Cinder - Book Review

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
by Marissa Meyer

What is it about:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.

But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

What did I think of it:
I read this book in 2012 and really enjoyed it, but because I had borrowed it from a friend I never got to reading the other books as I wanted to own the first book before buying more books in the series. Recently I decided to buy and reread this book and finally continue reading the rest of the series.

And this book is just as enjoyable and entertaining as I remembered.

I remembered more from this book than other recent rereads, but still there were things happening in the story I didn't remember. My previous review mentioned that it was easy to see certain things coming, and that was true now as well, although some things might have secretly lingered in my brain. Even so, this is a great read and I was kept entertained from start to finish. I really like how Meyer tells her own story using elements from the original fairytale, but making them her own. I love the characters she created and was rooting for Cinder and prince Kai.

The ending didn't feel as cliffhangery as the first time, but that might be because I have the next book waiting for me already: I was lucky enough to receive a gift card which I used to get the next three books. It won't take another 6 years before I think about continuing this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool SF re-imagining of Cinderella


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