Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Series? The first in the Lunar Chronicles, followed by Scarlet, coming out next year.
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Scifi, Romance, Dystopian
Age Level: YA (12-18) 
Summary: Cinder is the most renowned mechanic in New Beijing. Of course, it helps that she's a cyborg. But when Prince Kai, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Commonwealth, comes to her booth in disguise, needing her to fix a royal android, she knows something is up, even if he just jokingly says it's a matter of "national security".
The Emperor, and many people on Earth, have been struck with leutomosis, a deadly disease. It was brought to Earth by the Lunars, people from what started out as a simple moon colony and have grown to be dangerous, magical, and feared. But Cinder may hold the cure to the disease in her blood - in fact, she may hold more than the cure.

Review: This book is a Cinderella retelling, but not in the way you could imagine. I've heard a lot about this book and wanted to read it, and was so glad when I found it waiting for me at my library.

Cinder is new and fresh, and I loved the way she responded to everything - from the disease to Prince Kai. Even though she may no longer be human, she acts like she is, with the same feelings we have. She also has to deal with prejudice and discrimination, and she tries desperately to keep Prince Kai from finding out - especially since he's shown an interest in her.

Queen Levana and the Lunars are a little frightening and unearthly, and I love them for it. Everything about them had me biting my nails, and leaning forward in my seat. It was pretty awesome.

Prince Kai as a character was pretty awesome as well. He was joking and sarcastic, and not like what you would expect him to be in his position. That being said, he did have a little bit of teenage guy in him - worried about marriage and pretty girls and kissing. But it was for what I believe is a nobler reason - for his country, the Eastern Commonwealth.

This book was written in third person, and while I normally don't like books as much when they're written in third person, this book made third person as personal as first. It was awesome!

The one thing I don't like about this book: I won't do spoilers, but there was this one thing that was supposed to be a total surprise and gasp-worthy, but I totally saw it coming. Maybe I've just read to many books, but it was totally predictable.

Even so, this was an awesome book and an awesome start to the series. I can't wait for next year and the sequel, Scarlet!

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