Mainstream Review: Cinder By Marissa Meyer

Cinder By Marissa Meyer

(Lunar Chronicles #1)

Published 2012 By Macmillan Young Listeners

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.

~ My Review ~

This is my first review for an audio book, so bear with me. I'm finding it a bit hard to formulate opinions that don't involve the voice that was reading Cinder to me. So, maybe I'll start with my dislike of listening to a book. Usually when I'm reading I formulate my own voices for the characters and get rather attached to what I want them to sound like. So, I found listening to a single voice a bit grating on the ears. Also, comical. I'm pretty sure I laughed out loud every time I heard Dr. Erlund's voice. Putting that aside, I was extremely excited to finally be starting Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. (What with a zillion gushing reviews pushing their way into my head, how could I not have high hopes for this book/series.) And I have to say it was really easy to get behind this story. Meyer has brought a unique voice to a classic tale. This is a great example of futuristic world building, with a perfect blend of genre spanning elements. I loved the idea of New Bejing and the integration of cyborgs. The Lunars were quite interesting as well and I see the Lunar Queen as a formidable opponent. However, I'm sure she's nothing Cinder can't handle. Cinder is one hearty main character, extremely layered. I had my issues with her, but I ended up liking her a good deal more than I thought I would. And I am definitely rooting for Prince Kai to swoop her up in future books. There are several twists, that to be honest, I found a bit obvious. However, the story really couldn't go any other way, and I was satisfied with how it played out. My main gripe about Cinder is the constant bombardment of 'woe is me' statements. I mean how many times do we need to hear Cinder say, "blah blah Kai would never be with me because I'm a cyborg... And LUNAR, blah blah." WE GET IT. Cinder has some really strong insecurities about being different, that are fueled by her resentful stepmother. Nothing annoys me more than being reminded of something blatantly obvious when I'm reading. This is a CINDERELLA story. One can stand strong on their assumption that the main character is going to feel inferior. That being said, I wouldn't say it took away from much of the story. I was actually stoked to sit in traffic on the way home from work so I could see where Cinder was headed. AND THE CLIFFHANGER... Yea, there is one. And it makes me happy that I have the next two books waiting on my shelf. Cinder is fast paced and a perfect read for any lover of YA. If you haven't started this series, go do it. You'll LOVE it.