Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
A futuristic cyborg retelling of Cinderella sounds outrageous, but Marissa Meyer really takes the timeless tale and makes it her own with CINDER, first of a four-book series. Imaginative and action-packed, with likable characters, CINDER will appeal to readers looking for a dose of creative adventure.
Where do I start in gushing about how enjoyable CINDER was? Cinder the protagonist was a lovely protagonist. She is smart, resourceful, and brave. Cinder belongs in that small group of YA heroines who do not possess any extraordinary survival tactics and yet is a fighter: she deals with her troubles in a way that many of us can imagine us doing if we were ever in her position.
My next point is contentious, as many great reviewers have felt this part underdeveloped, but I felt that CINDER did a great job of creating a unique future world. No, its not quite a dystopian, and its not hard sci-fi: if it were either of those, the worlds connections to our present-day world would need to be more convincing. However, I was able to enjoy CINDERs setting of New Beijing as almost a fantasy world, set on a planet with a similar layout to ours, with new technology but similar problems of politics and society. Story and setting complemented each other well: the plot never dragged in order to appease world-building, and the world-building was enough such that the story was supported well.
Overall, CINDER may not win any literary awards in the near future, but it is an utterly enjoyable retelling of a classic in a futuristic fantasy world, with recognizable elements from the old tale but enough new elements to keep things fresh. I was surprised at the abruptness of the ending, until I learned that the Lunar Chronicles is a four-part exploration all about Cinder and her adventures, not separate stories each. Oh. Okay. There will be resolutions in the future, then! You can bet Ill be tuning in to the next books in this fun series.
Where do I start in gushing about how enjoyable CINDER was? Cinder the protagonist was a lovely protagonist. She is smart, resourceful, and brave. Cinder belongs in that small group of YA heroines who do not possess any extraordinary survival tactics and yet is a fighter: she deals with her troubles in a way that many of us can imagine us doing if we were ever in her position.
My next point is contentious, as many great reviewers have felt this part underdeveloped, but I felt that CINDER did a great job of creating a unique future world. No, its not quite a dystopian, and its not hard sci-fi: if it were either of those, the worlds connections to our present-day world would need to be more convincing. However, I was able to enjoy CINDERs setting of New Beijing as almost a fantasy world, set on a planet with a similar layout to ours, with new technology but similar problems of politics and society. Story and setting complemented each other well: the plot never dragged in order to appease world-building, and the world-building was enough such that the story was supported well.
Overall, CINDER may not win any literary awards in the near future, but it is an utterly enjoyable retelling of a classic in a futuristic fantasy world, with recognizable elements from the old tale but enough new elements to keep things fresh. I was surprised at the abruptness of the ending, until I learned that the Lunar Chronicles is a four-part exploration all about Cinder and her adventures, not separate stories each. Oh. Okay. There will be resolutions in the future, then! You can bet Ill be tuning in to the next books in this fun series.
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