Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends, 387 pages
US Release Date: January 3, 2012
Challenges: Local Library Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Lines drawn into his face suggested he had spent many years thinking very hard over very difficult problems. But his eyes were bluer than the sky and, at that moment, they were smiling.

Even though this is a retelling of a classic fairy tale that we all know and love dearly, Cinder is still one of the most original stories I've ever, ever read - absolutely incredible.

I was a little weary heading in when I knew it was about a Cyborg Cinderella, because there's so many potential questions. How is she a Cyborg? (How) Does she feel? Is she the only one? How does she function in society? What do they think of her? Simply put, I was worried.

All for naught.

(Sidebar: Do people still say that, by the way? I've been called an old British Biddy when I say that IRL.)

During last week's Top Ten Tuesday, the topic was books we'd like to see as movies, and I was startled to see so many lists include Cinder. But it really would be perfect, because the world Marissa Meyer builds is fantastic. The entire society and city of New Beijing, even the brief mentions of other continents...it all integrates so well. I was completely immersed in the story, to the point where I truly had to spend a few minutes drawing myself back out whenever I put it down.

I'm not sure if my brain is just weird, but I had the plot figured out pretty quickly; I don't know if certain plot points were meant to be Major Twists, but nothing really was for me. But oddly enough, it was almost better for me that way! I was fairly certain how everything was going to work, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing just how they were going to get there. I mean, basic plot elements are expected since this is a retelling of a classic, but there was so much more to the story as well, and I was eating up everything I could about it.

I loved how Marissa Meyer worked in magic - in the classic tale, magic functions as a beneficial element. It helps disguise Cinderella, it is the reason why she has the opportunity to go to the Ball and see the Prince. But in Cinder, the magic has so much more potential and SO much more use. It can be negative and evil and destructive, while also useful and good. The variation was surprising and awesome.

There's SO much more of this I want to talk about. I want to say how awesome and multi-faceted Cinder was, discuss how brilliant I thought the merging of human + cyborg was, discuss how horrible the Lunars are, talk about how in love I am with Prince Kai, how I wanted to cry when Peony got sick, how I wished I had a sensor when Cinder and the Doctor were chatting because I couldn't figure out what was real and what wasn't....there's was SO much of this that had me in awe that someone could create this entire society and world.

Quite obviously, I am in love with this book. It's a simple twist on a simple tale that makes it entirely extraordinary.  Now, BOOK TWO WHERE ARE YOU?!? I NEED YOU!

5 Stars / 5

(and oh my Stars it would get more if I could)