Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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.

Reviewed by Briana @ Pages Unbound on

5 of 5 stars

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I was not excited about this novel at all before its release. I love fairy tale retellings, but I was immensely skeptical of a cyborg “Cinderella.” Frankly, it sounded creepy and difficult to relate to. Meyer dispelled all my worries from the very first pages. Cinder is an immensely capable, likeable, and relatable character, and I was thrilled to see that the humanity of cyborgs is one of the main issues at stake in this universe. Cyborgs face all kinds of discrimination, and by getting to know Cinder, readers are able to see how wrong this is. The exploration of what it means to be human is one of the themes of a great science fiction, in my opinion, and Meyer has completely nailed the topic.

The story itself is intensely original, even based as is it on a well-known tale. The evil stepsisters, the prince, the ball—everything is here, but it truly seems new. And, perfectly, Meyer exploits the opportunity to develop a true relationship between Prince Kai and Cinder. No meeting and falling in love at first sight! Kai and Cinder actually run into each other numerous times before the ball, and the status of their relationship is always a bit in question. Can a prince love a cyborg? Can a cyborg and mechanic allow herself to love a prince?

There are elements in Cinder that are entirely of Meyer’s invention, as well. Ironically, some of these are the most obvious. A few of the twists took me by surprise, but definitely not all. Nonetheless, this is a story that does not suffer from predictability in the least. It is the telling and the characters that make it magical, not the suspense. Cinder is really a fantastic read and a remarkable contribution to retold fairy tales.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 June, 2012: Finished reading
  • 8 June, 2012: Reviewed