Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Robots. Grease stains. Plagues. Moon people. Are these the things you think of when you hear the name “Cinderella”? Well they should be now! 126 years after WWIV, the world is suffering from a terrible plague. No cure has been found, and the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth has fallen victim to it. The young Prince Kai is now facing a diplomatic and emotional nightmare. And we have Cinder. Cinder is a cyborg – part human, part robot. They are seen as less-than human, mere property. Her guardian has “volunteered” her to be studied (aka sacrificed) in hopes of finding a cure for the plague. What she discovers in the research lab changes her life forever, and has the potential to change the fate of the world. But can she reach Prince Kai in time? Would he believe her?
I’ll be the first to admit that my description does not do justice to this novel. There’s just soooo much packed in there! This novel is a prime example of how much more a journey can be over the destination. Almost everyone knows the Cinderella story – you know how it ends. So then why should you keep reading? Because these characters are amazing! Honestly, who would think of a robot fairy tale? Cinder is a strong lead with a great android sidekick. The Prince is a gem, caught in the middle of awful circumstances. Some of the plot twists that were in there were too easily predictable. But I am excited for the rest of this series! I am bummed that it’s not supposed to be finished until 2015… I so hope that cyborgs are the new vampires.
Image taken from http://www.amazon.com.
Tags: adoption, androids, book review, china, Cinderella, cyborgs, fairy tales, marissa meyer, mechanics, plagues, robots, science fiction, the lunar chronicles, young adult books
January 25, 2012 at 6:46 pm |
I would rather read about robots than vampires! What ages is the book for?
January 25, 2012 at 7:45 pm |
Hey Erik! I would say this book is for 12+, maybe a mature 10 or 11 year old. There aren’t any adult themes, but since the character is nearly 18, I don’t know how relatable she’d be to younger kids.
January 26, 2012 at 6:56 am |
OK Thanks!!
January 31, 2012 at 12:01 pm |
[...] The Librarianista: quality handcrafted book reviews « Cinder [...]
March 6, 2012 at 10:51 pm |
Hi Alex!
Happy Blogiversary, a little late! Cinder sounds very cool and I will put it on my list, but I must reply to your question “who would think of a robot fairy tale?” by saying, read The Silver Metal Lover, by Tanith Lee. OK, it’s more of a retold Greek myth with a robot, but it’s close enough. I didn’t discover it until my late 20s and wished I had read it at 16, but it’s still amazing.
Hope you’re doing well! You sound busy…