Nocturnal Book Reviews: Cinder by Marissa Meyer EARLY REVIEW

Cinder by Marissa Meyer EARLY REVIEW

Saturday, December 17, 2011 | Posted by kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Egalley thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Synopsis from Goodreads
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.
US release: 3/01/2012
UK release: 5/01/2012

Amazon | Amazon kindle | Amazon UK | Amazon UK kindle | The Book Depository | The Book Depository UK

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What an absolutely gorgeous book! Don't be fooled by sci-fi elements and futuristic setting, at heart Cinder is a true fairy-tale.

Oh, if I could hug this book, I would!

Utterly fascinating environment. New Bejing is a megapolis of the future with hover transportation, androids, gadgets and a monarchy loved in a way unique to Asian culture. There is darkness and fear in that city as an invincible plague takes its citizens one by one. It's been a few years since the disease appeared and so far there is no cure.

You get the rash, and you or anyone around you has to call the medics immediately. You disappear behind quarantine never to be seen again.

Cinder is part cyborg living with her stepmom and two stepsisters: an evil, self-absorbed older one, and a pretty kind and cheerful younger one. The stepmom is the epitome of any Cinderella's stepmom. Cinder works on the market as a mechanic and supports them all with the money she earns.

Cinder's character was fantastic and full of contrasts. Kind and sarcastic, vulnerable in her personal life and self-assured in her work. She is vulnerable because cyborgs are not free, anything they earn, their own life belongs to their guardians. Cinder deals with prejudice all her life because cyborgs are not considered people.

When Kai meets her, she is rude and abrasive. She pushes him away because he doesn't know she is a cyborg and she is afraid of how he'll look at her when he finds out.

Kai is utterly charming. Honest, lively, he sees a pretty, clever girl, who doesn't fawn all over him and with whom he can forget his troubles of his dying father and pressures of interplanetary politics. Despite Cinder's attempts to avoid him, they keep bumping into each other and have amusing dialogues.

If you think this is a simple love story, you are mistaken. Nothing is simple in this book. There are multiple layers, fight with the plague, secret enemies and unexpected friends, an evil Queen and an impending war...

The ending is a huge cliffhanger, and now I really want to know what's going to happen next, because Marissa's writing makes you doubt that this Cinderella story will ever have its happily ever after.

* * *

АААА! Читать! Прекрасная книга, замечательная интерпретация сказки о Золушке.

Футуристическое общество, элементы научной фантастики, чума, поражающая жителей Нового Пекина без надежды на выздоровление, монархия, любовь к которой так характерна для азиатской культуры...

Синдер - киборг, живущая с мачехой и двумя сводными сёстрами - злобной старшей и кроткой, лучистой младшей. Единственная подруга Синдер - старый болтливый андроид. Девушка проводит дни, работая механиком на рынке и обеспечивая доходом свою семью.

Синдер находится в безвыходном положении как киборг - у неё нет прав, её жизнь зависит от её попечительницы и нет возможности тратить те деньги, что она зарабатывает. Киборги не считаются людьми, и Синдер подвергается унижениям и борется с предубеждениями всё свою жизнь.

Когда принц Кай тайком пробирается на рынок и просит Синдер починить его андроида, он не подозревает, что заинтересовавшая его девушка - киборг. Ему с ней интересно, и он может отдохнуть от политики, надвигающейся межпланетарной войны и неизбежной смерти его умирающего отца.

Синдер намеренно груба и отталкивает Кая насколько это возможно, так как во-первых, планирует побег, во-вторых, боится, что он узнает, что она киборг и изменит своё мнение о ней.

Но если вы думаете, то книга зациклена на любовной истории и что вам обеспечено "...и жили они долго и счастливо", то вы ошибаетесь! В Синдер полно слоёв и интриг и даже присутствует злодейка-королева, а концовка, мама дорогая! Скажу только, что я совсем не уверена в возможности традиционного хэппи-энда для Кая и Синдер :)

Читайте! Очень рекомендую.

9.5/10

Tags: 9.5/10, fairytale, marissa meyer, sci-fi, YA, научная фантастика, сказка

7 comments:

Joy (joyous reads) said...: I cannot wait for this book! I totally missed it on Net Galley. Awesome review! :); 17 December 2011 10:33
roro said...: same here/ uug i want this//awesume review; 17 December 2011 10:46
Hannah said...: You know, I wasn't really interested at all in this one until your review but now I have to wishlist it immediately!; 17 December 2011 12:18
Michelle Greathouse said...: Kara,

I just received this one for review. I can't wait to read it!

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

M; 17 December 2011 14:05
Renu said...: I completely agree with you! This book is fab! =D; 17 December 2011 14:53
Giselle said...: Awesome review I can't believe how everyone is loving this one I'm so curious! I def. plan to read it soon!

Giselle
Xpresso Reads; 17 December 2011 23:07
Irene_J said...: I just wanted to say thank you to Marissa Meyer for writing such a great book for us fantasy readers to enjoy.

Irene (Auto Service Bellevue); 5 January 2013 07:52