A review by fatimahalazzawi
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
4.0
“This isn’t the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.”
The first book in the Lunar Chronicles is set 108 years after world war 4. It follows a heroine by the name of Cinder, a 16-year-old cyborg living in New Beijing. In case you haven’t figured it out; she is a futuristic Cinderella. If you don't know what a cyborg is… it means that Cinder is half robot half human. And people dislike her for it. There are some advantages to being a cyborg, such as: being an amazing mechanic (which is how Cinder earns a living), her brain can download useful information, she can tell when people are lying, and she can't blush. But being a cyborg is easily one of the worst things to be, at least in Cinder's world. Her stepmother won't let her buy new cyborg parts (such as a larger mechanical foot), she can't cry, and being a cyborg means she is not treated like a normal person… because she isn't one. Like the classic Cinderella fairytale, she has an evil stepmother, an evil stepsister, and her 'father' is dead. But her second step sister is her best friend (other than her android, Iko). Things are really bad in New Beijing. There is a deadly disease called letumosis spreading around the city, but there is no known cure. The evil, powerful queen of the moon, who can manipulate people, is planning to take over Earth. The emperor of the Commonwealth is dying from letumosis. And in the midst of all this, Cinder meets every teen girl’s dream: Prince Kai. They become moderately friends, but Cinder's world is determined to turn for the worse. Her stepsister, Peony, somehow gets the sickness. Cinder cannot stop herself from thinking it is her fault. Her stepmother envies even more now and is ready to give her up as a sacrifice for research. The lunar queen is coming to earth, ready to take over. Her friendship with Prince Kai is clouded with a fog of secrets. The secret Cinder learns about herself rips her world apart.
The book is only slightly similar to the original fairytale. The story was engaging and had loads of twists and turns to keep me entertained. I did predict the ‘big reveal’ right from the start but that didn't take away from my satisfaction of the story. There was a great amount of action and mystery which was addictive; I always wanted to know what happened next. I would recommend this book to any dystopian and science-fiction fans.
The first book in the Lunar Chronicles is set 108 years after world war 4. It follows a heroine by the name of Cinder, a 16-year-old cyborg living in New Beijing. In case you haven’t figured it out; she is a futuristic Cinderella. If you don't know what a cyborg is… it means that Cinder is half robot half human. And people dislike her for it. There are some advantages to being a cyborg, such as: being an amazing mechanic (which is how Cinder earns a living), her brain can download useful information, she can tell when people are lying, and she can't blush. But being a cyborg is easily one of the worst things to be, at least in Cinder's world. Her stepmother won't let her buy new cyborg parts (such as a larger mechanical foot), she can't cry, and being a cyborg means she is not treated like a normal person… because she isn't one. Like the classic Cinderella fairytale, she has an evil stepmother, an evil stepsister, and her 'father' is dead. But her second step sister is her best friend (other than her android, Iko). Things are really bad in New Beijing. There is a deadly disease called letumosis spreading around the city, but there is no known cure. The evil, powerful queen of the moon, who can manipulate people, is planning to take over Earth. The emperor of the Commonwealth is dying from letumosis. And in the midst of all this, Cinder meets every teen girl’s dream: Prince Kai. They become moderately friends, but Cinder's world is determined to turn for the worse. Her stepsister, Peony, somehow gets the sickness. Cinder cannot stop herself from thinking it is her fault. Her stepmother envies even more now and is ready to give her up as a sacrifice for research. The lunar queen is coming to earth, ready to take over. Her friendship with Prince Kai is clouded with a fog of secrets. The secret Cinder learns about herself rips her world apart.
The book is only slightly similar to the original fairytale. The story was engaging and had loads of twists and turns to keep me entertained. I did predict the ‘big reveal’ right from the start but that didn't take away from my satisfaction of the story. There was a great amount of action and mystery which was addictive; I always wanted to know what happened next. I would recommend this book to any dystopian and science-fiction fans.