bellarcas's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5) I really liked this book. When I bought it I wasn't so sure if I was going to like it, but it blowed my mind away. With every page I turned I loved it even more.
abartley73's review against another edition
4.0
I have so much and at the same time, so little to say about this book. I've heard about it time and time again, and I've wanted to read it for so long, but I was also hesitant. I wasn't sure how much I'd be interested in a fairy tale retelling. I love the old fairy tales but how could one do it justice or improve upon it? I have to say, though, I was presently surprised.
So with this being my first retelling, it was such a unique premise. As I was reading, those scenes from fairy tales that everyone knows would replay in my head. It brought back fond memories, while showing me this entirely new and unique world. And cyborgs? Who doesn't find that cool?
My biggest and only issue was that I didn't like Kai all that well, and as I've come across reviews, I know I'm not alone in that opinion. A lot of the reviews I've read or watched seem to like the later books more, so I'm deff excited to continue on with the series. I also wasn't impressed with the ending, but it's not really a complaint. I just predicted the twist. I think that most people could probably predict it, but it doesn't take away from the story at all.
Overall, a solid 4 stars. Really cool unique storyline that makes me want to continue on and see what the rest of the series has to offer!
So with this being my first retelling, it was such a unique premise. As I was reading, those scenes from fairy tales that everyone knows would replay in my head. It brought back fond memories, while showing me this entirely new and unique world. And cyborgs? Who doesn't find that cool?
My biggest and only issue was that I didn't like Kai all that well, and as I've come across reviews, I know I'm not alone in that opinion. A lot of the reviews I've read or watched seem to like the later books more, so I'm deff excited to continue on with the series. I also wasn't impressed with the ending, but it's not really a complaint. I just predicted the twist. I think that most people could probably predict it, but it doesn't take away from the story at all.
Overall, a solid 4 stars. Really cool unique storyline that makes me want to continue on and see what the rest of the series has to offer!
niraverse's review
3.0
This was such a lovely book and I honestly would love to give it more than 3 stars but I can't. And I have my reasons for this, promise.
2.) The treatment of the cyborgs. I feel like it's not properly addressed at all. It's mentioned, eyebrows are raised, pearls are clutched but other than that I don't feel anything else. We see how Cinder's treated and we proclaim it as horrible, we proclaim the cyborg draft as horrible but other than that there's nothing there. I'm not saying we needed an entire rally of people protesting the treatment of cyborgs, I'm saying that there should've been a bit more outrage among the citizens of New Beijing.
3.) The relationship between Cinder and the prince. It felt rushed for lack of better words. It felt rushed and I was bored with every interaction they had. I swear to you I was itching to skip every scene with the two of them. Cinder, in my opinion, was barely interested in Kai. She was intrigued by him sure but a crush? It didn't feel like it. Kai was begging her, BEGGING HER, to go to the ball with her and she dodged and ducked going with him. It felt insanely one-sided throughout the book and while I wanted to root for them I just couldn't.
4.)Cinder's reveal as the lost princess. There was no build-up to this reveal. NOTHING. It just felt like it was there for shock value and shock it did. It didn't shock me because it was so good and had me flipping back on the pages to figure out how I missed it. It had me flipping back to figure out when this was even foreshadowed.
5.) Cinder being Lunar. To be very real, there was an attempt to foreshadow that Cinder was Lunar. Like the doctor's weirdness towards her but other than that? Nothin really. It was a nice twist but it didn't really have me shocked to the extreme.
6.) Kai's POV were lacking. There wasn't anything captivating about it unlike Cinder's. Her's felt more thought and well-written
7.) Peony's death did not hit hard. She should've been fleshed out more and had more scenes to make it hit the readers more instead of just having Cinder be the only one to grieve for her.
8.) Levana and her motivations were vastly unclear, there was much to be desired for her character and I'll leave it at that.
Spoiler
1.) The setting of the book is China, specifically Beijing, but we don't see any of China's rich culture!! The author had ample opportunity to insert some of China's culture but sadly we don't get any of that.2.) The treatment of the cyborgs. I feel like it's not properly addressed at all. It's mentioned, eyebrows are raised, pearls are clutched but other than that I don't feel anything else. We see how Cinder's treated and we proclaim it as horrible, we proclaim the cyborg draft as horrible but other than that there's nothing there. I'm not saying we needed an entire rally of people protesting the treatment of cyborgs, I'm saying that there should've been a bit more outrage among the citizens of New Beijing.
3.) The relationship between Cinder and the prince. It felt rushed for lack of better words. It felt rushed and I was bored with every interaction they had. I swear to you I was itching to skip every scene with the two of them. Cinder, in my opinion, was barely interested in Kai. She was intrigued by him sure but a crush? It didn't feel like it. Kai was begging her, BEGGING HER, to go to the ball with her and she dodged and ducked going with him. It felt insanely one-sided throughout the book and while I wanted to root for them I just couldn't.
4.)Cinder's reveal as the lost princess. There was no build-up to this reveal. NOTHING. It just felt like it was there for shock value and shock it did. It didn't shock me because it was so good and had me flipping back on the pages to figure out how I missed it. It had me flipping back to figure out when this was even foreshadowed.
5.) Cinder being Lunar. To be very real, there was an attempt to foreshadow that Cinder was Lunar. Like the doctor's weirdness towards her but other than that? Nothin really. It was a nice twist but it didn't really have me shocked to the extreme.
6.) Kai's POV were lacking. There wasn't anything captivating about it unlike Cinder's. Her's felt more thought and well-written
7.) Peony's death did not hit hard. She should've been fleshed out more and had more scenes to make it hit the readers more instead of just having Cinder be the only one to grieve for her.
8.) Levana and her motivations were vastly unclear, there was much to be desired for her character and I'll leave it at that.
rubylicious's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first science fiction book that I read with a fairy tale twist in it. And I loved this book so much. I'm not a huge fan of science fiction but I realized it was fairy tale science fiction, I decided to give it a try. First when I read a few pages I didnt get in it. I decided to return the book. But then my heart was like give it a try. I read the preview again, and started the book fresh. And I totally got in to it. Now, this is one of my favorite books. I also realized that Marissa Meyer was a huge Sailor Moon fan, so this book made a special place in my heart. I love this book, and hoping more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
amberx19's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
3.0
opportunitied's review against another edition
3.0
Very predictable. Would've enjoyed a bit more depth.
joscelynhe's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book because it's been on my "To Read" list for a good amount of time and I thought, "Why not? It sounds okay.." That's just it. It's okay. The story behind the novel is pretty predictable (the non-Cinderella part), the writing is really simple (as expected), but there was several plot developments that kept me from putting it down. Marissa Meyer's "Cinder" can't compare to my favorites (like "The Night Circus" - a work of art), but it's not horrible. If you want a relaxed, playful read I recommend; however, if you're looking for a new favorite, look somewhere else.
finezziz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
alyram4's review against another edition
3.0
Took me about halfway before I really started to get into it. I kept going because I've been told it gets better, which thankfully it does! I enjoyed the last half a whole lot more, even though it was really predictable. I'd probably rate this 3.5/5 stars, but I'm rounding down since it did take me a long time to get into it. I'll definitely continue onto the next book though, as I'm interested in how the story further develops.