Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
Published: January 03, 2012
390 pages 
Source/Edition: Bought at Book Outlet, Hardcover
Summary provided by Goodreads: 

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 Review: 

Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.

Oh. My. *speechless* I just want to say how much I love fairy tale retellings! I grew up on fairy tales and they’re something that I still love. With that said, Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale of all time. This probably has something to do with it being the first movie I ever saw — that I can remember haha. I love everything and anything that is connected to Cinderella so when I heard that this book was a retelling, I had to check it out. It took me a while to actually pick up the book but once I did, I couldn’t put it down (unless I had to because life *sigh*). This is probably one of my favorite retellings, aside from Throne of Glass, which is loosely based on the fairy tale — check that one out, too.

Back to Cinder! I love the world! New Beijing! I loved the politics involved and anyone who knows me knows how much I hate reading politics so this was a pleasant surprise. I loved the characters. I loved the story. I loved the content. I loved the romance. I loved everything. Hence, the 5-star rating. Hands down the best book to get me out of my reading slump. Cinder is a cyborg and because so, she gets awfully treated by her “family” with the exception of Peony. She gets side looks from other people and they generally do not trust or like her. Poor thing. With all that going on, Cinder is a unique spirit in this world. She’s funny. She’s sassy. She’s smart. She’s the most renowned mechanic in New Beijing! Even though she’s cyborg, she displays for more human emotion that so many other people in this book.

I’m sure I’ll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.

Prince Kai is another beautiful character in this book. He was charming — of course, prince charming haha. He was funny and sweet. He’s the prince that will literally sweep you off your feet. I fell for him instantaneously. I may be biased though, I have a thing for princes. I love how grounded he is and how he treated everyone — especially how he treated Levana haha. I refuse to call her queen. I loved the relationship between Kai and Cinder. It wasn’t forced. It was easy and natural. It wasn’t insta-love (thank God). It was a slow blooming kind of love. There were some great plot twists and surprises that I saw a mile away but it didn’t lessen the excitement. The last surprise was amazing and I was anxiously waiting for its revelation! It didn’t disappoint! It’s unique, funny, fast paced, and easy to read. Seriously, pick up a copy of this book! It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. If you’re anything like me, it will make you swoon.

“200,000 single girls, ” he said. “Why not you?”