Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary
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
Fairy tales are stories that create the very essence of us as beings. They teach us the basic morals of how to interact with one another, and how to see life every day. The story of Cinderella brings the story of hope that life will get better for us, even though there is no way a blue sky can be behind all those gray clouds.

It is hard to get that basic story out of our head, which isn’t helped by the Disney film adaptation in order to see a different version that can somehow be better.

Marissa Meyer does just that and even more.

Cinder is a character that is very truly relatable, and you can’t help but root for her to get through the hard life she has been given. You want her to triumph more than anything, and also get the very charming guy in the end, Prince Kai. The urge to go into the novel and hurt the people who hurt her and don’t see her way of the world is very overwhelming, so you may want to read with caution. 

Prince Kai seems to embody the very qualities that is desired in a somewhat “Prince Charming” character. He is funny, understanding, smart, very down to earth, but most importantly, he sees Cinder for who she is, and isn’t afraid to treat her as his equal, even though they are clearly not.

This novel seems to make you believe in faraway romance again, and makes you desire a happy ending more than anything. Love is ignited very early on, but the hardships are reminded all the time. I recommend this novel to anyone who has ever believed in something impossible, and also to the people who don’t. 

Reviewed by Mercedes Olivas

Book Information
Publisher: Square Fish
Publication date: 1/8/2013
Pages: 448