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sashapasha's review against another edition
2.0
After all the positive reviews saying that Scarlet was better than Cinder, I was very disappointed to find it such a let down. While I mostly enjoyed Cinder's chapters and quite liked the character of Captain Thorne, I really disliked Scarlet, who was abrasive and immature. She asked a lot of questions, but never the right ones, leaving me with a constant sense of dissatisfaction, and the secrets were revealed at an achingly slow pace, though the reader was given enough hints and clues to guess at them long before Scarlet and Cinder discovered them, which made for a very impatient reading experience.
The book had a bunch of logical inconsistencies. For example, I don’t understand how no one guessed that the 16-year-old "escaped lunar fugitive” being pursued by Queen Levana was the missing 16-year-old Princess Selene, whom everyone was constantly talking about and wondering about her whereabouts. That's way too unlikely a coincidence, I think, for at least some people not to make the connection.
Also, I know that a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required for all sci-fi/fantasy, but jumping on a maglev train is just plain ridiculous. They go around 260mph in our world, not assuming any of the technological advances that Cinder's world clearly has, so you can’t just jump on one from a standstill without dying due to sudden acceleration. It’d be like getting hit by the train in reverse. At the very least, you’d end up flying backward along the roof for a long ways before you eventually reached the same speed as the train. But Scarlet and Wolf just jumped on and were magically immediately traveling the same speed, with no mention of the train having slowed or something beforehand as an explanation. Grrrr.
But by far my biggest beef with Scarlet was Scarlet herself.
Scarlet’s grandmother is taken and it is emphasized that her kidnappers took her because she had some information they wanted. Wolf asks Scarlet if there is anything she can think of that might be related to what the kidnappers are looking for. Scarlet says no. Then, around 60% through, she suddenly has this dream in which she overhears her grandmother talking about giving up a girl her age to a man named Linh. She says she lived in fear for WEEKS, thinking that she was the girl her grandmother was talking about giving up. If this is true, then there is no way that she could have blocked out such a vivid, not to mention suspicious, memory when Wolf asks her about her grandmother. Furthermore, despite making a big deal over defending the lunar fugitive Linh Cinder, she also manages to not make the connection between Cinder and the girl her grandmother was hiding, nor the connection between the hidden girl and the missing Princess Selene. So basically, Scarlet is a moron.
Scarlet also manages to travel with a guy named Wolf, and be chased by a pack of guys calling themselves Wolves, without ever thinking to herself, gee, maybe they howl and have sharp teeth and crazy speed and uncanny senses of smell and hearing BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT NORMAL PEOPLE. In that way, she’s just as naive and stupid as her fairytale counterpart. It’s like the author is rewriting the absurdity of the scenario when Little Red Riding Hood is looking at the wolf in her grandmother’s clothing and saying “My, what big teeth you have grandma!” (HOW DID SHE NOT NOTICE THAT IT WASN’T HER GRANDMOTHER?)
Come on YA authors, make your heroines a little faster on the uptake.
Scarlet is also very much a damsel in distress. She is largely useless in all the situations she finds herself in, and she acts like a child, screaming and crying and being dramatic, instead of thinking and using her brain.
So basically, if this book had only been about Scarlet, I'd have given it 1 star. I'm still only giving it 2 because of the frustration I felt while reading it. I'm not sure I'll pick up Cress after this, though I really did like Thorne a lot and want to know his story. Maybe after a break and I've forgotten how annoying Scarlet is.
The book had a bunch of logical inconsistencies. For example, I don’t understand how no one guessed that the 16-year-old "escaped lunar fugitive” being pursued by Queen Levana was the missing 16-year-old Princess Selene, whom everyone was constantly talking about and wondering about her whereabouts. That's way too unlikely a coincidence, I think, for at least some people not to make the connection.
Also, I know that a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required for all sci-fi/fantasy, but jumping on a maglev train is just plain ridiculous. They go around 260mph in our world, not assuming any of the technological advances that Cinder's world clearly has, so you can’t just jump on one from a standstill without dying due to sudden acceleration. It’d be like getting hit by the train in reverse. At the very least, you’d end up flying backward along the roof for a long ways before you eventually reached the same speed as the train. But Scarlet and Wolf just jumped on and were magically immediately traveling the same speed, with no mention of the train having slowed or something beforehand as an explanation. Grrrr.
But by far my biggest beef with Scarlet was Scarlet herself.
Scarlet’s grandmother is taken and it is emphasized that her kidnappers took her because she had some information they wanted. Wolf asks Scarlet if there is anything she can think of that might be related to what the kidnappers are looking for. Scarlet says no. Then, around 60% through, she suddenly has this dream in which she overhears her grandmother talking about giving up a girl her age to a man named Linh. She says she lived in fear for WEEKS, thinking that she was the girl her grandmother was talking about giving up. If this is true, then there is no way that she could have blocked out such a vivid, not to mention suspicious, memory when Wolf asks her about her grandmother. Furthermore, despite making a big deal over defending the lunar fugitive Linh Cinder, she also manages to not make the connection between Cinder and the girl her grandmother was hiding, nor the connection between the hidden girl and the missing Princess Selene. So basically, Scarlet is a moron.
Scarlet also manages to travel with a guy named Wolf, and be chased by a pack of guys calling themselves Wolves, without ever thinking to herself, gee, maybe they howl and have sharp teeth and crazy speed and uncanny senses of smell and hearing BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT NORMAL PEOPLE. In that way, she’s just as naive and stupid as her fairytale counterpart. It’s like the author is rewriting the absurdity of the scenario when Little Red Riding Hood is looking at the wolf in her grandmother’s clothing and saying “My, what big teeth you have grandma!” (HOW DID SHE NOT NOTICE THAT IT WASN’T HER GRANDMOTHER?)
Come on YA authors, make your heroines a little faster on the uptake.
Scarlet is also very much a damsel in distress.
Spoiler
I kept expecting her to kill or at least try to fight Ran, but instead she just runs and then watches as Wolf kills him for her.So basically, if this book had only been about Scarlet, I'd have given it 1 star. I'm still only giving it 2 because of the frustration I felt while reading it. I'm not sure I'll pick up Cress after this, though I really did like Thorne a lot and want to know his story. Maybe after a break and I've forgotten how annoying Scarlet is.
ohtrisarahtops's review against another edition
5.0
This review can also be found here
I have had this book since February and just finally read it. I loved this book, possibly even more than Cinder. Marissa Meyer is a genius, I love her books and the way she does fairytale retellings is phenomenal. The twist on Little Read Riding Hood was done so well and the plot and story was just as engaging as Cinder.
This book follows Scarlet for the most part as she is on a mission to find her grandmother who she believes was kidnapped. We follow her as she searches for her missing grandmother and finds herself in a bit of trouble. We do get to see some of our old favorites such as Cinder and Emperor Kai and even someone who is nobody's favorite by any means, Queen Levana. We also get to meet some new characters as well such as Scarlet, Thorne and Wolf. The combination of the new and the old was interesting and really added well to the storyline.
I have to say I found Scarlet to be refreshing. She was totally kick-butt and didn't put up with crap from anyone. She had her own opinions and was not afraid to speak her mind. I loved Cinder, do not get me wrong, but she had the tendency to hide when things got rough. We get introduced to Wolf in this installment and all I can say is I absolutely love him. He's tough and protective. Yet at the same time he's shy and timid. He's just such a complex character and I did not see that twist coming with him. Finally we have Captain Carswell Thorne. I may actually like him more than Emperor Kai. He's funny and is always joking. He has a good time with everything and he may be dirty but it's hard not to laugh when he's talking. I was actually kind of hoping something would blossom between him and Cinder but there's always a chance right?
This installment had everything I could ever want. There was action and fight scenes as well as some totally sweet romance. Things got tense in certain parts and I was on the edge of my seat turning pages to find out how things were going to go and what was about to happen next.
Like with Cinder last year, I was swept up in the story and had a hard time putting the book down. When it ended I really didn't want it to be over and now I have to wait until 2014 until the next installment into this riveting and wonderful series.
I have had this book since February and just finally read it. I loved this book, possibly even more than Cinder. Marissa Meyer is a genius, I love her books and the way she does fairytale retellings is phenomenal. The twist on Little Read Riding Hood was done so well and the plot and story was just as engaging as Cinder.
This book follows Scarlet for the most part as she is on a mission to find her grandmother who she believes was kidnapped. We follow her as she searches for her missing grandmother and finds herself in a bit of trouble. We do get to see some of our old favorites such as Cinder and Emperor Kai and even someone who is nobody's favorite by any means, Queen Levana. We also get to meet some new characters as well such as Scarlet, Thorne and Wolf. The combination of the new and the old was interesting and really added well to the storyline.
I have to say I found Scarlet to be refreshing. She was totally kick-butt and didn't put up with crap from anyone. She had her own opinions and was not afraid to speak her mind. I loved Cinder, do not get me wrong, but she had the tendency to hide when things got rough. We get introduced to Wolf in this installment and all I can say is I absolutely love him. He's tough and protective. Yet at the same time he's shy and timid. He's just such a complex character and I did not see that twist coming with him. Finally we have Captain Carswell Thorne. I may actually like him more than Emperor Kai. He's funny and is always joking. He has a good time with everything and he may be dirty but it's hard not to laugh when he's talking. I was actually kind of hoping something would blossom between him and Cinder but there's always a chance right?
This installment had everything I could ever want. There was action and fight scenes as well as some totally sweet romance. Things got tense in certain parts and I was on the edge of my seat turning pages to find out how things were going to go and what was about to happen next.
Like with Cinder last year, I was swept up in the story and had a hard time putting the book down. When it ended I really didn't want it to be over and now I have to wait until 2014 until the next installment into this riveting and wonderful series.
zepeng's review against another edition
1.0
-DNF-
This book feeds my inner book slump.
First of, I don't like Scarlet AT ALL. She's just soooooooooooo annoying and I just want to bang my head for all of her stupid and reckless decisions.
On the other hand, Wolf seems pretty cool. I manage to read this because of him and Cinder. But when I look at my pile of tbr, I think I'll just go to Wikipedia and know the whole plot.
This book feeds my inner book slump.
First of, I don't like Scarlet AT ALL. She's just soooooooooooo annoying and I just want to bang my head for all of her stupid and reckless decisions.
On the other hand, Wolf seems pretty cool. I manage to read this because of him and Cinder. But when I look at my pile of tbr, I think I'll just go to Wikipedia and know the whole plot.
erikariehigano22's review against another edition
5.0
This might be my shortest book review because I am in the train on my way to study and this is my peak revision week for end of year exams.
I love Scarlet much more than Cinder? Though they're both powerful characters who don't really depend with anyone but manage to persevere through their adversities.
I knew it's something not surprising when Kai accepted the marriage proposal. But it still made me react, like "ugghhh no you did not just". Oh well, I can't blame him since he manages a whole Commonwealth under siege of war and a plague.
I am still warming up to Wolf??? I know everyone loves this dude. But I felt his character a little bit weaker (less than Kai back in Book 1 though). Maybe he'll do more in the next book.
I'm afraid I have to end this review short. But I definitely loved Scarlet from the start to finish.
I love Scarlet much more than Cinder? Though they're both powerful characters who don't really depend with anyone but manage to persevere through their adversities.
I knew it's something not surprising when Kai accepted the marriage proposal. But it still made me react, like "ugghhh no you did not just". Oh well, I can't blame him since he manages a whole Commonwealth under siege of war and a plague.
I am still warming up to Wolf??? I know everyone loves this dude. But I felt his character a little bit weaker (less than Kai back in Book 1 though). Maybe he'll do more in the next book.
I'm afraid I have to end this review short. But I definitely loved Scarlet from the start to finish.
parkerdavis's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so like the first 60-70 pages are a little slow but that’s only due to being introduced to a new character. After that, the book is racing ahead at full speed. This is definitely the kind of book where your gonna wanna try and figure things out yourself. I soooo recommend!!!!
dontstopreadin's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars. Enjoyed this book, but not nearly as much as Cinder. Cinder, as a character, is much more compelling and interesting to me than Scarlet. I enjoyed the varying perspectives, especially Lavana's near the end. Excited to pick up Cress soon.
chelsfoust's review against another edition
5.0
If you haven't read Cinder...do so NOW! Then go and get Scarlet and read it! I was amazed and impressed by Cinder and now I am so far past that into astounded by scarlet! Marissa Meyer is an amazing author. The amount of detail in these books is just wow! I love how she intertwined Cinder and Scarlet in this book, and she did such a wonderful job that I was bored, or annoyed, or waiting for the end to see what happened. I was in the story every step of the way, and it was wonderful! I was curious the whole time what Cinder was going to do, and how she would explain things to Thorne, who is hilarious, and a wonderful new character! Then Wolf had me by the throat, he was sincere, yet distant, and surprising the entire time. Scarlet was a kick but Alpha Heroine, and I seriously can't wait for more of her. I figure Winter is Snow White? But Cress has me stumped, I guess time will tell, and truly if you have not read Marissa Meyer, do so, you will not be disappointed!
shio_27's review against another edition
4.0
⭐4.5/5
La historia nos lleva desde Nueva Pekín hasta Francia, donde conocemos a Scarlet Benoit, una granjera decidida a encontrar a su abuela desaparecida. Durante su búsqueda, se encuentra con Wolf, un misterioso peleador callejero que aparentemente tiene información sobre el paradero de su abuela. La pregunta es: ¿puede Scarlet confiar en este enigmático lobo?
Resultó sorprendente descubrir que, aunque Scarlet y Wolf son los protagonistas principales de este libro, la trama sigue manteniendo el enfoque en Cinder, quien ahora cuenta con un nuevo compañero llamado Carswell. Esta continuidad en el desarrollo de Cinder como la protagonista principal de la saga, junto con la continuación de la trama del emperador Kai, añade profundidad y cohesión a la historia, además de ofrecer pistas sobre cómo los personajes podrían llegar a juntarse en algún momento.
También algo común en Marissa Meyer es que las últimas paginas son un torbellino de emociones ( con suerte me daba para procesar lo que estaba pasando) para luego crear un final emocionante que deja al lector lleno de intriga y ansioso por leer el siguiente libro de inmediato...
La historia nos lleva desde Nueva Pekín hasta Francia, donde conocemos a Scarlet Benoit, una granjera decidida a encontrar a su abuela desaparecida. Durante su búsqueda, se encuentra con Wolf, un misterioso peleador callejero que aparentemente tiene información sobre el paradero de su abuela. La pregunta es: ¿puede Scarlet confiar en este enigmático lobo?
Resultó sorprendente descubrir que, aunque Scarlet y Wolf son los protagonistas principales de este libro, la trama sigue manteniendo el enfoque en Cinder, quien ahora cuenta con un nuevo compañero llamado Carswell. Esta continuidad en el desarrollo de Cinder como la protagonista principal de la saga, junto con la continuación de la trama del emperador Kai, añade profundidad y cohesión a la historia, además de ofrecer pistas sobre cómo los personajes podrían llegar a juntarse en algún momento.
También algo común en Marissa Meyer es que las últimas paginas son un torbellino de emociones ( con suerte me daba para procesar lo que estaba pasando) para luego crear un final emocionante que deja al lector lleno de intriga y ansioso por leer el siguiente libro de inmediato...
bookdust's review against another edition
5.0
I thought Cinder was amazing, but Scarlet was exceptional. I love the new characters so much, and the plot has become so much more intricate and interesting. I want to read Cress now, but I want to hold it off considering that Winter doesn't come out until the end of the year. I don't want this series to end. LOVE IT!