A fairytale retelling of the classic Cinderella and futuristic, science fiction meet in Marissa Meyer’s novel, “Cinder”.
Cinder is a cyborg, a part human, part robot hybrid, and hated for it by her family. Cinder is only valued for the money she makes at her job as a mechanic and by her only human friend, her stepsister Pearl. But when she is accused of giving Pearl letumosis, an incurable disease that is killing people in the city, Cinder is sold off to the government in order to be a test subject for disease research. It is there she learns that she is not at all who she thought she was. She is something much more important and potentially more dangerous. A figure that might influence the potential war between the kingdom on Earth and the kingdom on the moon. Cinder might just change everything.
Meyer creates an interesting world and populates it with unique characters. Whatever you may think about the original characters of Cinderella, they are no comparison to the sassy personalities present in Cinder. A cyborg Cinderella is a new take on the story already, but when you add in the sarcastic and humorous lines from many of the characters, readers will be convinced that Meyer’s retelling improves on all the best parts of the original tale and takes away with all that does not. Cinder is not the type to sit around and wait for a fairy godmother to give her what she wants, nor is Prince Kai (Cinder’s romantic interest in the novel) a shallow character with no problems of his own. These features make these characters relatable for readers and make this story a must read.
With world building as detailed as Meyer’s in Cinder, it is no surprise that this book is only the first in the series. It is followed by four other novels and a companion novel as well. Cinder is a definite recommendation for readers who like the Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas, or The Princesses of Westfalin trilogy by Jessica Day George.
Does it have a Young Adult label?: No
Recommended if you like stories with: fairytales, science fiction, cyborgs, robots, family stories, romance, complicated world settings, futuristic stories, Asian setting, war, secrets, forgotten histories
Favorite Quote: “Cinder twisted up her lips. "Do you think it could have a virus?"
"Maybe her programming was overwhelmed by Prince Kai's uncanny hotness.”
Rating:
Meyer creates an interesting world and populates it with unique characters. Whatever you may think about the original characters of Cinderella, they are no comparison to the sassy personalities present in Cinder. A cyborg Cinderella is a new take on the story already, but when you add in the sarcastic and humorous lines from many of the characters, readers will be convinced that Meyer’s retelling improves on all the best parts of the original tale and takes away with all that does not. Cinder is not the type to sit around and wait for a fairy godmother to give her what she wants, nor is Prince Kai (Cinder’s romantic interest in the novel) a shallow character with no problems of his own. These features make these characters relatable for readers and make this story a must read.
With world building as detailed as Meyer’s in Cinder, it is no surprise that this book is only the first in the series. It is followed by four other novels and a companion novel as well. Cinder is a definite recommendation for readers who like the Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas, or The Princesses of Westfalin trilogy by Jessica Day George.
Does it have a Young Adult label?: No
Recommended if you like stories with: fairytales, science fiction, cyborgs, robots, family stories, romance, complicated world settings, futuristic stories, Asian setting, war, secrets, forgotten histories
Favorite Quote: “Cinder twisted up her lips. "Do you think it could have a virus?"
"Maybe her programming was overwhelmed by Prince Kai's uncanny hotness.”
Rating: