Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "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."

Review:  Based loosely on the Cinderella story, Cinder reminds me more of a young Anakin Skywalker for some reason, echoing a Star Wars-esqe landscape.  Set in the future, at a time when humans and machines live side by side, the idea of our main character being a mechanic doesn't seem so far fetched.  With her talents as a mechanic, she comes in contact with Prince Kai, and helps to repair machinery for the prince.  The two become friends, but he is a prince and Cinder a low-ranking mechanic.

As far as retellings go, I really worried about this one.  I didn't really want to have a step by step retelling, and Cinder really managed not to simply retell, but to re-envision.  I liked Cinder a lot and found her sweet, unassuming, and brave.  Her mechanical talents were interesting and added a certain, "I can do it on my own" sort of flavor to her personality.  Prince Kai recognizes this independence in her, which only seems to enhance her inner beauty.  Let me now forget to mention, however, that Prince Kai seems like a pretty swell guy himself.  He not only sounds handsome, but is generous and humble.  What's not to like in a person in power who seems to have missed it all going straight to his head.

The twists in this story are different enough to make it feel like a new tale.  I liked the interesting conflict that the illness that was running amok in the society created, along with the intergalactic characters who arrived to add to the tension in the story.  This really isn't what you're expecting and was pretty entertaining overall.  I really would recommend it to anyone, boy or girl, young or old.  Luckily, we can all go read the next installment, Scarlet, which is supposed to be a play on Little Red Riding Hood.  I have high hopes! 

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.