Scarlet - Book Review

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
by Marissa Meyer

What is it about:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

What did I think of it:
This second book is just as cool as the first. The story of this book is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood and you can definitely recognize elements from the fairytale, but once again Meyer made the story her own.

I liked that the story switched between Scarlet and Cinder. Cinder was left in a rather precarious situation at the end of the first book, so I was glad I didn't have to wait for later books to see how she was doing.

Both Cinder's storyline and Scarlet's were cool and full of action. Usually I can get impatient with one storyline when there are more, but I liked both of them equally. I was also glad that some chapters showed how Kai is faring as well.

I loved the enigmatic Wolf who offers Scarlet help, even though events from the original fairytale told me he might not be trustworthy. I kept rooting for him to win Scarlet's trust and for the two of them to work together.

At the ending of this book the problems are far from over, but Cinder and Scarlet are one step closer to solving them. You bet I'll be picking up the next book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a really enjoyable SF fairytale retelling.


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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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Cinder - Book Review

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
by Marissa Meyer

What is it about:
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.

What did I think of it:
This is a very enjoyable read.

I do confess it very predictable, not just because it's a retelling of Cinderella, but also because obvious hints were given long before Cinder figured thing out.

But that didn't stop me from gobbling up this story.

It's an easy, fast paced read and I love fairy tale retellings. I also really enjoyed Meyer's world building. She really fitted it into the story in a natural way, making it not a literal retelling of Cinderella, but using the original tale to tell her own story.

The cliffhanger ending did leave me hanging a bit though, hinting at things to come that aren't part of the original Cinderella tale. It's making me want to read the next book right away to know what happens next, but I'll have to wait until February...

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable retelling of Cinderella.