REVIEW: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
Marissa Meyer
387 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: LOVED

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

  I'm always on the lookout for the next unforgettable read. For the book that will leave me breathless, that will linger in my mind, and will leave me begging for more.

   I've found it. In six letters. Between the covers of a book with a red slipper. I've found it in Cinder. The year 2012 hasn't even begun yet, and I already have a 2012 favorite.

  To describe Cinder as a futuristic retelling of Cinderella would probably be a lie. Because its more than that. Despite the elements of Cinderella, Cinder is something else. Cyborgs, politics, people who live on the moon, Cinder is most definitely something else. Something that will leave your mind boggling. Something that will leave you with one question: how did she think of that??

   Marissa Meyer weaves a story unlike any other in the pages of her debut novel. Not a word in all of 387 pages is wasted. And you won't want to skip a single one.

   Cinder is New Beijing's best mechanic - its no secret if even Prince Kaito of the Commonwealth seeks her service. The prince takes a liking to Cinder from the very beginning, but Cinder knows it will never work. If he knew what she really was - a frowned upon, disdained cyborg, he would regret his every word with her.

    Yet Cinder is strong. Her hardcore character emanates from her every decision. And despite the horrible way her stepmother treats her, she still finds comfort in her work. She still finds a way to hope and live in a world dying from an incurable plague.

    The subject of the Lunars fascinated me. The fact that Meyer takes the notion of 'men on the moon' and churns it into people residing on the moon with the ability to alter bioelectricity to their will - or brainwash - was pure genius.

    Cinder is a must-read. Marissa Meyer's debut will captivate you from the very first words and linger in your mind long after the last page is turned. Unputdownable, unbelievable, and incredible. If you ever find yourself in need of a reason to rush to your nearest bookstore this January, Cinder should be it.

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