kenna13's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I love how the fairytale was incorporated in!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident
luckykosmos's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Listened on audiobook, and I'm honestly surprised I let this one pass by as a child. Some of the twists are obvious coming in, but it's still fun, and I loved how Meyer adapted aspects of these stories. However, the Eastern Federation felt a bit like cultural soup in some places.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Child death
Minor: Forced institutionalization
mia_123's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i thought it was a really cute story.
Spoiler
i thought that peony’s death was sort of overlooked a little and yes ik cinder cant cry but she didn’t mourn as much as i was expecting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Child death
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Just as fun this time around as I remember it being! I was pretty impressed that this held up after almost 10 years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, War, and Blood
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Cinderella is a cyborg, the prince and his palace are in New Beijing, the wicked stepmother is outdone by a vicious queen from outer space, and a plague adds to all the peril, but the adventure, romance,and heroism are as epic and enchanting as ever in this sci-fi young adult retelling of the classic fairy tale. I look forward to continuing the series, meeting more fairy tale heroines in new forms, and exploring more of Cinder’s universe!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Deportation, War, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Terminal illness, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Xenophobia
lectricefeministe's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and War
abbypeekreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can already tell that The Lunar Chronicles is going to become my next YA fantasy obsession. I had a few reservations going into this one--it's an older title, so I wondered if it would still hold up today, and I wasn't sure if the sci-fi elements would be for me. But this series gets so much love, so I wanted to check it out for myself. And I'm so glad I did, because I absolutely loved this book!
The writing was excellent, the twist on a classic fairytale was so clever, and the characters were super unique and engaging. The high stakes of the premise were very engaging as well--I love political intrigue in a novel, so the tense circumstances surrounding the Lunars and Earth kept me hooked into the story. That mixed with the mystery surrounding Cinder's past meant that I really couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to continue the series and see what twists on more classic fairytales Meyers has in store!
The writing was excellent, the twist on a classic fairytale was so clever, and the characters were super unique and engaging. The high stakes of the premise were very engaging as well--I love political intrigue in a novel, so the tense circumstances surrounding the Lunars and Earth kept me hooked into the story. That mixed with the mystery surrounding Cinder's past meant that I really couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to continue the series and see what twists on more classic fairytales Meyers has in store!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Gun violence
hannahmcclee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Classism, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War and Violence
lrose02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I knew sort of the basic premise of this series when I added it to my TBR. The sci-fi elements were more than I was expecting. I knew the name of the series but not the reason why but now it all makes sense. I was doubtful of the world building at first but as the story developed, so did the world. Cinder is a complex character. She’s riddled with insecurities and she’s had to deal with a lot. Same with Kai. Their romance isn’t one that’s necessarily the forefront of the story. It’s almost a subplot within a political fantasy on par with The Cruel Prince. But different tropes obviously. Overall, very excited for the next book. I wonder if it’ll immediately change POV into a different heroine and when they all start to crossover.
Spoiler
I fucking called it about her being Princess Selene. I called it about the 250 mark. I’m glad to see I was right. The doctor is amazing. It’s nice to see a genuine side character that’s a true ally. However, I don’t trust Marissa Meyer with his future. I’m interested to see who exactly the girl on the video call is. I suspect she’s one of the other heroines of the other series- maybe Winter? Peony’s death was so tragic. There was so much hope and then it was ripped away. But it’s going to be a good character motivator for Cinder
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Child death
Minor: Medical content
steff_fox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death