Book Review #69: Cinder

Title: Cinder.
Author: Marissa Meyer.
Pages: 400.
Format: Audio Book.
Source: Publisher.
Publisher: Macmillan.
Published Date: 1/3/2012.
Summary:

"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."

Cover:

Cinder's cover, is my number one favorite for 2012 (I know January isn't over yet, but still!), and I'm sure it'll be hard to beat! It's BEAUTIFUL! The red shoe; OMG! It's sooo bold, and definitely makes a statement. Something else that is interesting, is how you can see through her skin of her ankle, seeing the metal and electric parts that make up Cinder!

Not even knowing what this book was about, I couldn't wait to finally read it! The title, the bright red heel, and the way you can see through her skin, all come together, and make this a piece of art! Art that just pulls you in, and simply can't be turned down!

My Thoughts:

We all grow up with stories or fairy tales, that in weird but interesting ways, are supposed to teach us a lesson. I remember going to bed, and having my mom or dad read out of my big fairy tale book, and I loved it! I couldn't go to sleep without reading about Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, The Three Little Pigs, or even Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

Unlike my big book of fairy tales, Cinder is a retelling of the classical story of Cinderella. Even though I've seen a few movies that were remakes, I've never actually read a book, that was one.

Cinderella is a poor teenage girl, who's father passed away not too long ago, and was left with her evil stepmother, and two step sister. While her sisters get the special treatment, Cinderella is left to do all the chores, and clean the house, never leaving time for herself.

Yes, in Cinder all that is still true! But instead, Cinder takes place in the future, and in Beijing. No, she's not just any regular teenage girl, she's a cyborg, she's a mechanical, always working with her hands, getting dirty and fixing things.

Even though Cinder follows the same story line, as the Cinderella we all know and love, Marissa Meyer adds her own flare to the story. A plague is spreading, and killing people, causing them to drop like flies. And the only one who has a cure, is also the one who wants to take over earth; the Lunar Queen.

The only way to save his people, Prince Kai, has to decide either, to choose the good of the kingdom, or marry the girl (or cyborg) of his dreams? Which will he choose? Well you'll just have to read Cinder to find out(: