A review by ravensandlace
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Format: hardback library book
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Star Rating: 3 stars

tw: sickness, death from illness, mentions of suicide, infanticide, mind control, extreme pain

Yes, I am very late to the party with this book series. About 11 years late. But hey, better late than never! I’m only just now getting into popular young adult books. I like to wait for the hype to die down a bit before I read a popular book so that way, I don’t get a mob after me if I end up not liking the book. Cinder has been on my radar for some time now. I think it was the way the cover was. It drew me in. I had seen that my local library had it so I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. 

I enjoyed the aspect of this being a Cinderella retelling. I don’t like Disney and I haven’t read the original story of Cinderella but I do know about Cinderella and the story well enough to know what is going on. I enjoyed the way Meyer reinvented it but also kept the story there with a spin to it. I can also appreciate an author that keeps the spirit of the story but still make it their own. 

There were two POVs: Cinder and Prince Kai. I liked Cinder’s chapters more than I liked Prince Kai’s. I loved the bond she had with her adopted sister and how she was willing to do anything for her. Considering the abuse she experienced with her stepmom and other sister, she was surprisingly empathetic and truly cared a lot. Prince Kai’s chapters were okay. There were a lot of politics involved since he had an empire to run. I didn’t mind his chapters but I couldn’t wait to get back to Cinder’s chapters.

Overall, this was a good book. I called the plot twist early on but that wasn’t a bad thing. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment. I’m not super in love with the book, but I like it enough that I will continue the series as I have enjoyed the ride and the characters so far. I think I would have liked it a lot more if I had read it when I was younger. I’ve read so many dystopian novels since I’ve gotten serious about reading, that they all kind of blend together.
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