Cinder Book Review
Cinder by Marissa Meyer Book Review and Recommendation.
Date: 2-23-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 8.1/10
Book Cover Rating: 8.5/10
(My personal opinion)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Subplots: Romance, Retelling, Fantasy
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: 2012
Number of Editions: 175
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audio
Awards Won: The Gateway Award, YALSA Teen’s Top Ten, Evergreen Teen Book Award, and More
Goodreads Rating: 4.13/5
# of Goodreads Ratings: 973,761
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
# of Amazon Ratings: 20,174
Movie/TV Show?? : No
Book Type: Standard
POV Type: Single, Third Person
Pacing: Fast
Generally: Cinderella Retelling in Futuristic World
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.
But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.
My Review
Going Into It:
Going into this book I was SUPER excited!! I’ve wanted to read it for a while, and have only heard good things about it.
Characters:
Linh Cinder- Cinder is the main character in this book. She is a cyborg, meaning she was born human, got into a potentially fatal accident, and much of her body was replaced with mechanical parts. She is kind, but also insecure because cyborgs are seen as ‘lesser’ than normal humans.
Prince Kaito- Kai is the prince of the Eastern Commonwealth (near current China). He is smart and kind, but notoriously acts rashly. He is passionate, but has little direct leadership experience.
Queen Levana- Levana is the queen of Luna (the moon). She has a Luna skill that makes her able to influence people, and see her as the most beautiful person. But, she can actually be mean and power hungry.
I REALLY liked the characters in this book. I loved their personalities and unique backgrounds. But, I do feel like they did have a little more potential than was used.
Character Rating: 7.6
Setting:
This book took place in New Beijing, Earth
This was a very unique setting. It took place in the future, but in Beijing. There were some new inventions and technology. There were also some older technologies with new names.
Setting Rating: 9.1
Plot:
Wow!! This was an AMAZING plot. It was definitely aiming towards a teen audience, and it probably wouldn’t be most adults favorite. But, it was engaging and constantly twisting and turning. It was fast paced and hard to put down. I also loved how it was a retelling of Cinderella, so it had some similar aspects to the story, but also some new and unique parts.
Plot Rating: 8.6
Writing:
I enjoyed the writing, but it was clearly aimed towards a younger audience. It was still written well for a YA novel, you just need to be prepared for a younger target audience if you are older.
Writing Rating: 7.9
Ending:
Sometimes in retellings the ending is obvious from the start, just because everyone knows how the original story goes. This was NOT like that!! There were a couple ways it could have ended, but I didn’t guess it before it ended!! It was also the PERFECT ending to convince me that I NEED to read the next book in the series.
Ending Rating: 8.9
The Overall:
This was a really GREAT YA retelling novel. It was entertaining and fast paced, and kept me engaged. I loved the characters, setting, and plot. This book was written as a really good young adult novel, but would probably be significantly less interesting to an older audience.
Overall Book Rating: 8.1/10
I would obviously recommend this book
Buy on Amazon:
ChatGPT’s Opinion: Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. The story follows Cinder, a skilled mechanic living in a world plagued by a deadly disease. She’s also hiding a big secret about her true identity. When a prince brings his broken android to her for repairs, Cinder gets caught in a web of political intrigue, mystery, and a dangerous disease outbreak. The book mixes elements of the classic fairytale with a sci-fi setting, creating a unique and engaging story filled with twists, romance, and adventure.
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Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, The Renegades Trilogy, and Instant Karma, as well as the graphic novel duology Wires and Nerve. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a MA in Publishing from Pace University. In addition to writing, Marissa hosts The Happy Writer podcast. She lives near Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and twin daughters.
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ChatGPT.com (ONLY for specified “ChatGPT’s opinion” portion of reviews and small information gathering)
