CINDER by Marissa Meyer-REVIEW

Believe it or not there are actually some books that both of us agree on! Cinder by Marissa Meyer is one of those books.

KARIN'S REVIEW:

Cinder is an orphan.  She lost her parents when she was eleven and she and her family were in a fatal hover accident. She survived the crash, but only just barely. In order to save Cinda, scientists had to add a metal hand and a metal leg turning her into a cyborg. Luckily, a man adopted her shortly after her surgery and took her to the Eastern Commonwealth to live with him, his wife, and two daughters. Not so luckily, the man died of the plague soon after he brought her home.  Ever since she has had to live with a step-mother who never wanted her in the first place.
Cinder is the best mechanic anywhere in her region. She has a booth at the market and the money she makes goes directly to her step-mother. She has nothing to call her own.  She has two bright spots in her life – her android helper and her step-sister Peony. Her life consists of nothing but work until Prince Kai shows up at her booth one day. Prince Kai is next in line to be Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth and needs Cinder to work her magic on an old android.
Cinder tries to be professional whenever in his presence, but is always careful to cover her metal appendages. She knows she’d never have a chance with someone like the Prince, but she doesn’t want to see horror in his eyes when he sees what she really is.  Life becomes very complicated for Cinder when the plague (the same one that killed her adopted father) gets too close to home.
Cinder is thrust into a world she never knew existed filled with political strategy and deadly consequences. Will she be able to rise from the ashes of a world filled with death and prejudice?
CINDER is a masterful retelling of the fairy tale, Cinderella.  It has it all, the prince, the evil step-mother, the lost “slipper,” the “pumpkin coach.” I read the book in one day because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Cinder.  The sequel will be hard to wait for. Cinder is a tough girl – one that can take care of herself and doesn’t faint at the sight of the Prince. Yes, she thinks he’s handsome and dreams of him taking her in his arms, but….she doesn’t let that fantasy dictate her entire world. She has priorities and sticks to them. This is a wonderful example of a book with a strong female role model.

JULIE'S REVIEW:

First off, don't you just love this cover?! From the first time I saw it I wanted to get this book and read it. Yup, I love a good cover!

Cinder is a cyborg. She lives with her guardian and 2 step sisters. Yes, this is a retelling of Cinderella. 

Cinder is a mechanic in the marketplace. She can repair just about anything.  Prince Kai, the soon to be emperor of New Beijing, brings his android for Cinder to fix. Cinder can't believe when the prince seems to be flirting with her. But Cinder knows that she can never be attractive to him once he finds out that she is cyborg.

When the dreaded plague attacks Cinders step-sister Peony, Cinders step-mother immediately volunteers Cinder to go to the palace research facility to be tested on for a cure. No cyborg that is tested on ever comes out alive.

When Kai's father dies from the plague Kai is made emperor. Being forced to marry the Lunar queen in order to save earth from war, Kai holds a ball to announce his coming marriage. Barely able to be civil to the queen, Kai is determined to save his people from war with the Lunar's. Cinder has found a hidden chip in Kai's android that will expose the Lunar queen's plans for war. She must go to the ball in order to inform Kai before it is too late.

I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next book in the series. Cinder kind of reminded me of the Uglies, Pretties, Specials series by Scott Westerfeld. I don't even know why? Maybe because of the post-apocalyptic flavor to it? Maybe because of the advanced technology? Whatever the reason, with robots, spacecraft, cyborgs, romance and evil queens and step-mothers Cinder is a fun read and a great new twist to the Cinderella story!