ARC Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #1
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Pub Date: January 3, 2012
My Copy: ARC given to me by publisher for an honest review.




Book Synopsis:


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.




Book Review:




A really unique debut that is utterly charming and heartfelt in all the right places.  What I utterly felt about this book was even though it had a cyborg as the main character, Cinder is more human than we are led to believe. Which is a wonderful 


I instantly liked how she meets Prince Kai, our hero in this story and it was done with something refreshing. He and needs his robot/android fixed and Cinder being a mechanic was something that felt real despite that she is a girl. Every girl in the republic wants to date him.


Also like how there are all different types of beings in this world, besides humans, the cyborgs like Cinder, the androids or mechanical machines and the Lunars, who are the aliens. Despite this book having Aliens in it, I really enjoyed the fresh take. 


The book also shows that Cinder doesn’t have a very nice home life. This home life is very reminiscent of the fairy tale Cinderella’s home life. Her stepmother is very mean and nasty towards Cinder. You feel that everything Cinder does and tries to accomplish is demeaned by her step-mother. This would make anyone feel like they are worthless. Yet Cinder marches on despite the woman who is her guardian.


What I also like is that when there is a plague, she is blamed for it, but is immune to the plague that is going around the city.  Yet when one of her sisters get’s the plague, it’s her who gets blame  despite being immune. Her step mother is so wicked and evil. Then she is sold, like she is nothing so that her stepmother and her other step mother can go to the ball.


Yet there are more significant things that go on in the story. We find out things that are far more complicated. The Queen of the Lunars comes in and causes some major issues and is one of the central plot points. She gives Kai an antidote, but it comes to late to help Kai’s father or Cinder’s step-sister and we find out that Cinder is not just an android. We find out that Cinder is so much more than a simple machine.


Everything in this first book is about world-building. I also like how Marissa Meyer develops and fleshes out the romance between Kai and Cinder. We also find that the Queen of the Lunars feels deeply threatened by Cinder. She really is mean and cruel and reveals something about Cinder that only the doctor and her knew. 


Yet the plot twist at the end of this book, blew my mind away. What I liked about this book was the blend of young adult, romance & science fiction. It was done in an intelligent way. I'm curious to see what the next book will bring.


Also want to see how Cinder develops her powers.

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