First, I just want to say THANKS! to all of my loyal readers who voted on the poll of which book I should read next. I really loved Cinder, and now I get to share my views with the rest of you who already loved it!
Goodreads Book Description: 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.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (you guys got it right!)
My Review: This book was chosen by my blog readers as the most important next book
for me to read. Their decision just proved I need to do this more
often-- they were more than right.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer is
about a cyborg, Cinder, who lives in a futuristic China. In a
breathtaking and most unique retelling of the Cinderella story, we are
introduced to a world of technology and wonder-- in addition to
governmental intrigue, and another dominating species, the Lunars.
Prince Kai meets our Cinder very early on in the story to ask her help
in repairing his android, and it becomes clear that he may have to marry
the evil Queen Levana to avoid all out war with the Lunars. While some
of the aspects of the story are similar (evil stepmother and a ball),
most of it is not, and it enthralled me from start to finish.
Lauren
Oliver, the best selling author of the Delirium series, told me in an
interview that this was her favorite YA read of the year. I know now
why. The world building is terrific and I kept wanting to see more. The
characters are very interesting, and the ethical dilemma of what makes a
human kept cropping up in subtle but interesting ways. Furthermore, the
protagonist was wonderful-- Cinder is probably the antithesis of the
typical Cinderella image, but that's part of her charm. I loved that she
was a mechanic and that she was down and dirty working on electronics--
that she wasn't the typical heroine.
I wasn't surprised by the
big reveal, because hints were placed early on, and I can't still figure
out why a certain doctor didn't reveal more earlier on, except as
merely a plot device, but that was my only qualm.
Overall, a
terrific and unusual retelling of the Cinderella story in futuristic
China-- well written with wonderful characters. Meyer is an author to
watch.
Please share your comments, especially if you voted in the poll! I want to know what you guys thought!
Current Giveaways
1. Dreaming of Books Blog Hop, Featuring J. Meyers, author of Intangible,
signed copy of Intangible and signed bookmarks (INT), 1/18/13-1/24/13
Intangible Giveaway
2. Back to the Future Blog Hop, Featuring Samantha Durante, Author of Stitch, e-copy of Stitch or $5 Amazon gift card (INT), 1/22/13-1/28/13
Stitch giveaway
If The Raven Boys was an option, I'm pretty sure I voted for that instead and I still like that one more but I'm glad you enjoyed this. And now you're all set for Scarlet, which I've heard is even better and which I hope is!
ReplyDeleteNever fear! I'm currently reading the runner up, Raven Boys, too! I'll let you know what I think :-)
DeleteI'm reading it for a read along right now! Loving it so far. So incredibly creative! Glad to hear the rest of it is just as awesome
ReplyDeleteThis one is definitely on my radar. The fact that both you and Lauren Oliver recommend it pretty much seals the deal.
ReplyDelete