A Cyborg Cinderella

Cinder 
By Marissa Meyer
#1 in the Lunar Chronicles 
YA Fantasy 

"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 step-sister, 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." 

There are enough fairy-tale retellings nowadays to fill a ballroom. This one, though, is worth the trip to the library or bookstore. The fact that Cinder is a cyborg hooked me right away. Meyer does a great job, even though she's probably not a mechanic herself, of making Cinder's mechanical parts, their unique functions, and even her job as a mechanic, believable. Cinder is also a spunky, sarcastic, yet tender underdog-type character whom it's hard not to root for. Or possibly even shed some tears on behalf of. 

Kai is also a sweetheart, yet strong, and difficult not to like. This was my second reading of the book (yes, it's that good!), and I did notice this time around that there wasn't much foundation to the couple's feelings. I didn't quite understand why he liked her so much, and vice versa, so perhaps Meyer could have dived deeper into those reasons. But it obviously wasn't something that turned me off from the story. 

Also, who ever heard of a fairy-tale taking place in Asia, and a futuristic Asia, at that? The setting is fascinating and although not crafted in as many details as the world of Harry Potter (which book is?), it's still a place steeped in character. But the characters and the world-changing decisions facing them are what pulled me deep into every page and line. You might grow dizzy with all the plot twists and turns, but hang in there! The battle for this country and its people is worth fighting for alongside the characters. 

This is the first in a series, so you might want to have the second one, Scarlet-which follows another fairy-tale character, but in the same world-handy so you can dash right into it. Be on the lookout for a review of the sequel in the upcoming weeks. 

This novel deserves a shining four out of five stars, and I recommend it for 15 year olds and up. 

What I learned: First impressions are not typically true. It takes time and initiative to learn the depths of a person's soul.