Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer
/
Summary
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.
In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
Review
You always need a plot to drive a story, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. It needs to surprise you so much, that you will be happy when you are wrong in assuming in what is going to happen next. You also need characters that can help carry the weight of the story, long enough to draw you in and capture your imagination. They need to seem real enough that you even begin to feel that you are next to them in the action, and that consequences will be dire, even for you.
Marissa Meyer does all this and even more.
It is impossible to not already be captivated in the story from her previous two novels in the series, Cinder andScarlet. There are some who believe that as you progress in a series, the plot may die down and even become boring, but that is definitely not the case here. You finally get to meet Cress again, after meeting her briefly in the first book. And while she seems very weak and a liability in the beginning, she definitely earns her place in the group, and turns into an essential asset. Captain Thorne is still his selfish, charming, self, but he may surprise you once or twice in the novel.
Scarlet also cements her vitality in the group, and especially in Wolf’s life. She still is the girl who doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut, but you will never want to scold her for doing so. She isn’t afraid to make a stand, and you wish that there are more people like her in the world. Wolf seems still on edge, but you can’t help but root for him and feel his pain as he continues to suffer from his demons.
You learn more about Prince Kai, and while he does some commit some pretty hefty mistakes, you also want to give him a big hug to help him get through the whirlwind of his life. Cinder of course, is at the top of her game, and while everyone comes together to make the puzzle, she is still the one who takes center stage, and the one you want to keep your focus on.
I didn’t think it was possible to want the date for the release of the final book, Winter to be any closer, but after reading Cress, I found it to be true. This book definitely knocks it out of the park, and the series doesn’t seem to be losing its light.
Reviewed by Mercedes Olivas
Book Information
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: 2/4/2014
Pages: 560
