Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 400
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (MacMillian)
Source: Publisher (ARC)


Cinder is a second class citizen, a cyborg with a mysterious past, rescued as a child by her adoptive father, and always resented by her adoptive mother. After the death of her father, Cinder's life was left into the hands of her mother. As a world renowned mechanic, she is the sole supporter of her family but she reaps no benefits. When the Beijing Prince appears at her stand she is surprised and tries to remain professional, he has come with his broken Android, desperate to have it fixed. It's clear that his Android has secret information that must be retrieved and Cinder is his only hope. A plague is ravaging the population, and patients are immediately taken away, never to be seen again. When one of Cinder’s sisters is diagnosed and taken away, Cinder's mother places all the blame on her and retaliates. Cinder is sent away against her will to test for possible cures for the plague, experiments that have killed many cyborgs.

Cinder is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella like no other. A young adult novel with an amazing mix of believable science fiction and dystopian elements. The creativity that shines through this story is fantastic. The classic fairy tale weaves underneath an original, and riveting tale. Readers will not be disappointed, and despite the retelling they will not find the story predictable. Cinder is the first book in the Lunar Chronicals  the series will consist of four books.

I really felt for Cinder from the very beginning, she is mocked, teased and a society outcast. Some fear her for being an android, and turn the other way when they see her. She has issues with herself, and detests her cyborg parts. Ashamed of the mechanical parts that have saved her life. When Prince Kai begins to show interest in her, she tries to keep her cyborg identity a secret. She knows despite his interests, he would change his mind the minute he uncovered her identity.

The secondary characters were very well incorporated, and each stood on their own. Iko, the family android and Cinder are friends. Their relationship is really gratifying. Cinder loves that Iko's personality chip is malfunctioning, but worries about her mother asking to have her fixed and neutralized. When Pearl is diagnosed with the plague, Cinder is truly heartbroken but relieved to be plague-free when tested. Her life is turned upside down when she is shipped off for experimentation. This is where her stepmother’s hatred really shines through. The uncovering of Cinder’s past was a little predictable for me but the story leaves lots of questions. This one is highly recommended, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming novels. If you like to root for the underdog, this one would be great for you.


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