Lunar Chronicles #1: Cinder Review

Title: Lunar Chronicles #1: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Date of Publication: January 3, 2012

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: With her metal extremities and brain interface Cinder is considered a mistake to the majority of society. Stuck with a stepmother who can't stand the sight of her and metal limbs too small for her Cinders only talent is fixing things. Word of her mechanical ability has spread across New Beijing bringing none other than Prince Kai to her shop wanting her to fix an android. While Prince Kai makes light of the situation Cinder believes there is something more to the android than what he's letting on. When Cinder's step-sister, and only human friend, falls ill to the plague that devastated the nation Cinder is sold to plague research, an honor nobody ever returns from.  As political tensions begin to rise and Prince Kai's coronation looms closer Cinder begins to discover important secrets about the plague that has devastated the earth and her own mysterious origins.

My Review:

I'd been putting off reading this novel for a long time, while I don't mind fairy tale retellings I usually find them dull or repetitive, Cinder was neither. Extremely original and full of action and romance I soon found myself falling love with this novel. The ending leaving me wanting nothing more than to start the sequel the moment I was done.

One of the reasons I loved this novel so much was because how loose the retelling of Cinderella was. The majority of the plot was completely original with only a few elements of the original Cinderella story left in. I absolutely loved the futuristic and Asian setting, from androids to chopsticks the originality of the setting made this novel stand out even more.

By being both a mechanic and a cyborg Cinder challenged her society's ideals in more ways than one. She was a strong but weak character all at the same time, making her easy to relate to on all counts. As she put on her strong and confident front around Prince Kai she kept the truth of her cyborg status a secret. The more frustrated I became with Cinder as she continued to reject Prince Kai the more I came to love her, her fear of rejection after Kai found out the truth about her is an emotion impossible not to relate to.

While Cinder is not necessarily full of heart stopping action, the novel has its own kind of action made up of startling revelations and unexpected twists. I was glued to the page as Cinder was sold off by her step mother to the plague research labs, as she discovered more and more secrets about her mysterious past that she can't remember. With a cliffhanger ending and newly revealed information I'm waiting on pins and needles for the sequel!

Cinder is an absolutely wonderful novel. With a heroine that you can't help but love and an evil stepmother you can't help but hate and plenty of action and intrigue this novel is definitely a novel that should not be missed!

4/5