Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

by Marissa Meyer

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.

But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

• ISBN10: 0312641893
• ISBN13: 9780312641894
• Publish Date: 3 January 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Feiwel & Friends
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nicole Lynn]

a good start to the quartet. review to come :)

--

*UPDATED: Finally posting my review from the blog :)*

This review was previously posted on my blog, PopCrunchBoom Books


My Review:



The book actually started out slow for me. I loved the world and the story’s overall idea. Cinder as a cyborg is awesome. It brought me into Scifi again even if this was more dystopian. I was also super excited to read a fairy-tale retelling. I’m such a sucker for those stories. I guess I’ll never really grow up from my Disney roots ;) Anyway, I was a little surprised to see myself feeling a bit uninterested in the story. I couldn’t really bring myself into it. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been reading a lot of action-packed novels lately or what. The beginning (and most of the first half) just didn’t do too much for me. However, once the action picked up I was hooked like everyone else. I think I honestly really started loving it once I got to the end. I’m thinking it might be first-book woes that has me not giving this book a full A (or 5 stars). I believe that the next installment will definitely be better as I was left with a great cliff-hanger and a large-scale storyline/mission/enemy to follow through the next couple of books.

Cinder was written very well. I was routing for her from the beginning. I wanted her to get the guy, save her sister, “defeat the step-mom,” and realize her awesomeness. Meyer was a genius in making her a cyborg and placing Cinder in this world. Cinder is not your typical “Cinderella.” Hell, she’s A LOT more badass, which I totally love. It’s nice to see an less Disney-fied version of the familiar character. As much as I know Cinderella was a kind, beautiful and somewhat independent character, Cinder brought on a realness to the role. She was flawed, not perfect, loyal, loving, and a survivor. Those characteristics really made Cinder stand-out for me.

Prince Kai was a pretty good love interest for Cinder. He was under a lot of pressure for his age and wasn’t a pompous ass because of his title. He had to deal with his own struggles, besides trying to rule a dying country. He has some learning to do, but I’m only expecting better things from him as the story continues. I’m hesitant to say that I love Prince Kai. I feel like I don’t fully see him as Cinder’s equal just yet, but I think that’s because he’s coming from a political life and a political point of view sometimes. Although, he’s compassionate and was just a great guy to Cinder throughout the novel. Plus he has to fight the enemy from a different angle than Cinder does. He has his country to worry about. He does hold his own against Levana–the “evil queen” of the Lunars and he’s desperately trying to save his people. So all things considered, I’m still rooting for him and for his and Cinder’s relationship. I just think that he needs a bit more development as a character which I’m hoping to see as the series continues.

I think one of my favorite things about the novel was the setting. I loved the idea of “New Beijing.” Plus a lot of dystopian novels take place in an American-like setting, so this was a refreshing look. I also enjoyed the details of the “high techs” and the old-world “market” mixing together in Meyer’s world. Introducing the Lunars who live on the Moon was also a brilliant creative move for this novel.

Overall, I did end up enjoying this book. I think that once the action started I was hooked for the series. The beginning was slow for me and it took me a while to get into the story, but I loved Cinder from the start and she kept me going until the finish. I wouldn’t even really say that this is a full on re-telling of Cinderella. I think Cinder is so much more than that. It brings in a whole new world with stronger characters and a creative plot. Meyer’s did a great job of rethinking Cinderella’s story. I can’t wait to read more of the series :)

[Vicki]

4.5 stars

[KitsuneBae]

Now this is what I call an awesome fairy tale retelling.

This review first appeared on my blog at Thoughts and Pens.

Perhaps one of the biggest regrets I have in my life was not reading this book immediately. Cinder has just restored my faith on hyped books and on fairy tale retellings in general. You see, there’s just so many fairy tale retellings made over the years that it was already tiring to read them because they have nothing new to offer. Even the movies suffer the same fate. So when I decided to read this book, it was of great caution. I even secured my heart with steel bars just in case. It has been glued over and over again that I don’t think it could stand another disappointment. Thankfully, I must have done something right for the book gods to be pleased because this book delivered.

With Cinder, Marissa Meyer made a creative overhaul to one of the favourite fairy tales of all time, Cinderella. Set in futuristic Asia, Cinder is a renowned 16-year old mechanic in New Beijing. While her mechanical skills should have gained her popularity and respect, her being a cyborg and an orphan didn’t help her to become the darling of the crowd. Her stepmother and her older stepsister hated her. In all her life in New Beijing, there were only two people who’ve actually shown appreciation for her, her younger stepsister and the Prince of the Eastern Commonwealth. Excluding the maltreatment she’s getting from her wicked stepmother, Cinder’s life is pretty uneventful until it got tangled with the politics of the Palace and that of the Lunar kingdom.

One of the greatest attractions of this book is Cinder herself because she’s not your ordinary Cinderella. She’s a cyborg and a machinery genius. I love that Marissa didn’t mould her from the generic pattern of damsels-in-distress and gave Cinder her own brand of personality. She’s feisty, focused and knows how to stand up for herself. Yes, you read that right. Cinder is a fighter and she doesn’t take shit from her wicked stepmother or her stepsister or from the Lunar Queen Levana. And unlike Cinderella, her goals in life didn’t include going to balls or getting married to a handsome prince. Speaking of the handsome prince, Cinder’s love interest in this book is Kai, the Eastern Commonwealth Prince. IMO, I think he’s the perfect match for her. Aside from his good looks, his down-to-earth attitude is quite humbling for a commoner like me. My heart really swooned with what he did during the end…he remained protective and loyal to Cinder despite the awful circumstances. Others would have been blinded by their wrath but Kai reserved judgment even if it pained him a lot.

The other characters were also laudable. And the villain, pals…the villain is just awesome. Cinder is oozing with so much girl power that it was hard not to fall in love with it. Queen Levana is another antagonist that should be included in your watch list. She’s just so evil that she’ll put all Disney villains into shame. Bwahahahaha.

Cinder’s plot is also a thing of wonder. Yeah, I do admit that there are predictable bits but I can easily overlook them because the story is highly entertaining. The plague, the ball, Cinder’s mysterious past, and Queen Levana’s evil plans made every page worth reading. The romance was also beautifully done, never intrusive but you know that it’s an important part of the story. And it’s amazing how well Marissa Meyer meshed the sci-fi aspect into this fairy tale retelling. Everything about Cinder is screaming of ingenuity.

And that “ending” certainly made my heart stop. Argh. Why does it have to end? Why does it have it to be cliffhangery? I just want to read more. This new drug called Cinder certainly worked well in my system and I intend to overdose myself with it. It’s a good thing that I already have Scarlet in hand. Otherwise, the withdrawal would be really ugly.

[mary]

Overall a very entertaining YA read. The world was interesting, I just wish there was more description on some of the science fiction aspects. I like good world building and this was slightly lacking in that department.

It is a fun retelling of the classic Cinderella story entertained with science fiction. Some parts were, however, cringe worthy. There was a lack of actually honesty with the characters and too many secrets that if said would have made life easier for all. But that seems to be the norm in most YA novels. But of course it works since it allows the story to continue in more books.

I really did like this book though and am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

[elvinagb]

This has been on my shelf for a while and after getting an ARC of Cress (Book 3 in this series) from Marissa Meyer I got my act together and started reading.
I liked the story line, and although she has borrowed from the traditional Cinderella fairy tale, this story has it's own world with political intrigue, plague and history.
I liked that the main character, Cinder, when being flirted to by Kai (with some very snappy dialogue), does not flirt back. She has lived a life that has not given her that skill and I'm glad the Meyer has written her that way. It made me giggle when the Queen of what is now the British Isles is named "Queen Camilla". Too funny.

[Kelsenator]

For more reviews make sure to visit my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf!

This was one of those book where I was wondering if the hype was too much and I wouldn’t really like it, but I was wrong! Such a great mix of different story elements had me as soon as I started the book.

There was so much awesome going on that I had a hard time figuring out what I loved the most. The cyborg/android stuff was the best, I liked that the main character was one and of course all the futuristic technology that they had. The added fairy-tale of Cinderella was great and actually mixed in really well with the rest of the story. And of course the Lunars from the moon add a little bit more to the sci-fi theme.

The characters were good too, I didn’t dislike or have any issues with the main ones. Cinder was fun to read about, with all the things she goes through with her adoptive family, to her closeness to human and robot alike. I kept rooting for Cinder and hoping things would get better for her, since she was a Cyborg and they’re not considered on the same level as normal people. Kai was a great prince figure too, and I liked that he interacted with Cinder more as the book went on.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! Make sure you have the next book handy though, after the ending of this one you’ll want to go right into it!

[limabean74]

I was positive I was going to hate this book, But WOW, just WOW.....I loved the story, as much as it had a Cinderella feel to it the story was all its own. The characters were so well written. The Queen and the Stepmother I hated them!!!! Like I wanted to jump in the book and beat them kind of hate. Cinder, Iko, Kai were so likable and I loved them. I felt for Cinder the entire way through the book. I loved Kai and Cinder, the story gave just enough of their relationship without shoving it down your throat. If your going to have a Cyborg as your main character you're going to want her to be a strong independent character (not weepy and weak) and I just adored her!!!!

[littleread1]

Yeah. It was that good

[nitzan_schwarz]

You can find this review and more on Afterwords

Cinder is the first book that comes to mind when anyone wants a re-telling recommendation from me. And you know what's the real kicker? I freakin' almost didn't read it. I don't know why; maybe it was because it has cyborgs in it, and I haven't read many--if any--of those. Or because it was the only book out in the series at the time and I don't usually do those. Perhaps it was just because.

But for whatever reason, I am eternally thankful for Goodreads Group Reads, because without them I may have never given this a chance. 

Don't believe me it's that good? Well, what if I told you this book could make you cry before it even really starts? Will you believe me then that this whole creation is awesomesauce? Because it does. It manages to make you so in tune with the characters and their feelings in such a short amount of time that you cry for them.

And this book pretty much starts by saying that in this Cinderella story, not everyone gets their happily ever afters.

Although, calling this a "Cinderella story" is not quite accurate. Yes, we have the evil stepmother. Yes, we have one evil stepsister, and we have the prince, the ball, and the shoe... sort of. But Cinderella is the theme - not the story.

Forget everything you know about the story of a servant girl who desperately want to go to the ball and dance with a prince, and a fairy comes along and--well, you've seen the Disney movie, no point in rehashing everything. Cinder has very little to do with that old age tale.

To me, Cinder's is actually, surprising, a story of slavery. It's a story about death. It's a story about dictatorship. And it's a story about finding yourself among the wreckage. This story takes your childhood fairytale and makes it something far greater, while throwing nods to the original version here and there that are sure to put a smile on your face.

The namesake of this novel, Cinder, is also the main character. And she. is. amazing. She's smart, courageous and strong. She is someone you can fully support and root on. Someone with whom you'll fall in love for sure.

Her love interest is Prince Kai, and he's one of the more likable princes I've read of - the title Prince Charming fits him well, as would Sweet Charming lol.

As for the romance between these two? I'll be honest. I don't think there was any--not yet. Cinder and Kai are attracted to one another. They are in the process of feeling more than just friendship throughout the book. But they still haven't went passed the 'liking' stage.

However, to me there is something immensely charming about the way they're testing the water; talking, sending signals, withdrawing them... Their real romance hasn't started yet - but you can tell it will be epic once it does.

All the supporting characters, with emphasis on the fantabalous Iko, added to the story and were well rounded themselves.

Now, I've seen people argue the book could do without the Cinderella theme because it makes the book predictable. I disagree, because it only makes it predictable in areas we would've already predicted, even without the theme.

And more often than not, things develop in such an unexpected way that though you did predict she'll go there, or do that, based on Cinderella, it's almost always shocking.

The only truly predictable thing has nothing to do with the theme, and to me it rather felt like Meyer blatantly intended for it to be obvious to the reader. I never felt like the "big revelation" was supposed to be a shocking, but rather the whole scenario leading to it.

Speaking of Meyer... I may be, possibly, in love with her writing style. She made us sweat for information. There is no such thing as outright explanations and world-building in Meyer's writing. Instead, most of everything we learn is through conversations, memories, and actions. She leaves it up to us to gather the clues, trusting our intelligence. And it works. It works brilliantly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Original version
Originally published on here, re-reviewed here.

In contrast to last time's oldie, this time I'm going to talk to you guys about one of my absolute favorite books: Cinder. 

The most shocking thing about this book is that I almost didn't read it - maybe it was because it has cyborgs in it, and I haven't read many--if any--of those. Maybe it was because it was a first in a new series at the time, and I don't read those (I hate the wait). Maybe it was just because. 
But whatever the reason, thank god for Goodreads Group Reads. Without them, I may have never given this amazing book and world a chance.

You know a book is good when you're this close to crying - and the book has barely stared. You know a book is good when in just a few pages the author has managed to make you so in tune with the characters and their feelings that you cry for them. It's also interesting that we learn very early on with this book that this Cinderella story doesn't always have a Happily Ever After.

Cinder, the main character, was amazing. She's smart, courageous and strong. She's an MC you can love, fully support, and root on. Her love interest and another of the main characters is Prince Kai. He's very likable, sweet and charming. The title "Prince Charming" fits him well.

As for the romance... to be honest - I don't think there was any. Cinder and Kai are attracted to one another. They are in the process of falling in love with one another throughout the book. But they are both at the "liking" stage and feeling the waters. Just talking to one another, sending signals, withdrawing them... Their real romance has't started yet - but you can tell it will be epic once it does. Though it's going to have to overcome all those obstacles first. Judging by this book, "trust" will probably be one of them *sigh*.

All the supporting characters (IKO!!!) added to the story and were well done themselves.

Now, let's address a few points: Cinder presents itself as a retelling of Cinderella.
We have the evil stepmother (Adri). We have (one) evil stepsister (Pearl). We have the prince, and the ball, and we have the shoe... sort of.
But honestly, calling this book a retelling of Cinderella is underrating it. Cinderella is the theme, but it's not the story.

I don’t want to give up too many details, but the story of Cinderella? You know, the one in which a servant girl desperately wants to go to the ball and dance with a prince, and a fairy comes and—well, you’ve seen the Disney movie. Cinder has very little to do with that. She doesn’t even want to go to the ball!

Instead, the story is about slavery, and about how living, breathing people are owned. It's about death. It's about dictatorship. And it's about finding yourself, the small individual, among it all. At least, this is what this story was to me. 

And speaking of the theme, I've seen people saying the book could do without it - but I disagree. It fit the story, in creating some form of guidelines we could look for but also in making the real and serious topics of the story pop out against the sparkly premise of Cinderella. If anything, the theme makes the book appeal to all crowds, and shows us even childhood fairy-tales can be turned into bad-assed, suspenseful tales of great female strength and a great message.

Does it make the story predictable? Only in aspects we would've already predicted. Would Cinder and the prince fall in love? Naturally. Would I not know that if this book wasn't "based" on Cinderella? Err, I kind of would. Does it tell me she'll end up in the ball? Yes. Does it happen the way you assume it will? No. So, in the end, what does it matter?

The only real predictable aspect of the book has nothing to do with the theme, and I don't rally think Meyer intended for it to be a secret. I never felt like the "big revelation" was supposed to be a shocker. No, that was left to the entire scenario in front of us, the entire road that leads to it. The entire world and then entire makeover to the tale of Cinderella. The fact I didn't see that cliffhanger coming kind of proves that, to me.

Meyer takes the fairy-tale, makes something entirely different out of it and inside puts references to the story we all know in ways that makes you quirk a smile.

Speaking of Meyer... I may be, possibly, in love with her writing style. Because, to me, it was very unique and special. She made us sweat for information. There isn't an "explanation" most of the time. No paragraphs of details and world building. Instead, the answers to the many questions we have present themselves throughout conversations, memories, actions, and the eyes of the characters. Never once does Meyer sits us down and says "listen up, now. A cyborg is..."
Oh no. She leaves it up to us to gather the clues, trusting our intelligence. And it works. What we haven't figured out yet, I trust Meyer to show us in the next books. She sure doesn't seem in a rush to expose her brilliant world to us.

Originally published on here, re-reviewed here.

Half Re-Read on November 2015 (p. 266)

[Ashley]

As posted on booknook - YA and Fantasy book reviews

Oh my god, this book is amazing! This is the kind of book you never want to end because it’s just so… amazing! It’s fresh, original, and totally unique. It meshes two completely different worlds — fairy tales and machinery/science — and it does so miraculously.

Before I go further, I have a confession to make. When I first heard about this book I was like, “Uhh it sounds kind of weird,” so I didn’t buy it. It was several weeks later that I finally got a copy… and only because I had the opportunity to get a signed copy from my local book store. That’s what prompted me. Ladies and gentlemen, doubting this book and waiting so long to buy it was the worst mistake of my literary life!

Cinder is Cinderella meets cyborg meets plague meets other worlds meets politics. Talk about an incredible combination. The different elements of this book are what it make it so incredibly fascinating. First, this story is set in a futuristic Beijing. That immediately drew me in because it’s such an original setting. I have literally never read a YA book that takes place in Beijing! Moving on.. Cinder is a cyborg who lives with her evil stepmother and her two stepsisters. Her stepmother only keeps her around for the extra income — Cinder is an amazing mechanic! But naturally, all of her income goes straight into the greedy stepmother’s pocket.

In this futuristic world, a terrible plague is taking lives. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to where the plague starts or how it chooses its victims, and therefore there is no cure. When Cinder’s stepsister becomes infected, her stepmother offers up Cinder to become a lab experiment. Cyborgs are taken in and experimented on in hopes of finding a cure for the plague.. but so far, no luck.

And amidst all of this, there is a super delicious spark brewing between Cinder and the prince of New Beijing: Kai. YUM! These two are seriously the cutest couple ever! There’s no annoying drama, no “I’m going to tell you what to do” attitude, no “guy is a jerk/bad boy” nonsense.. it’s just beautiful! I was constantly rooting for them and hoping things would work out.

There are so many incredible themes and emotions riddled throughout Cinder that I barely even know where to begin. It’s really about a girl who is treated like an outcast. Since she’s a cyborg, she’s viewed as a freak, and she has to try to find a way to live with that. Part of how she copes is actually by trying to hide her true identity. With enough clothing to cover up her parts, she can actually pass as human. Cinder is also about friendship, family, independence, and loyalty, and sticking with someone through all the difficulties — no matter what. Then there’s everything with Kai. He’s the prince of an entire nation and has a huge weight on his shoulders. He has to make difficult decisions and incredible sacrifices, and he’s still only a teenager.

Cinder is super fast paced and there is never a dull moment. I was glued to my book all day until I finally got to the last page. Marissa Meyer, you are now one of my favourite authors and the Cinder is right up there with my favourite books of all time!