Thursday, January 5, 2012

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (ARC Review)

Genre:Young Adult, Steampunk, Fairy Tale
Publication.Date  January 3rd 2012
Pages:387
Published By:  Feiwel & Friends 
WebsiteMarissa Meyer
Cinder - Goodreads
My review copy:ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Where to get: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository




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.

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.
(goodreads.com)





Do your kind even know what love is? Can you feel anything at all, or is it just... programmed?
Maybe her programming was overwhelmed by Prince Kai's uncanny hotness.
"Were there many sick people in Europe that you recall? Any notable outbreaks in your province?
"I don't know. I don't actually remember anything from before the surgery."
His eyebrows rose, his blue eyes sucking in all the light in the room. "The cybernetic operation?"
"No, the sex change."










    
    Cinder by Marissa Meyer is one outrageously amazing book! If you haven't read it yet, get on it. LIKE. RIGHT NOW. It's funny, touching, thought-provoking, fiercely compelling and insanely heartbreaking. Ridiculously well-written, taut, original, deeply emotional and gorgeously mesmerizing, it's the definition of a page-turner.
She was a cyborg, and she would never go to a ball.
    Linh Cinder is a cyborg, which of course means some of her body parts have been replaced with mechanical ones. It also means, she's a second-class citizen and she is treated as such. She lives with her "adopted family" in New Beijing, in the Eastern Commonwealth, and has to earn her keep working as a full-service mechanic at the Beijing's weekly market. The Earth's population, ravaged by Letumosis, was driven to the brink of extinction. No one knows the cause of this worldwide pandemic that already killed thousands of people. No one knows how to cure it, either.
Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything. It would completely ruin your life. What would you do?
      Letumosis is not the only thing that Prince Kai has to worry about, though. There is also the threat of war against the Lunar (Moon) Empire hanging over the nation (no pun intended!). The evil Queen Levana has long been lusting over the blue planet. She wants Earth for herself, and she always gets everything she wants. She's powerful. She can manipulate the bioelectricity of people around her, casting a sort of glamour, making them see and feel whatever she chooses. She's despicable and ruthless, yet people can't resist her "charm". She's ugly and disgusting, yet all that others can see is a beautiful, trust-worthy, angel-like woman. And they follow her. And now she wants Prince Kai and Earth, and she's tired of waiting and negotiating.
"My only mistake was in waiting too long to be rid of you", Adri said, running the washcloth between her fingers. "Believe me, Cinder. You are a sacrifice I will never regret."
   Cinder's world is flipped inside-out when her beloved little sister, Peony, falls ill and is taken away to die in isolation. Her grief-stricken step-mother blames Cinder for her daughter's sickness. She sends Cinder away, volunteering her as a test subject for plague testing. But that's just the beginning of her problems. What she's about to discover will change not only her life, but also the lives of everyone around her, possibly the whole planet.
He was the fantasy of every girl in the country. He was so far out of realm, her world, that she should have stopped thinking about him the second the door had closed. Should stop thinking about him immediately. Should never think about him again, except maybe as a client - and her prince.
And yet, the memory of his fingers against her skin refused to fade.
      This book left me speechless.
When I first started reading, I was, like, "So OK, it looks like just another re-telling of the classic fairy tale with a futuristic cyborg twist". I was intrigued (I have a THING for anything clockwork), but not entirely sold yet. The first 20-30 pages is like that. The beginning of the story was great, but with Prince Kai visiting Cinder's mechanical shop, and then Cinder  day-dreaming about His Hotness, it didn't have the air of uniqueness about it. Not until Peony got sick. That's exactly when - forgive my French - shit hits the fan (trust me, it's a very accurate description of how things go really bad from this moment onward). From that point in the story EVERYTHING you thought you knew about Cinderella is re-defined and re-envisioned. For the most part it still follows the simple set up of the original tale, but Meyer adds some seriously insane depth to it. She builds around it, gracefully weaving all the fascinating futuristic details and extraterrestrial elements into the plot, creating a complex, impressive, fantastically imagined world. It's mind-blowing.
Her netlink fished for information, telling her that the palace had been built after the World War IV, when the city was little more than rubble. It was designed in the fashion of the old world, with hearty dosages of both nostalgic symbolism and state-of-the-art engineering. The pagoda-style roofs were made of gold-tinged tiles and surrounded by Qilin gargoyles, but the tiles were actually galvanized steel covered with tiny solar capsules that created enough energy to sustain the entire palace, including the research wing, and the gargoyles were equipped with motion sensors, ID scanners, 36-degree cameras, and radars that could detect approaching aircrafts and hovers within a sixty-mile radius.
      Marissa Meyer created a truly unforgettable world. Her writing style is amazingly descriptive and enjoyable. She has such a fabulous imagination (and is not afraid to use it!). I can easily picture New Beijing in my head. I think the setting of the story couldn't be any more perfect. On top of the fabulous world-building there's also the savvy plot line. It's a mesmerizing blend of stempunk, fairy tale AND mystery. Some plot developments are easy to predict, but mostly you're just sitting there with your jaw on your knees and eyes bulging out in surprise. And even if you could predict everything that will happen, you'd still love reading about it - it's a real crowd-pleaser in terms of its readability.

      I loved the characters. To say that they had more depth than the characters from the original fairy tale would be a major understatement. For once it's not about the silly ball, dancing with the shallow Prince or running away in a carriage made of pumpkin! The characters are real, their emotions are real, they have real problems, fears, struggles. There is a ball, but it's not the kind of ball you imagine when you think of Cinderella. There's a mechanical foot instead of a glass slipper and the dress is not only wrinkled, grease-stained and not in the least magical, but there is also a profound meaning to it. The Prince is not a brain-dead, spoiled little master with personality deficiency, who fancy sumptuous balls. He's an intelligent, good-hearted young man, who finds himself caught between duty and love. He has some insanely difficult decisions to make, and choosing a bride for himself is the least of his problems. Even the wicked step-mother is not entirely rid of human feelings. As much as I disliked her, she did have a few genuinely heart-breaking moments, when you could see a whole different layer of emotions shining through. My favorite character, though, was Cinder's adorable android friend, Iko. She was ROTFL-worthy, witty, supportive, loyal and just so.. cute! Her hilarious comments made for fantastic tension breakers. I really hope to see more of Iko in the next book of the Lunar Chronicles! Oh, and let's not forget about Queen Levana! Oh lord, what a gorgeously evil character she is! The White Witch and the Snow Queen combined wouldn't stand a chance! The whole concept of the Lunar Kingdom and the long lost Princess Selene reminded me of Sailor Moon - how could it not?! There are of course some major differences, but I'm fairly confident that Naoko Takeuchi's greatly enjoyable manga series inspired this breath-taking YA debut novel in some ways. And I LOVED IT!

      To sum it all up: Cinder by Marissa Meyer is one helluva book! It's only the beginning of 2012 and yet I'm 100% sure this book will make it to my TOP 10 of 2012 list. I can't wait to learn more about Queen Levana and the mysterious Lunar Kingdom, and find out what will happen to Cinder, Nainsi and Prince Kai. I strongly recommend this read to everyone!!!



❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

68 comments:

Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer said...

You make me so happy I bought this with my B&N gift card for my Nook..wahoo! Excellent review, the book has so many elements I like :)

Evie said...

:) Thanks, hun! I am glad you already got it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Happy reading!

Leah Marie said...

I can't wait to read this. Everybody is just loving on this book.

Great review.

roro said...

I can't wait to read this.
gr8 review

Shirley said...

I just finished reading Cinder yesterday and agree with you! It is a unique futuristic twist of a classic fairytale that is sure to have readers glued to their seat!

Anna said...

I cannot wait to read this book! It sounds great and so unique, thank you for the great review!

Deb said...

Dear, bright and shining, Evie! Of all the reviews I've read of "Cinder" in the past week, yours is the best! Wonderful review and format. I'm a new follower. Great job on a book that's taking us by storm. You did it justice.
Deborah/TheBookishDame

Juliette said...

Fantastic rewiev!
I can't wait to read this book!!!

Amy said...

I am totally dying to read this book after seeing all the glowing reviews on it. I ordered yesterday! Can't wait until it comes in.

Kris @Imaginary Reads said...

I love this book too. Great review!

Kris

Bex said...

Yay!! So glad you liked it too. I'm sure it will be on mine already too. This and Under the Never Sky together blew my mind. I can't WAIT for the sequel! I read the rest of the series is featuring other fairytale re-tellings too, which makes me even more excited! Awesome review. I love reading the quotes...

Carina Olsen said...

Great review! :D So glad you also loved this book. <3 I found it to be so so so amazing :)

Asheley T. said...

oh my gracious Evie! i read this book SO EARLY and no one i knew had read it yet so i had nobody to talk about it with...i was about to explode!!!

it was so amazing...the mash-up of different genres plus the framework of a classic fairytale with a new and improved science-fiction spin to it?? sheer genius! not to mention the world-building and handsome dude and evil queen... literally i could talk for hours about the things i loved about this book.

this was one that i truly just COULDN'T BELIEVE how well it turned out. i am in disbelief at how long we'll have to wait for the next one!! oh my gosh! torture, right???

excellent thoughts, evie! loved reading them, just like every other time. so glad you loved Cinder just like i did. it's just a great, great, fun, supercool book.

xoxo

LoriStrongin said...

I am absolutely keyboard flailing over here. BEST REVIEW of Cinder I've read thus far, and ungh, I cannot WAIT to read this book!!!! Everything I've read--the mixed genres, the world building, the characters--gets my little booknerd heart pumping!


Smiles!
Lori

Natalia Belikov said...

WOW!! what a jaw-dropping review my dear!!! amazing!!!!! wooohoooo!! I love the way you refer to Kai as "His Hotness" hoahohahoahaohaoha!!!

I hope you had a wonderful holidays my dear!! muah muah muha!!! =DDDD

Dazzling Reads

Evie said...

@Deb Awww, thank you honey :) I really appreciate your kind words! I really enjoyed writing this review:D

Evie said...

@Amy You are sooo gonna love it :) You won't regret ordering it!

@Rebecca - I need to get myself a copy of Under The Never Sky, everything is raving about it!!! :D

Evie said...

@Asheley, @Lori, @Natalia - I love you ladies, thank you so much for your comments, you made my day with them! :D So glad you loved Cinder, too! Can't believe how long we have to wait for the next part!!!

Bonnie said...

There has been so much hype surrounding this book I wasn't sure it it would live up to it. I'm glad to see that you loved it so much - I relly trust your opinon Evie so I know that Cinder will live up to my expectations. Loved your review girl, I am super stoked to read this book!

Bonnie @ www.handsandhome.ca

Kathy said...

I loved this book too! I loved the depth added to the classic fairytale. I loved how each character was so fully developed and complex.

Amazing review Evie, if I hadn't read it and loved it your review would have made me want to!

Obsession with Books said...

Another amazing review Evie :) I sooo can't wait to get hold of Cinder it sounds wonderful!

The Princess of Everything said...

Great review! This book was amazing in every sense of the word. LOVED it!

Lulu (The Bookworm is Here!) said...

What a detailed review! I find Cinder looking like a must read now after seeing your feelings on it! I NEED it now... fantastic review!! Everyone says its a keeper so there must be something to this book, and I'm going to find out :) Thanks for your thoughts!

primrose said...

Okay now you've just convinced me to go and buy this book like pronto! I mean if it does make it into your top 2012 reads then it must be pretty awesome.

DMS said...

I cannot wait to read this book- it sounds amazing! Loved your review!

~Jess
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to read this one. I love retellings of fairytales.

Berenice said...

Your review is amazing. I can't wait to read this book :)

In Julie's Opinion said...

I've been DYING to read this book, and you just killed me a little bit more with this awesome review! I definitely have to get my hands on a copy of this book, STAT! Thanks for sharing your thoughts:)
jwitt33 at live dot com

Lolawid said...

I've been wanting to read this book anyway, and your review makes me want to read it more! Argh! Another book to add to my list...

Thanks for the great review!

Celine said...

Aaaa, I absolutely loved Cinder!! It was such an awesome debut and I love the Cinderella re-tell although it's even better than just a re-tell! I definitely agree with you that it is one helluva book!! Awesome review, Evie! So glad you enjoyed it!! And I loved the bolded words in your review, makes it even better to read!

I'm also a new follower! I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR BLOG, Evie!! ♥ Can't wait to read more AWESOME reviews like this one!

Celine @ Forget-me-not

KindleObsessed said...

The more I read about this book the more I can't wait to get my hands on it. Great review!

Jeanna said...

I need to get my hands on this book. I saw it in the store the other day but didn't pick it up. I totally regret that now. I loved review. Good work! Happy reading!

http://thebucketlist-gn.blogspot.com

Gaby Pendragon said...

I've read so many things about this book and now seeing your review I know I must read it

Tiffany Rochelle said...

Great Review. I can't wait to read this! :)

JucHugi said...

Sounds interesting... Maybe I'll give it a shot! :)

Jackie said...

When I picked up this book, I thought it would be another (blah) retelling, and after I (zoomed through) read this book, it was so captivating. I can NOT wait to read Scarlet (book 2)!!

aparajita said...

Very insightful review, feels like i'm lagging so far behind from you all, I haven't yet read this and you are already talking about reading the second book(why did I have to miss the chance of reading the galley....the worst mistake of my life)

Kali Skittles said...

I enjoyed Cinder. I agree with when you say even if some of it is predictable (mostly all of in my opinion) it's still super enjoyable to read. I thought pretty early on how the book would end, and even though I was completely right, it didn't leave me feeling like "wow this book is sooo predictable" it left me feeling like "wow, even though I expected that it still is great!" :)

Reading Away The Days said...

Amazing Review! I got Cinder from the library a while back but for some reason have been putting it of. Thinking to myself if am going to like a retelling of a fairy tale but from your review I think I might give it a try!

Sierra Abrams said...

I've had this book on my shelf ever since I won it in a giveaway right after the release. I NEED TO GET TO IT. Your review...it seriously makes me want to pick it up this instant, drop everything else (my whole life), and just READ. I love books that are beautiful and heartbreaking and...just...what you described. You described how I feel about all my favorite books. So I'm thinking: New favorite on the rise? Thanks SO much for this AMAZING review! :D

Hannah said...

Oh my goodness I love this book! I need my own copy. I got it from the library and LOVED IT ! 5 Stars from me. I love your review!

Stephanie said...

At first I thought this book sounded kind of strange but the more I read reviews like yours the more I want to read it. So I put it on hold at the library and will read it soon!

Anonymous said...

Wow.

This makes me reconsider reading this book ... I've heard a few people rave about it, but no one has managed to explain to me why. Now I get it!!!

It sounds amazing - thanks for the glowing review!

Bookie Bee said...

I have been hearing rave reeviews of this book but still never added it to my TBR list coz Cindrella as a cyborg? but after reading this review its high up on my TBR list. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I still haven't read this! I really need to soon. Awesome review! :)

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

I've been running into so many mixed reviews that my current attitude toward Cinder is caution to the point of wariness. I'm a little less wary because of your review--but only because it assures me that Cinder is both fun and creative . . . at least when it comes to the world building.

What I'm still worried about, though, is that Cinder and Kai will be really derivative and sink the whole book for me. Yes, I get that Marissa Meyer is working within the confines of the very narrow YA Romance genre here, but it's not my favourite genre . . . although I do love faerie tale retellings and see that they have lots of overlap.

aliaa said...

I bought my copy of this book a few weeks back and have been dying to read it, but I can't till I am done with exams, but the more I read reviews on it the more harder it gets! Glad you enjoyed it though!

Lea Krnjeta said...

I ordered this book and I cant wait to get it. It seems amazing and refreshing from what I gather from your review.

phie said...

I'm curious about this one, the author plot is different from others..
Thanks for the review ^^

pandalovesyou said...

I really enjoyed this book. One of my friends said they didn't like it so much because it was too similar to Cinderella and a little predictable which is understandable.

I think I enjoyed it mostly because I had it on audiobook. I think the narration made it pop for me.

Reeka said...

What an amazing review! I think I've seen or heard EVERY book blogger talk about this book at some point, so I'm SUPER excited to get my hands on it.

P.S. Your reviews are SO thorough and have so many great elements, I love that. A lot of other reviewers I've come across don't seem to put as much effort in! So great job!

gracelo said...

I generally don't buy books unless I've read them and absolutely love them or I get FREAKING RAVING REVIEWS. But I got this one. Because it's a fairy tale, a dystopia story, plus a bit of steampunk-ish-ness. And it's just pure amazing.
I absolutely love your review, which totally impressed me. You've got yourself a new follower!

Find me at http://lustforstories.blogspot.ca/

Hannah said...

SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT! I love this book! Fantastical review Evie!

Anonymous said...

I loved this book! Cinder's an amazing character and the story seems so true. I liked/hated prince Kai's reaction in the end.
I'm waiting for the next Lunar Chronicle book :D

Ellena said...

This book is amazing!! I havent't the chance to read it yet but I will ASAP!! I like very much your review. Is pretty cool :)

Mary Preston said...

I can't believe I still have not read CINDER. I must move it up my list.

Rima said...

I have been hearing so much about this book, some negative reviews here and there, but mostly positive ones. Read yours and makes me want to dive right in. Not usually into fantasy/fairy tale retellings but I'm willing to give it a go!

Unknown said...

I haven't got the chance to read this book yet and I became excited reading your review! Can't wait to read it!

E_V_E said...

Great review.
I don´t read this, but the robot theme is so cool and the Cinder looks very good. I can´t wait, when I read this book 8)

Evil Queen said...

I really want to read this book so much! I love fairy tales re-tellings!

Georgia said...

I really need to buy this book, I've heard such great things about it!

Izz said...

wow, this book sounds fabulous, I love a fairy tale story, combine with scifi, I think I must check this one out!

Nitzan Schwarz said...

I love Cinder and this review!
Cinder was for me one of the best reads of 2012, I loved the story and the depth of it and I think it has little to do with the fairytale, but still enough to put references for us to enjoy and snicker about (the orange car, for example)
Some of my friends say the Dr. is Cinder's version of the fairy godmother. Personally I don't agree because I felt like Cinder was her own fairy, but it's an interesting option. What do you think?
Interesting fact for you: "Levana" in Hebrew is a name for the moon :]

Cass said...

I actually read your review ages ago, but never commented. I LOVE this review. I completely agree with all that you said, too. Just absolutely fell in love with this book! :D

Ashfa said...

If the heroine has some of her body parts replaced with mechanical ones, the it's bound top be a good book. Loved your review.

Bea Tejano said...

I've been hearing so much buzz about this! Excited to read this! Great review:)

Unknown said...

I've had this from netgalley from awhile and it's now in my Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge.

LostWallflower said...

I loved this book wholeheartedly and this was an amazing review!! Can't wait to read the sequel! :-)

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