Summary: 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 and
is reviled by her step-mother. But when her life becomes intertwined
with the handsome Prince Kai, 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. (Summary from back of the book and image from www.goodreads.com)
My Review:
I needed this book right now. I've been reading so much nonfiction for
work and somehow also for leisure that my mind was craving something
fun, fast, and easy. This hit the spot.
Cinder
plays on the Cinderella story, weaving all the components in, with a
twist. Actually, many twists. I loved seeing how Meyer managed to pull
in all the different aspects of the story, but it was still very
fresh. I'd read, previous to reading Cinder, that people figured
out the twist in the story early on. That's a fair statement. Within
50 pages I too had predicted the twist. But, that didn't ruin the story
for me. There are enough other fun surprises that knowing the big
twist just prodded me to confirm my hypothesis. Including the updates
of technology, mixed with some futuristic ideas, it really made the idea
of how life could possibly be in the future seem real. There was just
enough reality mixed with the traditional tale, combined with new ideas
that created a satisfying read.
I truly enjoyed seeing
Cinder as a character with more attitude as well--a female who was
smart, capable, hard-working (duh), and at the same time selfless. To
me it was an empowering portrayal for females while at the same time
discussing the topic of sacrifice for the greater good. Prince Kai was
also a solid pairing for Cinder--sometimes a love interest can be far
too shallow. Both displayed strength, intelligence, and depth, but
Meyer didn't break away from the reality that they are both teenagers
with tempers and emotions.
Another aspect of the book
that was enjoyable were all the Asian nuances and details. It felt very
modern, but kept some of the old traditional symbolism and cultural
pieces Asian cultures are sometimes known for. I loved how it displayed
the collectedness, the refinement so beautifully.
This is the first book of the series, so don't get your hopes up for a solid resolution to the problems developed in Cinder. But, it does leave you wanting more and I'm definitely looking forward to reading book #2!
I would recommend this to my students for sure!
For the sensitive reader:
From what I can remember--I read it so fast it's become a blur--there
was only one swear word used twice in quick succession--biblical at that
and some people don't even bat an eye to it.
Rating: 4 Stars
Sum it up: A futuristic twist on the Cinderella story.
1 comment:
Thanks for the review. It has been on my to read list for a while. I think I will have it jump up closer to the top.
Post a Comment