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A review by jenpaul13
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
4.0
A skilled mechanic, who happens to be a cyborg, unwittingly becomes entangled in some political intrigue in Marissa Meyer's Cinder.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A skilled mechanic in New Beijing, Cinder's life has thrown her some rather large challenges. After suffering an accident when she was younger, Cinder is a cyborg who is poorly treated by her stepmother, who considers her as property that can bring in an income. With an infectious disease slowly creeping its way toward the city, the one stepsister that Cinder likes contracts the disease while scavenging for parts with Cinder in a junkyard. Blamed for this, her stepmother volunteers Cinder for antidote testing that nearly always means death, but instead Cinder's secrets slowly come to light under the eyes of Prince Kai, who shows an interest in the girl he thinks she is despite her lowly status. With precarious access to the palace, Cinder becomes entwined in a search for a princess, long presumed dead, and the manipulative exploits of a Lunar queen.
An inventive and interesting premised based on a retelling of Cinderella that incorporates cyborgs into a technologically advanced, dystopian future, this story was enjoyable, if a bit too predictable with the twist it offers. The setting and development of the world comprised of the Earthen Union and Luna was cursory and could use some deeper development and explore greater intricacies to increase reader investment. The relationships within this novel were familiar from the classic Cinderella story, but the depth of Cinder's relationship with her stepsister Peony helped to make Cinder a more relatable character; Cinder's character was generally a bit more dynamic and realistic while many others seemed to fit more comfortably within the formulaic storybook confines of their role.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A skilled mechanic in New Beijing, Cinder's life has thrown her some rather large challenges. After suffering an accident when she was younger, Cinder is a cyborg who is poorly treated by her stepmother, who considers her as property that can bring in an income. With an infectious disease slowly creeping its way toward the city, the one stepsister that Cinder likes contracts the disease while scavenging for parts with Cinder in a junkyard. Blamed for this, her stepmother volunteers Cinder for antidote testing that nearly always means death, but instead Cinder's secrets slowly come to light under the eyes of Prince Kai, who shows an interest in the girl he thinks she is despite her lowly status. With precarious access to the palace, Cinder becomes entwined in a search for a princess, long presumed dead, and the manipulative exploits of a Lunar queen.
An inventive and interesting premised based on a retelling of Cinderella that incorporates cyborgs into a technologically advanced, dystopian future, this story was enjoyable, if a bit too predictable with the twist it offers. The setting and development of the world comprised of the Earthen Union and Luna was cursory and could use some deeper development and explore greater intricacies to increase reader investment. The relationships within this novel were familiar from the classic Cinderella story, but the depth of Cinder's relationship with her stepsister Peony helped to make Cinder a more relatable character; Cinder's character was generally a bit more dynamic and realistic while many others seemed to fit more comfortably within the formulaic storybook confines of their role.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.