YA Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: 3 January 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan)
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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Goodreads description:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a 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.

My Thoughts...

This book is absolutely phenomenal.  I never in a million years would have guessed that Ms. Meyer is a debut author.  Her storytelling capability is superb as is her writing.  The world and characters she has created will jump off the page and straight into your imagination. Honestly, with Cinder as my first complete read of 2012, the rest of the books I read this year have a LOT to live up to, whether they come from debut or seasoned authors.

Cinder isn't you usual heroine.  She's a tough chick who works as a mechanic for a living and what's more--she's not ENTIRELY human anymore, not since a surgery when she was young reengineered her as a cyborg.  Despite her make-up being 36.28% machine, Cinder has all the real emotions and feelings of a normal teenage girls...she just also happens to be able to disconnect her foot.  Without giving too much away, there's a lot of surprises in store for Cinder along the way.

What I REALLY loved about this story is that it is a wholly unique and beautifully done retelling of the much loved Cinderella fairy tale.  When I read a retelling of such a well-known and well-loved story, I hope that the author can find a way to make it completely new without butchering the story I already love--and Ms. Meyer has accomplished just that. I loved the futuristic world with its science fiction technology yet the somewhat classic feel/moments that relate the story back to it's East Asian roots.

I don't think that I can recommend this book highly enough.  I flew through the pages and I am sure that you will too! The characters are relateable even though they're so different from you and me and Ms. Meyer really makes the world come alive.  You'll seriously feel like you are walking through the streets of New Beijing with Cinder and standing on the landing pad with Prince Kai when the Lunar queen arrives.  The ending will leave you breathlessly waiting for the next chapter of the Lunar chronicles, which we will sadly have to wait until 2013 to read!

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