Friday, January 10, 2014

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer


Published: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 387
Genre: Fairytale/Science Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5






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.


WHAT I LIKED!
  • This book gave me ALL THE FEELS!!! Not just because of Prince Kai, but because the whole story captivated me to my core. Marissa Meyer has such wonderful writing that captures every detail of the book making you want so much more of the story.
  • I enjoyed reading about a different version of Cinder. She is not the perfect, beautiful woman that the fairytale portrays her to be. Cinder is part cyborg with missing limbs and is a mechanic for a living. I liked that she was not some delicate flower who could be taken for granted. She was sarcastic, funny, and could hold her own for the most part.
  • I absolutely loved Iko, Cinder's sidekick robot friend! She was hilarious for being a cyborg and always tried to make the best out of anything. It was really funny when she fantasized about putting on pretty dresses, plus she had the cutest crush on Prince Kai.
  • The romance between Cinder and Kai was perfect. There was no insta-love! The relationship was gradual and the flirting was cute. I also liked the fact that the romance did not overbear the storyline. I really hope that Kai finds out the truth about Cinder and forgives her!!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
  • I positively HATE Pearl, Adri, and Queen Lavana!!! They were such hateful and hurtful people. I really hope what's getting to them! LOL. I know it's part of the story to have villains, but I can still hate them.
  • There was not much action in this story, but that's okay for me. I still enjoyed the book when at times it got a little slow.
FINAL VERDICT
The bottom line with Cinder was that it was an excellent introduction to a fantastic series! I cannot wait to continue the series. I hear Scarlet and Cress are even better so I'm really excited about that. I would highly recommend this series if you like to read fairytale retellings with some science fiction in the mix. This book has some crazy twists and turns, beautiful world building, and I cannot wait to see what else Marissa has up her sleeve!
 

6 comments:

  1. I LOVE how you broke everything down by bullet points, Stacie! :)

    I agree, Cinder and Iko are so well drawn-out in this installment, I wanted to reach in and hug them both! I could've used a little more characterization from Kai, but overall, he had a good introduction. Oh, I can't wait for Queen Levana to be dethroned! It just HAS to happen!

    Have you started Scarlet yet? There's a lot more action and excitement in that installment. I can't wait for you to meet Wolf! I'm pretty much in love with the guy. ;) Great review!

    Oh, and we have to discuss Scarlet and Cress once we're both caught up! Yes? :)

    Marlene @ The Flyleaf Review

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    1. I haven't started Scarlet yet but soon! I'm moving right now so my reading is a bit slower haha. I'll let you know as soon as I finish Scarlet though!

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  2. This is high up on my reading list! Everyone recommends it to me, so I'm glad you loved it too! I'm also glad that the romance is not insta-love! Great review Stacie, I love the style!

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    1. It's a really great book Charlene!! The writing and everything just captures me. Definitely recommend you read it ASAP especially since Cress is coming out next month!

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  3. I LOVE this series! The entire series only get better!
    So glad you loved it.
    And as much as you hate the characters of Levana and Peril they are still done remarkably well! (I disliked them also)
    Em @ http://theyabookbutterfly.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks, I can't wait to read Scarlet and then Cress! All the characters are awesome especially Iko hehe. Plus the covers are so beautiful! I LOVE the Cress cover.

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