Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer site

Format: ARC, 387 pages

Release Date: 1/03/2012

Publisher: Feiwel &Friends

Source: ARC received from publisher for review
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge (hosted by The Story Siren)

“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 the 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 young adult debut novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer’s rebooted fairy tale introduces readers to a heroine and a masterfully crafted world that isn’t the Cinderella you remember—but it’s one you won’t forget.”

-Cover

How it starts:

Cinder starts out with lots of ups and downs. Up, Cinder is an extremely gifted mechanic. Down, she is also a cyborg and is considered owned by her not very nice stepmother. Up, the legendary Prince Kai came to her small both in the marketplace to have her fix his droid. Down, her one kind stepsister, Peony, got infected with the deadly plague, letumosis, and it might be Cinder’s fault. Up, Cinder gets the chance to see the prince again. Down, but only because she’s involuntarily in the palace, being the research scientist’s guinea pig. Up, Cinder turns out to be immune to letumosis, and might be able to help find a cure for Peony.

Plot:

All I had to hear about Cinder was that it was Cinderella with cyborgs. But there is a lot more to this story than a simple retelling. There’s a deadly plague going around without an antidote (you know how much I love deadly plagues), and the constant threat of war between an alien race from the moon. I was really glad that this story turned out so original. More and more often I find that retellings just seem to glide around within the pre set plot lines. Marissa Meyer really made Cinder her own. The only fault I found was that I was disappointed that Cinder’s “mysterious past” was pretty easy to guess.

POV:

The main point of view throughout the book is Cinder, with some chapters devoted to other characters points of view such as Prince Kai, and Dr. Erland.

Overall:

I was surprised by how much I liked Cinder. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical after the last few retellings I’d read were less than satisfactory. I loved how original it was and I’m really excited to see where this series goes. I’m giving Cinder 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Flinn site

Voice Actor: Chris Patton

Format: Audiobook, 6 parts

Published: 6/30/2010 (Originally published 10/01/2007)

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Source: eMedia Library

“I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster. 

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell. 

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.”

-Goodreads

Characters:

I wasn’t really impressed with Arian. There just wasn’t anything I could connect to. And he was too much of a martyr. Most of the book is just him saying “I’ll never get anyone/her to love me. It’s hopeless, I’m doomed, oh, woe is me, ect.”

Lindy is suffering from some serious PCD, Perfect Character Disorder. She isn’t described as breathtakingly beautiful, but she’s basically a saint. She loves to read the classics (of course), lives in a bad neighborhood, and has a heart of gold, and is willingly imprisoned to keep her father out of jail. Other than having crooked teeth and a little low self esteem, she’s perfect. Now it’s arguable that this is a fairy tale that isn’t a fairy tale, but it’s just too over the top for belief.

The character that really saved this book from being put down (or rather, turned off as it’s an audiobook) was Kendra, a time traveling, curse put-uponing, witty, witch. We see some but not nearly enough of her throughout the story. The author must think so too as she’s writing a spin-off series telling Kendra’s story.

Plot:

As far as fairy tale retellings go, this isn’t the worst. But it isn’t the best either. I wasn’t bored, but the retelling wasn’t new enough for me to actually wonder what happens. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises. It’s just like the Disney classic if it were set in New York, minus the singing and talking silverware.

Writing Style:

It’s pretty much your normal first person POV, except for a few parts written as transcript from an instant messaging chat room.

Overall:

In the end, this book wasn’t for me. Though I was curious, I read it mostly because I have an ARC of Bewitching, the first in a new spin off series about Kendra. Though it might seem so from the review, it wasn’t all that bad. I was entertained for the duration of the book. I just wasn’t wowed. I’m giving it 3 stars.