Customer Reviews

Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Where do I even begin with this book? I went in a little skeptical, unsure if I would really enjoy it or not. Quickly, though, I was sucked in. The first chapter kept me interested and each chapter urged me into the next. It was ridiculously difficult to convince myself to set it down long enough to do anything else. Needless to say, I finished the novel very quickly.

I loved the characters. Cinder was convincing and real. She reacted the way I would have in most situations with which she faced. The choices she had to make were sometimes completely heart-wrenching, but it only enhanced the story. The fact that she is a cyborg really enhanced the story. It was very fun to read and such a fascinating, strange concept that I believed every single word of it. I loved the little descriptions of how she could feel the technology working in her body, sometimes against her human flesh. Another thing I loved about her was the fact that she works hard. This is sometimes hard to find in YA novels, but Cinder really works for what she gets. She doesn't just sit back and complain because her stepmother hates her and makes her work. She's good at what she does and she is just all around awesome.

Cinder's stepsisters and stepmother were, of course, necessary characters, and I think they were done quite well. It was nice to see one of the stepsisters in a kinder light and to see the other stepsister and stepmother both had a degree of humanity in them. They are not one-dimensional, flat, lifeless characters who just hate Cinder for the sake of hatred. While yes, their motives behind the hatred may not be spot on, they are somewhat realistic and understandable. It will be interesting to see how these relationships develop in further stories.

I thought Prince Kai was a great hero. I noticed several other reviewers did not agree with his ability to be so distracted by Cinder despite the utter pandemonium happening in his life, but I do not find myself agreeing at all. I think that even if your life is going crazy and you're unhappy and trying to figure out how to make it to the next day without going insane, you still need something to keep you afloat. For Prince Kai, this something was Cinder. The romance was also believable. I believed every word they said, every hope they dared dream, and every possibility of their togetherness.

I also loved most of the miscellaneous minor plot quirks and secondary characters. I thought that restoring the car was fun, but I did wonder how she managed to learn to drive it. I loved Iko and I hope to see her again (a lot!) in future books. I loved the doctor and Cinder's storage compartment located in her leg and the descriptions of the city. The entire world was really beautiful and alive in my head, which always makes for a pleasant reading experience.

The plot kept me completely entertained the entire time. While the story with the Lunar Queen was a little farfetched and, at times, almost a little silly and unbelievable, it was still interesting. I look forward to seeing how this particular plotline continues in future novels. Queen Levana is quite the formidable foe and I'm excited to see how Cinder knocks her down and picks up the pieces.

To everyone who complained the questions were not answered: This is the first in a four book series! Of course not all the questions were answered! I'm sure questions will be answered later on and, if they are not, then you can go ahead and complain about it.

My best advice? Just read the book! It was great! I can't wait to get my hands on the next novels in the Lunar Chronicles.

A dystopian cinderella story with cyborgs, androids, the return of the plague, and a kingdom on the moon. This is a really amazing retelling of a fairy tale.

Good points:
*Strong female lead character: Cinder is awesome. She has problems, a lot of problems, and she wishes things were different but she doesn't spend the whole book bemoaning her lot in life. She complains but she moves on, tries to change things, makes plans for the future (acknowledges whether they're realistic or not), etc. She often doesn't realize how much she has going for her, but once she does she owns it and uses it to her advantage. You're rooting for her through the whole story and not once did I drop the book wondering why she was being so stupid (that happens a lot). I also loved that she was a mechanic (I thought making her the best in New Beijing was a bit of a stretch) but it was still and interesting character detail. I liked that she was independent to the point that her step-mother and sisters were actually relying on her for income, though her stepmother especially treated her as little more than a worthless slave.
*Strong side characters: While they were definitely overshadowed by Cinder at times, she was backed by strong side characters that you definitely felt an emotional connection to. There was Peony, her nice stepsister who ended up being infected by the plague. That was just heart-wrenching to read about. And Iko, her outdated pretty much unwanted by anyone else android who had an interesting personality and liked pretty things, tried to make Cinder laugh, etc.
*Fascinating villain. Queen Levana of Luna. I don't want to give too much away but wow. Psychotic (and what a family history!), extraordinarily vain, manipulative, and power-hungry. She's like a nasty little viper.
*Interesting details about the "future". Cyborgs, androids, ID chips, that people on Luna had "evolved", etc. Nothing too unique or groundbreaking, but all elements that made the story a more interesting read.

Bad Points:
*Predictable. The second Princess Selene is mentioned I knew what was going on and I imagine most readers will make this connection. It's fairly obvious. And a few other major plot elements aren't a big mystery.
*Unresolved questions that may or may not be dealt with by the sequels. How is she a mechanic? As a cyborg, it would be nice if she could do her own repairs, especially with a stepmother who would prefer she rust, but who taught her? Did Garan teach her? Did Adri make sure she learn so that both she wouldn't have to pay for any repairs and she could make money off the girl? Was it part of her programming? It's possible I may have simply missed this I suppose, but there are other such questions.
*As the first book in a series the cliffhanger at the end shouldn't come as a surprise, but I wish it had been a bit more wrapped up than it was. Instead you're kind of left floundering a bit hoping the sequel will come along in time to throw you back in the water.

I couldn't put this book down, I read through it within a few hours. I was so absorbed I almost missed my bus stop on the way home. :) I highly recommend this, it was very worth the read. I did take off a star for the predictability and a few lost details, but wow. Story-wise alone I would give it a full five. Excellently done.

This cover. This cover is in the running for my favorite cover of the year! I love it that much. And I love the title. And, even more than both of those put together, I love the premise of a sci-fi/cyberpunk retelling of Cinderella with a cyborg as the main character. You should have seen my face when I first found out about CINDER. It's like Marissa Meyer asked me for my list of all that is good and then slapped them together into this book. Add to that the fact that it's the first in a quartet (oh, how I love quartets), and the name of the series is the Lunar Chronicles. I don't know . . . it kind of seemed like this book and I were a match made in heaven. I've been reading sci-fi for as long as I can remember, and I feel like we don't get enough of it these days in young adult fiction. So I would have been on board for that aspect of the book alone. But a sci-fi/fairy tale mashup? Fuggedabout it. And so it was with much relief that I started it and found out it was legitimate on both counts.

Linh Cinder is a mechanic and a cyborg. Orphaned as a child in a terrible accident, her life was saved when doctors intervened, replacing her missing hand and foot with metal ones. Now she works long hours in her stall at the market in New Beijing, and she goes home to a loveless household headed by her evil stepmother. There's certainly no love lost between these two. But while her older stepsister Pearl takes after her mother in every respect, her younger stepsister Peony is as innocent and sweet as Pearl and her stepmother Adri are cynical and conniving. Unfortunately, Cinder also has the question of class working against her. Cyborgs are second-class citizens in every way. Looked down on, and often outright loathed, by the people of New Beijing, cyborgs are the first to be offered up for medical testing and the last to be invited to social events such as, oh, say--a ball. Incredibly, our girl Cinder is headed for both, though she has no idea yet. Then one day the emperor's son Prince Kai shows up at her stall with an android in need of repair. The emperor himself is dying of the deadly plague letumosis, which has been decimating the population for the past decade. And before she knows it, Cinder is caught up in both the fight against the disease and an unlikely friendship with a young man who has his own set of problems.

CINDER is quite a serious book, both in the sense that it takes itself seriously and that it deals with serious issues, such as death, disease, class conflict, and war. I think I was expecting something lighter, but the whole taking-itself-seriously and the fascinating world building quickly set me at ease. I loved the attention to detail with which Ms. Meyer depicted the grimness of Cinder's life and her world. She's a mechanic and an outcast. She wears castoff coveralls and a worn-out work belt in place of the flouncy dresses and jewels other girls her age are flaunting. And her outlook matches her clothes. Cinder is a realist, and that is my favorite thing about her. She knows the way things work. And mechanics with steel appendages do not make good with emperors' sons. No matter how charming they may be. As a result, there is very little of the lovelorn teenager about this girl. As much as she slowly allows herself to enjoy the prince's company, not once does she fool herself into forgetting the horror that would blossom on his face were he to discover what she is. Instead, she reserves the majority of her emotional energy for fixing up an old car she finds in the junkyard, harboring the long-shot hope that it just might serve as an escape vehicle when the time comes that she can no longer stand her abysmal home life. Then when the plague strikes close by, Cinder taps already flagging reserves of strength to help and support the ones who are stricken. She's tough and pragmatic. We like Cinder, yes we do. Then there's Kai. Prince Kaito. What you need to know about Kai is he's . . . very cute actually. Determined to do right by his own obligations, he won me over as he did Cinder for being more than he seemed. At the same time, this is the aspect of the novel that needed more development, in my humble opinion. I liked that the story took its time, but with all that time, there wasn't actually much of it devoted to these two developing their relationship. What was there was good. I just needed a little more. Perhaps a better way of putting it would be, I wish that the relationships between characters had benefited from the skill applied to the world building and the awesomely creeptastic villain. There's quite a buildup by the end (the end is possibly the best part). But just when things finally get going, it ends. On one big, fat doozy of a cliffhanger. Which is fine. I'm not opposed to cliffhangers, per se. But I did expect just a hint more in the way of resolution depth for such a slow cycling climax. I was left wanting. My needs aside, I thought the characters deserved to have it out. I realize there are three more books in the series, and there is clearly more to come. I just could have done with a little more emotional payoff to keep me believing, if you will. That said, I loved each of Marissa Meyer's clever sci-fi tips of the hat to the elements of the original fairy tale. Word is the next books will incorporate more fairy tales, including Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, and Snow White. Color me intrigued (and hopeful) for more development in future installments.

Prior to reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer, I had heard countless good things about it. From the characters to the story to the world building, readers alike seemed to be loving it all. However, while I was excited to read it, I was also a bit hesitant. It looked amazing don't get me wrong, but I worried about whether or not I would like it as much as everyone else. As it turns out, I ended up loving Cinder, because not only was it as good as everyone had said, but it was such a great and diverse spin on Cinderella!

Cinder begins the story of Cinder, a mechanic who is also a cyborg. Cinder has never had the easiest of lives. She was adopted by a man with mysterious reasons why only to be left to live with his with his wretched wife and her two daughters (one who is sweet and one who is anything but) after his sudden death. Blaming her husband's death on Cinder, Cinder's stepmother has never felt anything but hate towards Cinder, especially when Cinder's one stepsister suddenly drops ill from their world's horrible and deadly disease. However, everything is about to change. Cinder is about to discover some exclusive info about her past, things she could have never imagined. Cinder is also about to catch the eye of the handsome Prince Kai who finds Cinder to be different from anyone he's ever meet before as well as the eye of the a mysterious doctor who has his own private reasons for needing Cinder's help. What will happen next? Only time and more pages can tell in this thrilling and intricate debut!

One of the best things about Cinder was the characters! For one, Cinder was a strong and smart heroine, one who I couldn't help but love from the start. I especially liked the way in which she treated people. She was nothing but kind and sweet, even to the people who gave her the hardest of times. I also really enjoyed the variety of friendships Cinder possessed that Marissa Meyer showcased throughout. From her budding romance with Prince Kai to her need to protect her nice stepsister as well as Iko to her surprising friendship with the doctor, everything was fully developed to my liking, and it didn't help that I had nothing but love for all the main characters, especially Prince Kai.

Another high point to this novel was without a doubt the exquisite world and plot building. Throughout the book, I couldn't enough of Cinder's world. I wanted to know why everything was the way it was as well as more about the mysterious and deadly Lunar and their society. While everything wasn't reveled in Cinder, Marissa Meyer did a fabulous job of slowly doling out the necessary tidbits, ones that always came at the most perfect of times and always left me craving for more, more, and more! I also enjoyed that this book contained a slow burning romance instead of insta-love, because not only did it create for a more believable relationship, but it also allowed for other important plot parts to take center stage.

Lastly, as I alluded to throughout, Marissa Meyer's writing in this was fabulous! I couldn't get over how addicted I was to this novel, and that in most causes was do to the level of development and time Marissa put into making everything perfect. I especially loved the ending of this one! It provided a great little kick to the book, one that gave me the prefect little insight to tie me over until the next one!

Unique and well written, Cinder by Marissa Meyer is one book I can't suggest highly enough, especially to die hard dystopian fans! But quick question: I can have book #2 now? ;)

Grade: A+

When looking for a pre-structured story to put one's spin on, fairytales are the first stop. Cinderella is a working class girl with evil, demanding stepsisters and stepmother, who attends a prince's ball.

However, Marissa Meyer hooks readers with her take of a cyborg in futuristic China. Cinder is the best mechanic in the Eastern Commonwealth, fixing her own body parts as well as portscreens...and Prince Kai's beloved android.

But a plague is decimating the country - letumosis, often referred to as the blue death. Cinder learns how it spreads, and why she's immune.

The stepmother, the elder stepsister, and the Lunar Queen are rather one-dimensional. More interesting, however, is Dr Dmitri Erland, in charge of creating a cure for the plague. But his secrets could change society as they know it.

I love all the science and technology: cyborgs, androids, letumosis, bioelectricity, all of it. Fingers crossed we learn about futuristic Africa next.

Such a clever take on a classic tale! This book brought to life a whole new world of AMAZING!! An entirely unique story that had me loving every single page! Honestly... This story was extremely well written! I was caught from the beginning. Chapter one left me mystified... Chapter two left me wanting more... and after that... I was sold! If your looking for a book about a story we've all heard before, but taken to entirely NEW levels! Your gonna want to read this! There's so much I could gush about this book! There's the ever so sweet prince! The determined heroine! Even the beautiful on the outside ugly on the inside villain kinda grew on me. I can't wait to see what happens next in this crazy tale! So many possibilities!! I'm so ready for more!

**Originally published on Examiner.com**

Arc received courtesy of Feiwel & Friends.

Imagine a world in the distant future where androids exist and cyborgs roam. Imagine a world that has been ravaged by World Wars and sickness. Imagine a world where an evolved group of people occupy the moon and are ruled by a queen who is dangerously close to annihilating everyone on Earth, should they stand against her. Now, imagine that Earth's fate lies in the hands of one cyborg named Cinder.

That is the basic groundwork for Marissa Meyer's debut novel, Cinder- an imaginative retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella. Set in the futuristic city of New Beijing, sixteen-year-old Cinder is a gifted mechanic and little is known about her past. She is hated by her stepmother, and is blamed when her stepsister falls ill. However, after a chance encounter with Prince Kai, Cinder finds herself in the center of a struggle between Earth and the Lunar Queen. In order to protect the Earth from the evil queen, Cinder must unlock the secrets of her past.

Cinder is a wildly imaginative and entertaining read, and while certain plot elements are not fully explored in detail, Cinder sets the groundwork for what seems to be the start of a captivating series. The plot itself, although a bit predictable at times, is beautifully written and will keep readers entranced in Cinder's story. Meyer also does a wonderful job with all of the characters, primary and secondary alike. Cinder is a strong female protagonist who never lets her attraction to Prince Kai hinder her judgment. She is endearing and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she continues her journey. Readers will also become enthralled with Prince Kai as he struggles with his father's illness and the prospect of becoming Emperor of New Beijing. Cinder ends on a cliffhanging, leaving readers in anticipation for the next installment of the Lunar Chronicles.

Imaginative, compelling, and entertaining, Meyer is sure to gain a large following with Cinder.

I thought this book was great. I read a lot and it is rare to find truly unique concepts that work. The retelling of Cinderella with a cyborg heroine mechanic is just brilliant.

I really enjoyed the characters, especially that of Cinder and I was also thrilled that, while there was a love story of sorts, it wasn't the typically YA "true love at first sight that transcends everything."

The big reveal at the end was completely obvious, but given the number of hints towards it during the story, I assume the author intended it to be that way. Even though it was obvious, it still worked as the end for this book and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Cinder is one of those books that had me hanging on every word one minute but then I was able to set it aside for a few days the next.

It starts out fantastic when we are plunged into the crazy cool world of futuristic New Bejjing and meet a truly unique protagonist in Cinder.

"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another. By the time it was extracted far enough for her to wrench free with her prosthetic steel hand, the hairline threads had been stripped clean."

"I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on."

At first I was utterly enchanted with this retelling of Cinderella. Who wouldn't be? Cinderella as a gifted mechanic cyborg with a metal foot replacing the glass slipper, her Prince Charming - Kai, forced to rule his country before he is ready, a dash of dystopian with a steampunk vibe in a plague ravished New Bejjing plus a potential war with the Lunars from the Moon Empire.

Then about halfway through the blending of genres weighed down the story. The dark gritty overtones that I enjoyed early on clashed with the pivotal lead up to the "ball". It felt forced to me. As in Cinderella, the ball is where all the various threads are tied together and it felt like no matter how bad things were getting around them people kept getting sidetracked by this ball as a chance to snag a dance with Kai. There are a lot of interesting concepts going on that I felt didn't have the time to be fully explored in this novel. Particularly the alien Lunar people. I also didn't feel like the author utilized the setting of futuristic Bejjing very well. Aside from a few references to things like bonsai and emperors there wasn't much to immerse me in this unique culture and setting. I almost felt like the story was taking place in the US at times.

There is a big mystery as to who or what Cinder really is but most readers could guess the truth very early on with the heavy dose of foreshadowing. I'm not sure if that was the authors intent but it took away some of the mystery and interest for me as a reader.

The story is told mainly from Cinder's point of view with occasional chapters from Kai and other characters POV's. Everyone is quite likable/interesting. Kai and Cinder have a slow blossoming relationship which was nice but almost everyone was just ok in my opinion. I wasn't irritated by anyone but there wasn't anyone who stood out for me either except for Iko, Cinder's funny cyborg BFF.

The ending really amps things up and is a bit of a cliffhanger but a tolerable one. I particularly liked Kai's reactions to the fallout out from the ball. It wasn't your typical YA hero response but was more realistic to me.

I honestly can't say anything bad about the story or the writing. Cinder is a good book that I think will appeal to most readers but for some reason it just didn't grab me and hold my attention. I would probably read the sequel at some point just to see where the story goes.

What a very clever idea it was for this author to take a story which is so instantly familiar and transport it into an entirely different realm. Cinder and the Prince? She certainly didn't go wrong with that. Add in some slight variations on the story with the characters (not all step sisters have to be horrible) and maybe change up your main character just the teeniest bit. Actually that's a bit of irony because Cinder is totally different from any variation of Cinderella I've ever read. I absolutely loved this book.

So Cinder is a cyborg. The cover of this book is absolute genius in letting the reader know instantly that this is not going to be the usual take on any body's fairy tale. The prosthetic foot and hand are dealt with immediately, but other differences in the re-made Cinder are revealed more slowly. Adding in the element of the inhabitants of the moon and making their queen be someone so thrillingly menacing simply adds to the excitement of the entire concept.

I appreciated the fact that this novel is aimed at young adult readers from age twelve and up, in grades seven and up and this author never talks down to her reader, never sounds condescending, her dialog doesn't sound fake. She has her characters speak in the modern language of the day, yet with moderation so the book will still be fresh and readable ten years from now. Those things are all quite an accomplishment for a writer who is older than her target audience. I was impressed and plan to recommend this book to two young ladies of my acquaintance who will enjoy it as much as I did. Now I'm looking forward to the next exciting adventure of Cinder the cyborg.

I received this book as a complimentary copy from the publisher.