Tuesday 3 March 2015

Review : Cinder by Marissa Meyer




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.



Review

I can't believe it took me so long to pick up Cinder! Truth be told, I was a bit apprehensive to read it due to all the hype surrounding it but so many people kept recommending it to me that I finally gave in and read it. And it blew me away! It made me laugh, tear up and even squeal! (apparently I do that)

Cinder is the sci-fi retelling of the beloved fairytale Cinderella where the main character, Cinder, is an acclaimed mechanic in New Beijing. Oh, she's also a half cyborg! How cool is that! But when Prince Kai comes seeking her help and she becomes a guinea pig for the research of an antidote for the plague that has caused the lives of many, things start to get interesting....

Cinder was truly an amazing book, worthy of all the hype surrounding it. I loved the world that Marissa Meyer created. Learning more about New Beijing, the Commonwealth and the mystery behind the Lunars was a very fun experience! The story had enough twists to keep you at the edge of your seat, a nice pace that matched it perfectly and incredible writing! And I also loved the diversity in it, the fact that the characters were Asian, and how the romance didn't really take centre stage and it developed naturally.

Cinder instantly became a favourite character! Her quirky and fiery personality and the fact that she was a cyborg (with cool abilities!) made her very interesting for me to read about. The girl had a lie detector and unlimited Internet! I hated how people treated her(even her own family), like she was some kind of parasite, and how her step-mother always reminded her that she was unable to cry. 

Iko! My favourite android! I love her to pieces! She was probably the comic relief in the book! So cheerful and full of life(even if she's technically a robot)! And the girlyness! She was so girly! With her love of dresses and jewelries and make up! She was so cute!

Adri, how I hated Adri! At some point I wanted to give her a chance * She'd just lost her daughter....* *sobs*Pearl!*sobs* but I swear it was like she wanted me to hate her! Her actions and words towards Cinder were inexcusable! I may actually hate her more than Levana!

On a much nicer note, Kai! *fangirls* He was amazing! As a girl who enjoys watching anime and read manga I have a soft spot for Asian guys, and Prince Kai wasn't an exception! He was funny, clever and caring leader. *when he took the blame for the mirror found in Levana's food!*

And lastly, Levana. As the main villain in the Lunar Chronicles, Levana did a great job on making people dislike her. While breathtaking on the outside she's just as much evil and cruel on the inside. She's manipulative, a liar and overall, a pretty great villain!

Overall, Cinder was an incredible read! A book with amazing world building, a cute romance and strong characters, it's a book you don't want to miss!

 Book info:

Hardcover, 390 pages
First Published: January 3rd 2012
Publisher: Fewel & Friends
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling

Rating: 5/5

5 comments:

  1. It took me until this year to read Cinder as well. I was apprehensive for basically the same reasons you listed. I agree that this is a great book. I really loved it so, so much!
    Amanda

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    1. Such an incredible book Cinder turned out to be! I was afraid that it'd turn out to be as other over-hyped books that make you have high expectations and end up leaving you disappointed. So glad it wasn't!

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  2. I only read Cinder last year and I was so mad at myself for not picking this series up sooner! I'm glad you liked this book, I think this series keeps getting better (seriously, Cress was so freaking awesome!) so I hope you'll love the other books too.

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    1. I need to pick up the rest of the books soon! I've heard by many others too that the next books are even better and I'm so excited!

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  3. I felt the exact same way when I finally caved and read Cinder. I'd been wanting to read it since it's release but it blew up, and I became extremely nervous about possibly not liking it, but I ended up loving it!

    I loved Iko too! I feel like she doesn't get a lot of attention because so much happens in the book (and the rest of them), but she's just such a fun and quirky character to include in the book. :)

    Erin @ The Hardcover Lover

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