“‘Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon A Time...’ 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... Sixteen-year-old 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. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.”
What is the book about?
This story is set in the future, after World War 4 where now everyone is dependent on androids and hovers. In New Beijing, the streets are always crowded with androids, humans and cyborgs (which are humans with metallic parts that have been placed in them after serious accidents occur to give them a second chance at life). Not only that but a deadly disease, a plague, also roams the streets of the whole of Earth, threatening the lives of the whole population with no cure in sight. Sixteen-year-old Cinder was adopted at age 11 by her stepfather, whose death she is blamed for by her stepmother. She is a cyborg, a second class citizen and treated as a slave by her stepmother and now also blamed for her stepsister's illness. Her life was already a disaster, but when the handsome, loved Prince Kai suddenly comes into her life, she finds herself in the middle of an intergalactic struggle for peace and a struggle through her emotions. She must now uncover the secrets about her past, the past she cannot remember, in order to protect the future of her planet. But she never asked for any of this and will have to choose between her freedom and loyalty to her country.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I bought the Lunar Chronicles series years ago (seriously!) and have had it sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. I kept meaning to read it, interested to see why so many people had enjoyed them. I had read a few books by Marissa Meyer before and had really enjoyed them so my initial thoughts were that this book would be great and I would really enjoy it. I love fairy tale retellings and have loved them since I was little and was really interested to see what this one would be like. I knew it was going to be a really wild retelling and I was really intrigued to see how the author would approach the iconic Cinderella in China in the future, but I had hope for it, especially after seeing how popular the books were. After reading the blurb I was even more interested as I wanted to see how the threat of war from an entirely different race of people living on the moon would become part of the story. Soon I started to read the book and initially I was a little disappointed as I found it difficult to really get into the story and become absorbed in the new dystopian world of New Beijing. However, after a few chapters, it really started to pick up and I began to really enjoy the story and find myself a part of the book. It took a little bit of time for me to get into it but soon I was soaring through and I finished the book in 2 days, realising that I shouldn't have waited so long to start the book.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was probably Iko, which may be a bit odd to some as she wasn't a main character really and was just an android, but I loved her. Her energy and personality was so sweet and energetic that it was almost impossible not to love her. The way she acted like an actual human and had the personality of a teenage girl simply because she had a ‘damaged’ personality chip. I loved how excited she got about the prince and how she was there for Cinder to keep her company and to kind of give her a glimpse into the life of a teenage girl and kept her from just being absorbed into her role as a mechanic and a slave for her stepmother. She was so easy to like and it made me smile how happy she always was and how much she liked all the things that I like all girls love. It was also clear that Cinder cared for her as I do and that she loved having her friendship. Even though I'm sure it must be annoying at times to have such a chatterbox to assist you, especially when you are busy with work, but I loved Iko and hope to see her soon in the next books.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
This was a really hard question to answer, not just because I had enjoyed the whole book but also because I finished the book 2 sittings, in 2 days and every part just blurred together and I could honestly only remember the story as a whole and not any specific parts. However, after some thought, I would probably say that my favourite part was when Cinder made up her mind on how she would use the money she had gotten. She had never had money to use as she pleased as everything she owned was her stepmother's as her stepmother owned her, however finally she had money and made the most significant decision of her life. She chose to work on the car, work on her escape from a life at her stepmother's beck and call, work on her freedom. I knew she'd never actually leave as that would make one depressing and pointless book if all the main character did was runway, but I loved to see that defiance and that after years being treated as nothing by her stepmother and stepsister (Pearl) and hundreds of others who thought her a disgusting no one because she was a cyborg. She finally chose to stand up for herself and I knew that it wouldn't be the last time.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, I thought Cinder was a really great book and I enjoyed reading it. Initially I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a Cinderella type story set in China with the main girl being a cyborg, however I was pleasantly surprised and found that I really enjoyed it. I really liked how it wasn't exactly a fairy tale retelling and it was more like there were just elements of the Cinderella that I grew up with and that the actual story, the actual plot was a lot deeper than the simple fairytale that anyone could tell. The car that was a faint orangy colour (like a pumpkin), the name Cinder, the fact that she had an evil stepmother and stepsister, the foot lost on the steps, and (though this may just be my own little thought, which I will continue to believe even if told otherwise) Peony as her fairy godmother who gave her a dress. I loved the incorporation of these elements into what will clearly become a much bigger story. Another thing I really liked about the book was how easy it was to read. The short chapters, every single one of them, was like a breath of fresh air and made me love the book even more. If you are a reader you will know what I mean when I say that it felt like a reward to have a book with all short chapters and that it was much easier to read this way. One thing that did kind of annoy me was how predictable this book was and how I saw the big reveal from miles away, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I knew Cinderella's story inside out (though I predicted that she would lose the foot because of that). I would have liked to have been a bit more surprised as I love plot twists and big reveals, though I suppose it might have been a surprise to some. Either way I am excited to continue the series and so interested to see how the author will incorporate other fairy tales into the series and to see how the deeper story develops.
Would you recommend this book?
I would recommend reading the book, it is a really interesting and enjoyable book, especially for over 14 year olds who enjoy romance, dystopian fiction and fairy tale retellings (especially non traditional ones).
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
An interesting science fiction twist on a traditional fairy tale.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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