Cinder by Marissa Meyers

Marissa Meyer's website
Marissa Meyer's livejournal

Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles

Enter another world where androids walk among us, though they are not always noticeable. The entire world has united to stand against the Lunars, a people who live on the moon and desire to take over the Earth as their own. In New Beijing, we are introduced to Cinder, an android girl who lives with her adoptive mother and two sisters, trying to keep them afloat with her skills as a mechanic, while hoping to dodge the draft of androids in the fight to save lives against a mysterious plague.

When one of her sisters falls prey to the plague, her adoptive mother volunteers her for the draft, and Cinder is thrust into a world she does not wish to be in, and gets even closer to Prince Kai than she ever thought possible. Based on the title (referring to Cinderella), we know that she will play some important part in the on-coming war between the Earth and the Lunars, but towards the middle and end of the book, our suspicions are justified by some major revelations. (Trying so hard not to give spoilers!)

Overall I greatly enjoyed the book. While it was a quick read, it was fascinating to see a classic fairytale re-written in a futuristic setting, yet still maintain some of it's charm. The world that the book describes is a little over the top and unbelievable, but hey, it's a teen fantasy novel! If you're looking for a good read that has a sequel out already (Scarlet), and is expecting two more novels to the series, then look no further!!! It's a great story, though a bit obvious about some of the mysterious parts that we aren't supposed to know until later on in the book.


Final Report:
Cinder by Marissa Meyers
448 pages
Age range: 12 - 17 years
$9.99 (Trade paperback and Nook)
9/10

Available at your local Barnes and Noble or at Barnes and Noble online