This book is wonderfully written and the story was absolutely amazing. I loved how the book was sort of a sci-fi and futuristic retelling of the fairy tale, "Cinderella." I am glad that I chose to read this book, because at first it didn't really look like a book that I would enjoy, but it completely surprised me and changed my view of the novel. The main character is named Cinder, that much you can gather from the title, and she is a cyborg, the result of a surgery when she was 11. Cinder has no memories from before the surgery and is currently living with her stepmother and stepsisters on Earth, in New Beijing of the Commonwealth, 125 years after World War IV. Cinder uses her talents as a mechanic to earn money, which she then has to give to her stepmother, Adri, because Cinder is required to "contribute" to the family's payments, when really she is earning all the money herself. Cinder and Adri's relationship was already rather strained, since Adri never wanted Cinder in the first place, so when an excuse comes for Cinder to be to sent away, to participate in something that no one ever survives, she doesn't hesitate. Cinder gets sent in for plague research, as a test subject for the disease, letumosis, and she proves more valuable than anyone thought, and Cinder isn't even given the full truth of her identity. To make things even more complicated, Cinder gets all tied up with the prince of New Beijing, who insists Cinder call him Kai, when he came to her booth in search of someone to fix his android. This provides a little twist of romance, with both Cinder and Kai keeping secrets and with both of them unsure of their feelings. This book is a mash up of so many genres; fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and the classic fairy tale, which causes you to never want to stop reading it and leaves you reaching for the next book of the series. This is a great read for teens with a preference of any genre or writing style, since this book has something in it for everyone.
Cinder
By Marissa Meyer
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 6 - 8 | Grades 3 - 6 | n/a | 5.8 | 87661 |
The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series!
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.
Marissa Meyer on Cinder, writing, and leading men
Which of your characters is most like you?
I wish I could say that I'm clever and mechanically-minded like Cinder, but no―I can't fix anything. I'm much more like Cress, who makes a brief cameo in Cinder and then takes a more starring role in the third book. She's a romantic and a daydreamer and maybe a little on the naïve side―things that could be said about me too―although she does find courage when it's needed most. I think we'd all like to believe we'd have that same inner strength if we ever needed it.
Where do you write?
I have a home office that I've decorated with vintage fairy tale treasures that I've collected (my favorite is a Cinderella cookie jar from the forties) and NaNoWriMo posters, but sometimes writing there starts to feel too much like work. On those days I'll write in bed or take my laptop out for coffee or lunch.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which character from Cinder would you want with you?
Cinder, definitely! She has an internet connection in her brain, complete with the ability to send and receive comms (which are similar to e-mails). We'd just have enough time to enjoy some fresh coconut before we were rescued.
The next book in the Lunar Chronicles is called Scarlet, and is about Little Red Riding Hood. What is appealing to you most about this character as you work on the book?
Scarlet is awesome―she's very independent, a bit temperamental, and has an outspokenness that tends to get her in trouble sometimes. She was raised by her grandmother, an ex-military pilot who now owns a small farm in southern France, who not only taught Scarlet how to fly a spaceship and shoot a gun, but also to have a healthy respect and appreciation for nature. I guess that's a lot of things that appeal to me about her, but she's been a really fun character to write! (The two leading men in Scarlet, Wolf and Captain Thorne, aren't half bad either.)
Book Reviews (152)
i want to read this book so badly and it looks like a good book!!!
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I L❤️VED this book. I couldn’t stop reading it! The ending was great I predicted that it was going to happen. I would recommend this to middle school kids and up.
amazing start to an extraordinary series. i love this retelling of Cinderella, especially since its science fictions, and it has a cute book prince ;)
amazing retelling and retake on the classic tale of cinderella. cinder is strong and influential character, and i love her confidence and the things she can do.
Based upon the classic fairy tale Cinderella, Marisa Meyers weaves the captivating and futuristic tale of a young cyborg, Cinder, living in New Beijing after the fourth world war. She lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters, Adri, Pearl, and Peony. She works as a mechanic, fixing androids and other common household machinery and to "help" her stepmother Adri pay her bills, and all goes according to plan, that is until a particularly charming client (and his android Nansi) sweep her off her feet, on an adventure she never could have never imagined! Prepare yourself for adventure, excitement, betrayal, and even some romance! This is truly one of the greatest books I have read and found I had a hard time putting it down! If you are looking for an amazing book series, this is it. I think that this book is one amazing read!
Cinder is a cyborg and when she is running her shop the royal emperor's son Kai asks her to fix his robot. Adri her "legal guardian" sends her in for cyborg testing and they discover something very special about Cinder. She is lunar!!!! Leading to a series of events that land her in prison....
Cinder is basically a girl who lives in New Beijing. But, she isn't your average girl who shops a lot and hangs out with her friends. Cinder is a cyborg. In this story, you will encounter characters that are based in the fairytale, Cinderella. While reading this book, I noticed that Cinder doesn't really care about what others think about her. Cinder is like this independent girl that motivates me that I don't always need others to help me in problem-situations. I give this 4/5 stars because this inspires me to do what I can and to never give up.
This book is incredible. Marissa Meyer puts her own spin on the classic tale of Cinderella with Cinder. It is a futuristic and (slightly) dystopian fiction novel. The story follows Cinder, a looked down upon, abused, and bullied cyborg. When the prince meets her and develops a crush for her, her life is turned upside down. The death of her only human friend and step-sister steels her resolve to escape. To find somewhere to live happily. Her jealous, angry, and heart broken step-mother volunteers her to be tested for a deadly disease, which only the Lunar people of Luna holds the cure. Lunars are humanoid looking creatures who can control people and change their appearance at will. Upon learning she is immune, and that there is a plot to kill the prince after his decision to enter into a doomed one-sided marriage alliance with the ruthless queen of Luna, Levana, she sacrifices her safety to save him. Her only companion is a lovable, loyal, prince smitten android named Iko desperate to be human. Her only weapons are her brain, metal fist, and sharp tongue. Cider succeeds in slowing the announcement of the engagement, but learns a shocking secret. A DNA test reveals that she isn't human. She is a Lunar who's gift had been suppressed. Gaining access to her powers comes at a cost. She is the missing princess and the rightful heir to the Lunar throne!! Marissa Meyer is a wonderful author, who will leave you reading all 4 books in the Lunar Chronicles time and time again.
Woohoo! Excellent review, ragestargate7! I loved how you expressed the plot of the book in short but kept everyone reading your review! I love it!
I mean, wow! Marissa Meyer just transformed the classic, childish Cinderella tale into an amazing novel that seems like a mixture of action, fantasy, sci-fi, and romance all-in-one! Based in the future after WWIIII in New Beijing, 16-year-old Cinder, her cruel stepmother Adri, her stepsisters Pearl and Peony (who is the only one that is remotely nice to Cinder), and a spunky android named Iko struggle to survive under overcrowded conditions while a deadly plague ravages the city: leutemosis. However, there is one more twist you need to know--Cinder is a cyborg due to a car crash that killed her parents, but that she also remembers nothing about. Although she is shamed for her metal hand and leg, the cybornetics in her brain have made Cinder the best mechanic in all of New Beijing, and it is in her mechanic booth that she attracts the attention of a certain (very handsome) Prince and soon-to-be-Emperor, Kaito (Kai). And since this IS still a Cinderella story, of course Adri had to go and do something as horrible as send Cinder off to a facility that test leutemosis cures, none of which have been successful i might add, on cyborgs. But then, why doesn't she get sick after the leutemosis is injected into her? Read the book yourself to find out more about the mysterious Dr. Erland, another whole race of mind-controlling people who live on the moon--Lunars--and their tyrannic queen, why Cinder is immune to leutemosis, and a death that will send you reeling. Trust me, you will be begging for the next book in the series as soon as you finish this one!
I loved your review beachbreeze14!! Especially the part about begging for the next book! It's totally true! I could really hear your personality in your review!
Aww thanks a ton! I'm pretty sure yours is still better tho ;) You're a great writer!!!!!