Review: Cinder

"Cinder" is a futuristic retelling of "Cinderella". This story takes place after the fourth World War where all of the earthly kingdoms have come to an agreement of peace, the only threat to them: the Lunars and their Queen.

Linh Cinder is a cyborg (part human, part machine) who lives with her stepmother, Audri. and two stepsisters, Pearl and Peony. She is the commonwealth's top mechanic and this is the reason why Prince Kaito stops by her booth one day to get his robot fixed. This robot may hold the key to everything.

The entire world is being plagued by a sickness called 'letumosis' that can kill a person in a matter of days. In their quest to find a cure for this deadly disease, doctors have called for a cyborg draft for antidote testees. Cinder has managed to fly under the radar for the most part until one day her Aunt volunteers her for the draft.

Cinder's life spins out of control. She meets new people, loses loved ones, and finds out a secret that could change her world.

I really enjoyed this novel. When I first started reading it, I wasn't hooked right away. I danced around 12% for a couple days before I finally sat myself down and made myself start to read. After I got past the first 15% I could not put the book down.  As soon as I came home from work I locked myself in my own world of reading and didn't come out until I had finished.

This book is awesome! I love the character of Cinder. She is a tough woman who has to deal with a lot- she is unwanted in her house, she is a cyborg (thought of as a monster- better off dead than being a cyborg), and she finds out somethings about herself along the way that she has a hard time dealing with. She, like all girls, is self-conscious about her robotic limbs, but she doesn't let it keep her from doing what she loves and what is right.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fresh, new perspective on an old fairytale. Marissa Meyer did a wonderful job developing her characters, and throwing in some curves at the end. While I did find the plot predictable, I was still able to enjoy the story that was being told.

When I was getting towards the end I wanted to stop because I knew the questions I had wouldn't be answered in the few pages left.. I guess that's what a sequel is for .   :-)

Cinder is Marissa Meyer's debut novel.
It was published on January 3, 2012
Cinder is available for purchase from Amazon here
Read more about it here