Reviews

I actually give this book a 2.9 but it's closer to 3 so I gave it a 3 on goodreads.

Here are some of the good points I found on the book:

=) The deconstructon of the Cinderella story was creative.
=) I thought it had to do with magic but it was mostly leaning towards science or maybe it was contributing to the conversation about science and fantasy sooo idk buy the combination of it all was kind of fun.
=) My favorite character is Iko. I remember this particular part of the book where Cinder was talking about how we all have weaknesses and Iko was like "I know... mine are shoes!" She had the best lines like "Do you thnk she's seen him in the nude?" And it helps so much that she's an android and she has all these funny lines.

//Y'all will hate me for throwing shade but here it goes//

=( It tried too hard to form these connections to the Cinderella fairytale like the pumpkin-turned-carriage plot where Cinder actually described the beatup car as the "pumpkin" colored car that's supposed to take her away. I felt like we ought to have made the connection without putting it out there that this orange-colored car was allusive to the carriage.
=( That the plague started in Africa was a bit off-putting.
=( Whirlwind romance between Cinder & Kai.

Here are some neutral points I'd like to discuss also

- It actually made me cringe when she went to the ball dressed in muck and grease but when I saw that the author was trying to achieve this "I'm not gonna be another girl just because I'm seeing the prince, I'll remain a mechanic" it somehow reconciled me with the idea.
- I slash shipped Kai and the Lunar bodyguard of Sybil for all the short parts they shared. I mean, from Kai's perspective the description was written as though Kai found him immaculate and not just a juxtaposition to the beautiful Lunarian woman. I'm telling you: S U B T E X T.

Since I heard on booktube that the other books in the Lunar Chronicles ar different stories, maybe I'll read them all even though I was disappointed with Cinder. Besides, I have the novellas and the whole series on my Kindle.

Hope this review helped.

astrireads's review against another edition

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5.0

Cinder is the first book of the Lunar Chronicles series written by Marissa Meyer. It is a YA science fiction book, which retells the classic tale we've known so well, Cinderella.

I believe this is the first ever YA science fiction book I've ever read so I had no idea what it'll be like. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this! I wanted to continue reading it, and I ended up reading it well after my sleeping time!

I think the plot and setting is an interesting retake on Cinderella and certainly different than I expected. Despite that, I appreciated how the author still paid homage to Cinderella by inserting tidbits of the classic story here and there. It is good to see that the main character, Cinder, is a tough and determined teenage girl who can stand up for herself. The love interest, Prince Kai, is the son of an emperor who is strong and open-minded for his age, and is able to serve the best for the citizens of New Beijing. The paragraphs in the book are so descriptive that I am able to imagine all of the scenes well. It has a cinematic feel to it, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book will be adapted to the small or big screen.

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series and excited to know what comes next for Cinder and Kai!

le_kalmique's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

kaitiecakes's review against another edition

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5.0

Second time reading: my rating is staying the same I still loved this book as much as I did the first time I read it. I picked up on a lot of things I didn’t notice the first time I read the series to so that’s exciting. Especially because I know how it ends because I’ve read it before so now I can look for clues lol
I will say that the book is very predictable but that’s ok because I loved it!

First time reading : This book was amazing. It took me a couple chapters to get into it but then I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. It's a different and refreshing story from the original and overdone Cinderella stories out there. I hope that in the later books they will expand on what happens, otherwise the story will remain unfinished. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that you knew from the beginning how the biggest 'secret' would end. I wish it hadn't been so offious.

maaaalice's review against another edition

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5.0

ok so i read this for the first time at the beginning of the pandemmy and it was instantly my favorite. reread it and it was still amazing. by all means i should hate it because it’s connected to the worst time of my life but at the same time it’s what carried me through??? like i’m obsessed with the vibe and the world and cinder is my sarcastic bestie. the new covers were what got me to notice it because for me the cover sets the entire tone of the book and then i read it and it was a whole experience. and i HATE politics in books but the politics for this world were legit interesting?? young king forced to marry?? evil tyrannical queen of the moon?? and yeah when you get down to the basics it’s a book about an alien cyborg princess but is that not also the coolest thing ever?? she pulls it off well. this book allows me to escape so easily because of how it’s paced and it’s a blessing. but like honestly somehow it’s already like a comfort novel even though i only read it like a year and a half ago. anyway stan iko

llfoofaye's review against another edition

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4.0

A great retelling of Cinderella! I love that Cinder is saving herself. Girl power! I kind of had an idea of what was going to happen but how exactly and how the Cinderella story was going to fit in was great to find out!

sophiaknudsen's review against another edition

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2.0

This book was mediocre. Okay; not good, not bad. It was pretty bland and boring.

The back of this book says three things "(1) A forbidden romance. (2) A Deadly Plague. (3) Earth's fate hinges on one girl."
1. A forbidden romance...more like a failed attempt at a retelling of Cinderella. A valiant effort, though.
2. A deadly plague. Okay, sure this part wasn't terrible, but it was very intriguing and wasn't described very well.
3. Earth's fate hinges on one girl. Well, not until the last 20 or so pages. This was not a high point of the story.

I felt like this book was just written as an introduction to the next book, due to the fact that all the "surprising" action happened in the very last portion of the book, leaving you with a cliff hanger.

I also found some things to be cheesy, such as the interactions of Kai and Cinder. It was awkward and not very romantic at all. A few of the technologies of this time period, like the lie detector built into cyborgs seemed ... well, silly.

The one thing I did enjoy was the comic relief. I appreciated the sarcasm and jokes sprinkled in the story.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book.

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