Cinder's stepmother never wanted the orphan cyborg that her husband picked up, and she uses Cinder to bring in the income and take care of menial chores around the house. Even so, Cinder never stops believing that there's a way out along with her faithful android Iko with its quirky, lovable personality. Prince Kai's arrival into Cinder's life and her stepsister's illness mark the turning point in Cinder's life. She finds herself reluctantly drawn to the prince even as secrets come to light, and she learns more about her true identity. Before she knows it, Cinder's life is in jeopardy.

Just as Cinder is planning on running away, she receives information that the prince's life is in danger. Knowing full well that going to him would place her own life in greater danger, Cinder must decide what means more to her. Freedom or love. Marissa Meyer has crafted a world that has suffered greatly at its own hands and which now faces the threat of a powerful Lunar queen. As the plot progresses, the stakes keep climbing, as the secrets keep unfurling. I loved every moment of this book. Definitely look for Cinder when it's released and anticipate the release of the sequel!



Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. No payment was received in return for a review. The receipt of the book had no influence on the opinions expressed in my review.