Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

16 reviews

thumbeleia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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meganpbell's review against another edition

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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!

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macliffe's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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aravenclawlibraryx's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense 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? N/A

3.0

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Format: hardback library book
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Star Rating: 3 stars

tw: sickness, death from illness, mentions of suicide, infanticide, mind control, extreme pain

Yes, I am very late to the party with this book series. About 11 years late. But hey, better late than never! I’m only just now getting into popular young adult books. I like to wait for the hype to die down a bit before I read a popular book so that way, I don’t get a mob after me if I end up not liking the book. Cinder has been on my radar for some time now. I think it was the way the cover was. It drew me in. I had seen that my local library had it so I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. 

I enjoyed the aspect of this being a Cinderella retelling. I don’t like Disney and I haven’t read the original story of Cinderella but I do know about Cinderella and the story well enough to know what is going on. I enjoyed the way Meyer reinvented it but also kept the story there with a spin to it. I can also appreciate an author that keeps the spirit of the story but still make it their own. 

There were two POVs: Cinder and Prince Kai. I liked Cinder’s chapters more than I liked Prince Kai’s. I loved the bond she had with her adopted sister and how she was willing to do anything for her. Considering the abuse she experienced with her stepmom and other sister, she was surprisingly empathetic and truly cared a lot. Prince Kai’s chapters were okay. There were a lot of politics involved since he had an empire to run. I didn’t mind his chapters but I couldn’t wait to get back to Cinder’s chapters.

Overall, this was a good book. I called the plot twist early on but that wasn’t a bad thing. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment. I’m not super in love with the book, but I like it enough that I will continue the series as I have enjoyed the ride and the characters so far. I think I would have liked it a lot more if I had read it when I was younger. I’ve read so many dystopian novels since I’ve gotten serious about reading, that they all kind of blend together.

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junowo's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Always a fun series to read, with lovable characters. I’m particularly endeared by Cinder’s deadpan humor, as well as Kai as an entire character. It’s creative with the Cinderella story, following the same basic beats while bringing its own twists and rethinking the basics.
Ultimately, it’s a YA book that follows expected YA plots. That’s fine, and I think it’s unfair to expect something else from it. Its predictability can make it particularly comfortable to read, also.
I will probably come back to this book many times in my life!

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renyoi's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fun and sometimes even innovative YA novel, with surprisingly likable characters and worldbuilding that feels natural, if a bit simplistic at times. The conglomeration of Asian cultures into a single monolith is problematic in some instances, but I do think the author was aware of the differences, even if that wasn’t always the impression in the text. Creative writing and striking characters with clear agency are the strengths of this book.

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reddeddy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5


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jfield351's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book was really good! i love marissa meyer as always. however i could tell it was one of her earlier works. i was able to guess the spoiler
Spoiler that cinder is princess selene
literally the first page it was mentioned. but it was so well written, i love kai and cinder, and it ended on a cliffhanger so i guess i’ll have to read the next one!! 

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balibasa's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-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? No

3.5


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filipa_maia's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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

4.0

I started this book not expecting much from it. Being a retelling of Cinderella and all I though that it might be quite boring. But, to my surprise, and despite being very predictable, I really liked this book.

The story is set in the future, a hundred plus years since the IV World War, it involves humans, androids, cyborgs and Lunars (royalty who lives on the moon)... this is what makes the story so interesting (that, and the fact they are facing a deadly plague).

The story was going really well untill the end. It seemed rushed and not thought through. All those big reveals, everything happening at the same time... it was very confusing. I understand that in the real story, Cinderella has a deadline to meet - at midnight she becomes a "regular girl" - so I understand the rush to put all these events happening at the same time... but I don't think it works as it should have been. And that last interaction with the doctor was just ridiculous - Ok so now you run away from prison, all by yourself and meet me in Africa - excuse me? Is she supposed to get to Africa and ask around for the doctor? I don't know how Africa looks like in the future, but right now, is a gigantic place and I'm pretty sure that "ask around" wouldn't work.

Nevertheless, i intend to read the next book and see what will happen to Cinder now. 

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