By Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends, 2012
Genre
Sci-fi
Awards
- ABC New Voices Title (2012)
- YALSA Teen's Top Ten (2012)
- Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (2013)
- IRA Young Adult Choices (2013)
- Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year (2013)
- Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Awards: Master List (2013-2014)
- Abraham Lincoln Award Illinois' High School Readers' Choice Awards: Master's List (2014)
- NYSRA Charlotte Award High School Winner (2014)
- Indian Young Hoosier Award Middle Grade Nominee (2014-2015)
- MASL Readers Awards Nominee (2014-2015)
- Nebraska Golden Sower Award Young Adult Nominee (2014-2015)
- VSBA Middle School Nominee (2014-2015)
- Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)
- Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)
Review
A
Cinderella story with a new twist: Cinder is a cyborg mechanic and is the property
of her step-mother since her adoptive father died after rescuing her from the
hovercraft accident she was disfigured in. Prince Kai suddenly appears at
her mechanic market stall once day requesting she fix his android. Unfortunately, the plague that has been
brushing the outskirts of town has begun to make its way inside the city,
infecting Cinder's step-sister and the Emperor himself. Cinder is
"volunteered" as a test subject for vaccines to help with the epidemic
where the doctor testing her teaches her much about her past and finds her
immune to the illness. Cinder continues
to see Prince Kai, causing them both to develop feelings for one another.
Kai discusses with Cinder a looming threat of war from the Lunars
(inhabitants that live on the moon and have special abilities resembling mind
control). Cinder discovers that the Prince's android holds secrets about
a possibly surviving heir to the
Lunar throne who has been thought dead! If she is restored to the throne,
Kai's concerns about war and possible marriage to the tyrannical Lunar queen
could be put to rest. On the night of a
ball thrown by Prince Kai, with the Lunar Queen present, Cinder must make the
difficult decision of escaping her terrible stepmother forever and never seeing
Kai again, or warning him of impending danger and lose her only chance of
escape. This thrilling and unique
retelling of Cinderella will keep readers engaged, always on the edge of their
seats to see what will happen next.
Opinion
A very detailed, thought-out story with a rich setting and back story. Cinder is a well fleshed out, believable character, with a sarcastic and mysterious side, but some of the other characters are a little flat, including Prince Kai. Though he is a likable character, there is not much to him. Some parts of the story seem to have been started and then stopped without much resolution leaving the reader unsure if that minor story line is cut short or may be continued in the next book. Overall, this is a great sci-fi telling of Cinderella that is appropriate for middle grade through high school.
Ideas
Great for a display of modern fairy tale retellings.
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