"Cinder" by Marissa Meyer

5 of 5 stars!

The Basics: (No spoilers included.) Meyer does a great job putting a spin on the classic Cinderella story. Cinder is a science-fiction, young adult novel following Cinder, who is a cyborg (the lowest class of this futuristic world). She is shunned by her stepmother (guardian) Adri and stepsister Pearl. But, she is loved by her sister Peony and android, Iko. Of course there is a prince, Kai, who falls for Cinder after asking her to fix his android. By the way, Cinder is a mechanic and Kai doesn't know she is a cyborg. Either way, the story changes once Kai's father, the Emperor, dies from letumosis. This disease has been plaguing Earthlings with no cure in sight. The dangerous Lunar Queen Levana, who is accused of killing the heir to the Lunar thrown, has invited herself to Earth to take advantage of the Kai in his time of mourning. Things gets really interesting upon her visit.

My Thoughts: I really didn't think I would like this book. Cinderella. Futuristic. Cyborg. Androids. It just did not seem like a great combination to me but this book kept reappearing in conversations among fellow bookies so I had to read it...and I'm happy I did. Though the story takes a spin on the Cinderella fairy tale, it is a story all on its own. The story was not too romanticized. I think Cinder fights her own battles and will continue to handle herself accordingly as her character continues to appear within the other books in the series. I'm looking forward to reading Scarlet to see how Meyer incorporated other fairy tales while continuing the story of Cinder, Kai, and Levana.

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