The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I read this book in a day and a bit. I was hooked! Cinderella is my weakness, so when I heard about this book I had to buy it.

‘Cinder’ is a brilliant transformation, merging the classic Cinderella with a futuristic world. After following Cinderella for so long, I didn’t think the transformation could surprise me as much as it did, and I even found myself wondering how it would end!

The world of ‘Cinder’ is set in the future, where cyborgs and androids live among humans. The story begins with Cinder, a mechanic and cyborg, removing her metal foot in preparation for a new one. This futuristic theme was exciting and a new area to explore, gripping me to the pages.

When the Prince turns up at her market stall, you are introduced to the light conversation between them that will bring a smile to your face. This relationship is one of the many storylines that grows in the novel, parallel to each other and all connected by Cinder, and is the happy part of the novel that all you romantics will look forward to.

For the more fantasy/action lovers out there, there is a deeper side that will keep your eyes glued to the text. There are hints at the beginning that cyborgs – humans with robot-type features – are not highly thought of in the world. Cinder doesn’t want the Prince to know about this part of her, and her stepmother is disgraced by having a cyborg in the house. When Cinder’s kind stepsister gets the plague that has killed thousands of people and threatens the current King, Cinder is volunteered by her stepmother to be a participant in their experiments to find a cure. This should result in the death of Cinder, however a set of circumstances unravel that makes Cinder more important than anyone gives her credit for. The story continues, with a new race being introduced, sections from Kia’s viewpoint as he takes on new responsibilities and deep secrets being discovered.

This novel is much more than another Cinderella transformation, and Marissa has not allowed the fairytale to narrow the depth or restrict her story at all. Cinder is a great heroin with a strong personality, and I can’t wait for the sequel, to get to know her more and see how the story unfolds.