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bean_7088's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Cinderella but cyborg Sci-fi
I had some big gripes with how some of the characters were written.
Kai was my biggest gripe. I just could not believe that a boy raised to be the next emperor would be so bad at politics. So bad at interacting within that political sphere.
I also didn't quite understand the prejudice against cyborgs? I could understand if people were wary because cyborgs were stronger/smarter/faster whatever but that's not how it was portrayed and so it was a bit forced and weird.
I hate the died literally seconds before they could be cured thing 🙄
Even though I had gripes, and the ending was immediately predictable. I still want to read the rest of the series.
I had some big gripes with how some of the characters were written.
Kai was my biggest gripe. I just could not believe that a boy raised to be the next emperor would be so bad at politics. So bad at interacting within that political sphere.
I also didn't quite understand the prejudice against cyborgs? I could understand if people were wary because cyborgs were stronger/smarter/faster whatever but that's not how it was portrayed and so it was a bit forced and weird.
I hate the died literally seconds before they could be cured thing 🙄
Even though I had gripes, and the ending was immediately predictable. I still want to read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, and Death
Little big of cyborg body horror and descriptions of previous injuries from fire Extremely emotionally/verbally abusive parent. Bigotry against cyborgs and other people Pandemic. Death of sibling.memmah's review
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Medical trauma
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Medical content, and Confinement
aiplusyou's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
this was a re-read, but since i first read this book when it came out i only half-remembered the plot. it's as good as i remember, and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi and fairytale retellings. i will say that in a post-covid era it may be a little triggering to read for some readers, however, as it does deal with a worldwide pandemic. this is not a spoiler, you learn this in the first few pages, but it is a theme throughout the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Ableism, Death, and Child abuse
brucethegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
An amazing sci-fi retelling of your favorite fairy tales. Cinder opens on the android and human filled crowded streets of New Beijing. Cinder runs a robot repair stall in the over crowded marketplace. Quickly, the authorities swoop down on a woman who suddenly begins showing signs of the highly contagious and fully deadly disease rampaging across the land. In a single scene that post COVID made me check the publication date, the stage is set for an amazing retelling of Cinderella. With robots.
I loved the way this book introduced the world that Meyer built. From the Prince, to Cinder's step-mother, to all the little details that unfolded as the story progressed. The world building here was stunning. I love this exact kind of slowly unveiled, never to overwhelming, sci-fi. It's high sci-fi without ever getting too wrapped up in over explaining.
I will say there was nothing revolutionary here, even for when it was published. The twists and turns are almost entirely predictable between genre conventions and the original story itself. There's nothing here that will make you gasp or surprise you. I also didn't care for how the story ends. It really felt like there should have been some semblance of a closing scene. A cliff-hanger in the worst way because there's absolutely no closure to anything introduced in book 1. A personal pet peeve about series.
All that said, however, it was a super fun book that I finished in one sitting. I am also very excited to start book 2 and hopefully complete the series. Should all books turn out to be as fun as this one, I'll be buying that box set I keep seeing.
I loved the way this book introduced the world that Meyer built. From the Prince, to Cinder's step-mother, to all the little details that unfolded as the story progressed. The world building here was stunning. I love this exact kind of slowly unveiled, never to overwhelming, sci-fi. It's high sci-fi without ever getting too wrapped up in over explaining.
I will say there was nothing revolutionary here, even for when it was published. The twists and turns are almost entirely predictable between genre conventions and the original story itself. There's nothing here that will make you gasp or surprise you. I also didn't care for how the story ends. It really felt like there should have been some semblance of a closing scene. A cliff-hanger in the worst way because there's absolutely no closure to anything introduced in book 1. A personal pet peeve about series.
All that said, however, it was a super fun book that I finished in one sitting. I am also very excited to start book 2 and hopefully complete the series. Should all books turn out to be as fun as this one, I'll be buying that box set I keep seeing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Bullying
tinysierra's review
adventurous
4.75
You ever just start a book and know from a few pages in that it’s going to become a favorite already?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
mirrorstorm_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
Minor: War and Gun violence
msradiosilence's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TLDR; 4.5 rating, they’re teenagers??, and I don’t remember a whole lot about this series.
Content warnings at the bottom. :)
I first read the Lunar Chronicles when I was in high school. And that was a LONG time ago. My boyfriend got me the pretty cover box set, so I figured now was as good a time as any to read it!
My first major issue is that the main characters are all 16-17 years old. That’s insanity. Since the whole series takes place in like 9 months, Cinder is a <i> child </i>. She’s a baby. 16 is NOTHING. Too young to be causing all this trouble, that’s for sure. She does so much in this book and the next three, like?? Did she have to be 16?
My second major issue is that, even though this book is set in Beijing, there’s very little of Eastern Asian culture in the book. Mayhaps that’s because the author is a white woman with no ties to China, and we all know how I feel about white authors writing outside of their experiences, but I digress.
I’ve always felt so sorry for Kai. Bless him, he’s always getting the short end of the stick with all of this, and it’s a wonder he doesn’t have a full head of grey hair. Poor guy is always stressed.
Dr. Erland is one of the best unhinged characters I’ve read in a while. Morally grey, funny, he’s just a fun character to read. I don’t agree at all with anything he’s ever done, but I do love a moral grey bitch.
Rating: 4.5
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if you enjoy moon people, quippy robots, and sci-fi fairytale retellings.
Content warnings: Car accident, Child abuse, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Ableism, Classism, Medical trauma, Blood, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Death
Content warnings at the bottom. :)
I first read the Lunar Chronicles when I was in high school. And that was a LONG time ago. My boyfriend got me the pretty cover box set, so I figured now was as good a time as any to read it!
My first major issue is that the main characters are all 16-17 years old. That’s insanity. Since the whole series takes place in like 9 months, Cinder is a <i> child </i>. She’s a baby. 16 is NOTHING. Too young to be causing all this trouble, that’s for sure. She does so much in this book and the next three, like?? Did she have to be 16?
My second major issue is that, even though this book is set in Beijing, there’s very little of Eastern Asian culture in the book. Mayhaps that’s because the author is a white woman with no ties to China, and we all know how I feel about white authors writing outside of their experiences, but I digress.
I’ve always felt so sorry for Kai. Bless him, he’s always getting the short end of the stick with all of this, and it’s a wonder he doesn’t have a full head of grey hair. Poor guy is always stressed.
Dr. Erland is one of the best unhinged characters I’ve read in a while. Morally grey, funny, he’s just a fun character to read. I don’t agree at all with anything he’s ever done, but I do love a moral grey bitch.
Rating: 4.5
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if you enjoy moon people, quippy robots, and sci-fi fairytale retellings.
Content warnings: Car accident, Child abuse, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Ableism, Classism, Medical trauma, Blood, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Classism, Child death, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, War, and Ableism
pitchblackkoi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Classism, and Domestic abuse
eowyn_zoe's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: War
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed it and I’m excited to read the next book Scarlett. It is very predictable and I was able to guess what should’ve been a twist ending but I enjoy those types of books, it take out a lot of anxiety lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Genocide, Medical content, Car accident, Confinement, Medical trauma, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: War