Cinder

Cinder is a sci-fi retelling of Cinderella. I never thought I'd get so invested the first time reading a story to which I already knew the plot and the ending. Or thought I knew.
Cinder es un recuento de ciencia ficción de Cenicienta. Nunca pensé que estaría tan interesada leyendo por primera vez una historia para la cual ya conocía la trama y el final. O creí conocer.

In this futuristic version of the world where Lihn Cinder lives, she's the unwanted adopted child of a widow mother of two girls and former wife of a world-renowned scientist, who brought Cinder into the family after a life-wrecking accident stripped her of her memories and most of her human body. In this story, Cinderella is a cyborg.
En esta versión futurística del mundo donde vive Lihn Cinder, ella es la hija adoptada no deseada de una viuda madre de dos niñas y previamente esposa de un científico reconocido mundialmente, quien introdujo a Cinder a la familia después de que un accidente que le arruinó la vida la dejara sin memoria y sin la mayor parte de su cuerpo humano. En esta historia, Cenicienta es un cyborg.

This tale follows a cyborg, expert mechanic Cinder, trying to make the best of her days while living under the guardianship of a mother that does not want her and a sister that treats her as servitude. She only finds comfort in her close and loving relationship with her little sister Peony and in the company of the house droid, Iko. However, there are bigger thing happening in the world outside her daily struggles: the constant threat of a war with the mind-controlling Lunars, a “blue-fever” pandemic to which no cure has been discovered, and a sick Emperor that could leave the East Commonwealth (made up by most of the countries in the world) unprotected at any moment.
Este relato sigue a una Cenicienta cyborg y mecánica experta, tratando de sacar lo mejor de sus días mientras vive bajo la tutela de una madre que no la quiere y una hermana que la trata como servidumbre. Solamente encuentra consuelto en su cercana y amorosa relación con su hermana pequeña Peony y en la compañía del droide doméstico, Iko. Sin embargo, hay cosas más grandes pasando en el mundo fuera de su lucha diaria: la amenaza constante de una guerra con los Lunares controladores de mentes, una pandemia de “fiebre azul” para la cual no se ha encontrado cura, y un Emperador enfermo que podría dejar a la Mancomunidad Oriental (formada por la mayoría de los países del mundo) desprotegida en cualquier momento.

I thought the retelling aspect was very well used throughout the weaving of this new narrative. It was enough for the reader to be able to relate some aspects and events between Cinder and the original Cinderella, but not too much, making it a somewhat original story. The key elements are still there: Cinderella being the unwanted child with two sisters, the sparkly dress, the sneaking to the ball, the midnight deadline, the lost “shoe”... But it still has many new things that help bring to life this first installment in The Lunar Chronicles saga and to make it a great one.
Considero que el aspecto de recuento fue muy bien usado a lo largo de la creación de esta nueva narrativa. Fue suficiente para que el lector fuese capaz de relacionar algunos aspecto y eventos entre Cinder y la Cenicienta original, pero no demasiado , convirtiéndola en una historia considerablemente original. Los elementos clave siguen ahí: Cenicienta siendo la hija no deseada con dos hermanas, el vestido brillante, el escabulirse al baile, el límite de medianoche, la “zapatilla” perdida... Pero aun así tiene tantas cosas nuevas que ayudan a traer a la vida a esta primera entrega de la saga de Crónicas Lunares y a hacerla una genial.

Though I have to be honest. It was only after the first half or the second third of the book when it really got me hooked. Is not that it was boring at the beginning, because many interesting things happened that kept me guessing and trying to come up with my own conclusions for the ending, but the pace was a little too slow. I still recommend it because it is very good, so good I hadn't already finished it and I ordered the next one to keep on reading about it asap and I think it does a great job as the first book in a series, which is to lay the groundwork for the world-building and presenting the characters, ending in a cliffhanger.
Sin embargo, debo ser honesta. Solamente hasta después de la primera mitad o el segundo tercio del libro fue que quedé enganchada. No es que haya sido aburrido al inicio, ya que pasaron muchas cosas interesantes que me mantenían adivinando y tratando de hacer mis propias conclusiones sobre el final, pero el ritmo fue un poco lento. Aun así lo recomiento porque es muy bueno, tan bueno que aun no lo terminaba y ordené el siguiente libro para seguir leyendo lo más pronto posible y pienso que hace un gran trabajo como el primer libro de una serie, que es sentar las bases para la construcción del mundo y presentar a los personajes, terminando en un momento de suspenso.

There's also something that I personally appreciated very much that the author did. She took a princess fairy tale, popularized for having a damsel in distress that ultimately is saved by a prince just for being pretty and of small feet, and made it a story about resilience and self-discovery, while still keeping the romance in but not making it the star of the show.
Además hay algo que hizo la autora y que personalmente aprecié muchísimo. Tomó un cuento de hadas de princesas, popularizado por tener a una damisela en peligro que finalmente es salvada por un príncipe sólo por ser bonita y tener pies pequeños, y lo convirtió en una historia sobre resiliencia y descubrimiento personal, mientras mantuvo el elemento romántico pero sin darle protagonismo.

I really really liked it. I can't wait to see how the other princesses turned out.
De verdad me gustó muchísimo. No puedo esperar a ver cómo resultaron las otras princesas.

“It was not her fault he had liked her.
It was not her fault she was cyborg.
She would not apologize.”
“No era su culpa que ella le gustara.No era su culpa que fuera cyborg.No se disculparía.”

The first time i pick this up, i was so overwhelmed by Cinder and her cyborgness that i decided to put it down. But then, i tried again and wow. It has been a while since I've read anything without stopping. I mean, i did just read this in one day. That showed how intrigued i am with this book.

Cyborg Cinderella with superpowers. Who could've thought.
I love it!

Interesting twist on the traditional Cinderella story where she is a cyborg mechanic. A fun YA sci-fi.

3.5 stars
I liked it, but I had figured everything out from like... The first half of the book. It was predictibile

it was so amazing ❤ and I loved the twist

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Cinder

Switch out your glass slippers for mechanical cyborg feet in this imaginative retelling of Cinderella!

Rescued from a horrible accident, Cinder was forced to become a cyborg. And despite the advances in technology, people still discriminate against cyborgs. Cinder is left to fend for herself in a world where most look down on her. Her stepmother doesn't hesitate to let Cinder know she is not wanted in the family. She is a stain on their reputation for what she is and is blamed for the death of her stepfather. Cinder spends most of her days in the market working as a mechanic and earns her keep by fixing whatever she can. Until the day the prince appears at her shop, asking her to fix his robot. Cinder is left speechless, and without a choice, agrees. Cinder's life is about to become a messy web of politics and royal agendas.

Cinder is a young girl many can connect with, struggling to find her place and earn her independence as she comes of age. She battles with awkward moments and understanding the brand-new feelings of attraction. She also makes poor choices because she doesn't know any better and learns from each experience. It was refreshing to read a young adult book that was appropriate. For all the hinted romance, it never goes into the adult realm like so many do these days.

Your heart goes out to Cinder who feels displaced and fearful of people knowing she is a cyborg. The world-building was so well done to describe a society that cannot accept people who are not fully human. The feeling of being on the outside influences all of her actions and Cinder stayed true to her character throughout the entire novel. Even when it was frustrating at times, you understood why she acted as she did.

I highly recommend Cinder and cannot wait to read the next book in The Lunar Chronicles!

4.5 / 5 ★ - Porém segue favoritado.
screaming like a teenager. Again

It's a shame that I can read and listen everything and comprehend almost 100% and don't have the urge do wright in english as well; and I sure need more practice.
ANYWAY - we will do it... mixed this time. I guess.

Reler/escutar esse livro foi a maior alegria desse início de mês.
Não apenas pela leitura fluida, os personagens envolventes e com personalidades únicas, e, na minha humilde opinião, o retelling inusitado de um fairy tale tão tradicional quanto Cinderella. Mas, o que me assustou foi o quanto eu amei viver tudo isso de novo, mesmo já sabendo o final. E a quantidade de coisas, pequenas não as mais dramáticas, que havia me esquecido que ocorreram ao longo da estória para a tomada das atitudes que tiveram, e desenvolvimento de alguns casos.

O que foi apagado da mente:
- O quão Audrey e Pearl são... terríveis. As bichas são ruinzinhas mesmo. Daquela crueldade fria que apenas imaginamos em step qualquer coisa.
- O flerte real que Kai jogou na Cinder. Soltei altos “aaah, meu xóvem...” e, como sempre, me apaixonei por ele (como vai ocorrer com Thorne, Wolf e Jacin nos próximos volumes, não necessariamente nessa ordem).
- Havia completamente me esquecido que Kai ia pessoalmente entregar as luvas. E que era uma das cenas mais fofas e cheias de expectativas frustradas de se ler.
- Como Cinder era infeliz com o seu lado Ciborg - mesmo sendo esta a coisa mais incrível de todas -por não ser aceita na sociedade. É bem relacionável com qualquer característica do corpo que as pessoas não aceitam, porque não atendemos a um “padrão” estipulado por alguém, que ainda vamos descobrir quem foi o imbecil (isso no mundo real, não no Commonwealth).

Tirei 0,5 de estrelinha por haver percebido que TUDO ISSO se passou em menos de uma SEMANA - sim, 5 dias. E eu sequer consegui arrumar a cadeira com roupa limpa que está no quarto nos últimos 6 meses.
E um pouquinho pelas vergonhas alheias que a Cinder passou com o Kai (hands down para: o estado que a gata (Cinder) chegou no baile; o anuncio de seu nome como convidada pessoal do imperador e, como não poderia faltar o beijo. Não correspondido só para dar aquela pincelada de vergonha final no primeiro livro).

Mal posso esperar para reviver os demais volumes de novo.

I think I am a little (maybe too much) repetitive, but I really enjoyed this one. Many people recommended Cinder to me a long time ago and I still resisted but got to finally read it when the Czech audiobook was released and read it and listen to it at the same time. And I was soo surprised how good it is and how complex the world of Lunar Chronicles is. I am pretty sure that I will push the other books in the series up my “to-read list” because I am just curious how this will end... Bravo!

This book is a Cinderella retelling. I've never read the original book but I have watched the movie several times. Because this is a retelling it was somewhat predictable but at the same time I was still drawn in and wanting to find out how things played out.

This book was fast paced and to me a lot darker than the original Cinderella fairytale which I actually really loved. There was so much more going on then just the typical Cinderella story.

Some of you know that I have a love hate relationship with cliffhangers. If there's a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter I am all for that because it makes me want to keep reading the book however when they are at the end of the book that's when things get iffy for me.

If the book ends with a cliffhanger I like for everything in that book to be wrapped up. I'm ok if it's the type of cliffhanger that sets up for the next book but I still don't want to be left with so many questions about the current book.

Unfortunately this book leaves off on a cliffhanger that I am not fond of. I don't know how things turned out for some characters and it drives me crazy.

All of that being said I will be continuing on with the series and I really hope that some of my questions will be answered.

I loved this book so much! I can't believe how hard it was to predict while still being a faithful reimagining of Cinderella. I'm starting number 2 immediately

3.2/5 stars

Lihn Cinder is a cyborg and a mechanic in New Beijing, the capital of the Eastern Commonwealth, a country ravaged by plague outbreaks. Her life changes when the heir to the throne of the Commonwealth, Prince Kai, steps into Cinder's shop to get his android fixed.

I really liked this book, but it lacks details in different areas. For example, the politics aren't explained. We are just thrown into a situation we are supposed to understand. The Lunar Queen is visiting and is doing as she pleases, with no intervention from the royal family. I understand they're not trying to offend her because they need her help, but it doesn't make sense to just leave her actions unchallenged.

Another is character details. We know that Cinder is a cyborg, but we rarely see how it is different to function as one from being a regular human. This is mentioned a few times, but it's rarely explained, and it's typically to help plot-wise.

Spoilers Ahead:
We see this being used to see past the glamour of Queen Levana. At the same time, Queen Levana saw who Cinder truly was.

This didn't really make sense to me because I don't remember them mentioning that her eyes helped her identify what was real and what was fake. Also, as much as I like Prince Kai, I feel like he needs more character development. We mainly see him kind of fade into the background, especially in the presence of Queen Levana. Otherwise, I don't really have any other problems with this book. It's an enjoyable read, but there are some parts where it's better to not overthink them.

Cinder is a cyborg mechanic who lives with her step mother and two step sisters. She has come to accept her life as a cyborg, though she holds resentment towards to person responsible. After meeting the Prince one day Cinder find herself dealing with situations she never imagined. It was an awesome ready. Loved the story. It didn't have as much action as I somehow convinced myself it would have. But none the less it was amazing to read. Absolutely bring me out of my reading slump. Can't wait to pick up scarlet next.

I haven't written many reviews here, but I feel this one is necessary to balance out the glut of “love it or hate it” I'm seeing here. More of the former than the latter, because in all honesty this is a perfectly serviceable book. It's functionally well-written, there aren't any glaring errors or problems, the author has a vision, and they execute it well. Unlike the numerous one-stars, overall I'd say I enjoyed it (as opposed to just tolerating it).

However, there seems to be a dearth of middle of the road reviews, which is more applicable to my experience. It's decent but not really my cup of tea. This is a middling, somewhat shallow approach to a good idea. It's a problem somewhat endemic to this kind of YA genre story. I couldn't really sink my teeth in, so to speak, and most of the book was rather heavy-handed with telling instead of showing, when a touch of subtlety would have gone miles to improve the experience.

A recurring sort of turn-off came from the repeated insistence on trying to impress the reader with “cool” technological stuff. The only thing I found well integrated was Cinder's lie detector, because it became an instinctual, human+ kind of function, unlike the focus on clinical countdowns and decimal-precison. If the focus of your story isn't on a character's stuggle to maintain their humanity (which, despite lip-service, this story is not), then cybernetics should serve to alter the character's abilities in a natural fashion, not overload them with terminal printouts and raw source code which would be pretty much useless to all of us.

I'm hoping things get a little better in the next books as the author gains some experience. Like it or not, I'm committed and curious to see where the story goes.

My final book for June was one that I have tried to begin reading a couple of times before. Cinder has been on my To Be Read shelf for some time and I have read the first few pages in the past and immediately thought “What on earth” then found something else to read. The Lunar Chronicles series though, of which this book is a part, has received such glowing praise that it has made me think that it's worth a second look and as I have been challenging myself over the past few months by exploring different genre's and types of books I decided now would be the perfect time to try again.

I am a huge huge fan of fairy tale retellings, the joy of taking characters I've loved since childhood and developing them further or placing them into new settings is something I find fascinating and they have become increasingly popular over the past few years along with shows like Once Upon A Time. Cinder though has taken the concept to a slightly new level and in a direction that is completely unique.

Set in a futuristic New Beijing we find that the world in hugely overpopulated and that a plague is affecting the population killing people and spreading not just to the lower classes but to the highest levels of society, including the Emperor of New Beijing. Scientists are trying to find a cure but they have had no success and people are scared. Living in New Beijing is a young mechanic called Cinder whose reputation proceeds her, she runs a small stall in a street market where she tries to make enough money to support her guardian and her two ‘sisters'. Cinder though is no ordinary girl as she is part human, part robotic - a cyborg. The result of a car accident when she was a child Cinder has no recollection of her life before the accident only that she is now classed as a lower level of being now and that people look down upon her and so she tries to hide her condition.

In the true vein of Cinderella's story Cinder meets Prince Kai, the son of the Emperor when he comes to her for mechanical help for his android robot. There is an immediate spark and talk of a Royal Ball to which Kai wants her to attend. Cinder though is scared that the closer she gets to Kai the more likely he is to discover the truth of what she truly is and so we have all the essential essences of the original story. This though is only scratching the surface of this book.

Woven among the original elements of the fairy tale story we have the other aspects of this book, the battle to find a cure for the disease that is spreading fear through its people, the far off Lunar world whose Queen is determined to make a marriage alliance with Prince Kai in order to give her unprecedented power in the human world. The stories of the history of the Lunar world, the missing princess who may or may not have died in a fire years before. Kai is searching for her as a way to dethrone the evil Lunar Queen and save him from a marriage he knows will place his people in danger but the Lunar Queen holds a solution to the plague that is devastating his land and he feels trapped.

I really enjoyed this book once I managed to get into the world of New Beijing. I must be honest and say for the first few chapters I had to really force myself to suspend all my criticisms and just go with the story. Once I had built enough of a picture of the world in my head I found I flew through this book very quickly, I began to really enjoy the story and the characters and enjoyed it immensely. I think one of the things you need to bear in mind going into the story is that it is the first in a series and as a result along with telling the basic story of Cinder, Meyer is also setting out the playing field for the books that are to follow. It means we do not get a complete story in this book but an introduction to characters who will feature as the series progresses, there is no resolution to their story here but a cliff hanger that will follow into the next.

When you explain this book to other people some look at you like you are crazy, a Cyborg Cinderella sounds a little off the wall and a futuristic setting takes it so far away from the original fairy tale that people find it difficult to see how it could work but Meyer really makes it all come together. It is not a plot by plot recreation of the original story but instead it uses aspects of Cinderella to then shape the initial characters and the world we will follow. It gives us a structure to guide us through the rest of the story she weaves and she does so in a very clever way.

I would say that in honesty I'd give this about 3.5 stars out of 5 and I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Scarlet.

Fantastic world-building and a great fairy tale retelling. I was really really enjoying it, until it became painfully obvious that i'd predicted the ending very early on.

Comecei a ler este livro e não parei! Estava na minha lista “para ler” há demasiado tempo, mas finalmente foi para a lista “lido”! É uma história muito mais interessante do que aquilo que estava a espera!

Não sou grande fã de Cinderela, mas a maneira como isto está escrito e reinventado, torna a história tão mais interessante e diferente! Não sei se já ouviram falar, mas é uma espécie de um livro futurista mas da Cinderela, mas não como a conhecemos, mas sim como uma cyborg que vive com a sua madrasta e as irmãs. A Cinder é o mecânico mais conhecido da cidade e é surpeendida quando o príncipe aparece na banca dela para pedir que ela arranje o androide dele. Bem diferente da história inicial, não é? Torna-se ainda melhor!

REREAD 2020: updated review soooon!


“4.5 stars!”

aaaah, i need Scarlet now!!! This was such a lovely book!
I liked it so much and i really want to know how it continues.

Cinder is just a really lovely retelling of Cinderella. The basic storyline was there but it was twisted into something modern and really interesting.

I thought the beginning was pretty slow. But the ending... Wow! It ended so strong and i really really want to read Scarlet immediately!

5 gddmn star. liked it a lot. why didn't i read it sooner???

Quite silly, very enjoyable, and a case study of the worst interplanetary politics ever.

I enjoyed parts of this book, but I wasnt blown away. I guess I was expecting more.

I didnt realize this book wasnt the whole story! I was under the impression each book in this series was a different fairytale. but maybe I made that up lol.

Oh my! This book was so good. Inspired by Cinderella, but with a totally new look, was just perfect. The new technology was not overehelming. The romance was light, which is perfect for book 1. The new order of the world was well explained without being heavy handed or just a monologue of facts. The ‘secret' in this book I figured out about halfway through and was delighted to see how the other characters discovered it. I was discovering all the nods to the original Cinderella story or the other versions there of.
I can't wait to get my hands on book 2.

Review
4.5/5



En una nueva era en la que humanos y androides conviven en Nueva Pekín, una pandemia amenaza a la población nominada Letumosis o Fiebre Azul. Mientras tanto la reina lunar, Levana, intenta boicotear el tratado que mantiene la paz, instaurada tras la Cuarta Guerra Mundial, si no se accede a sus deseos de establecer una alianza matrimonial con la Comunidad Oriental.

Cinder es conocida por ser la mejor mecánica de Nueva Pekín, pero el hecho de ser una ciborg la convierte en una ciudadana de segunda, marginada. Sin embargo, las cosas cambian cuando un día aparece en su taller el príncipe Kaito, heredero del imperio de la Comunidad Oriental, para que le arregle su androide personal al que llama Nainsi.

Pero no es lo único que hará que la vida de Cinder dé un giro de ciento ochenta grados, pues su hermana Peony contrae la letumosis estando en compañía de Cinder. Esto provoca la ira de su madrastra Adri, que la entrega a las levas ciborg para que experimenten con ella con el fin de encontrar un antídoto contra la enfermedad, lo que implica una muerte segura.

Pues esa es la premisa que nos da Marissa en esta nueva versión de la Cenicienta. He de decir que es una versión fresca y fuera de lo común a lo que estamos acostumbrados en ver en esta historia. Al menos en parte, porque sí debo decir que resulta en cierta parte predecible.

Primero partiré por el ambiente. Nueva Pekín es un país gobernado por una monarquía. Uno de tantos países con ese método de gobierno, ya que de los otros seis países que sobrevivieron a la Cuarta Guerra Mundial, requiere de un Emperador y Emperatriz para ser dirigido. La tecnología es un punto importante en todo esto, ya que varios de los sirvientes que trabajan tanto en el palacio como en el pueblo son androides. Además que un método de comunicación es la COM que actúa casi como un mail.

Sin embargo, Cinder es una marginada en el pueblo de Nueva Pekín. Quienes la conocen, saben que tiene una mano y pierna metálica, además de todo un sistema en su interior. No es enteramente un robot, pero tampoco enteramente una humana ya que no puede llorar, ni sonrojarse. Cinder vive con su madrastra Adri y sus dos hermanastras, Pearl –la mayor– y Peony –la menor. De las tres, Peony es quien quiere a Cinder y es buena con ella. Además de estar Iko, un androide que compró Adri pero que rechaza por ser defectuosa según ella (solo por tener chip de personalidad).

En este mundo también están los Lunares, habitantes provenientes de Luna (sí, el planeta). Los Lunares son seres especiales ya que tienen la facultad de poder controlar las mentes obligando a los terrestres y semejantes a creer lo que deseen que crean o incluso obligarlos. Pero claro que siempre debe haber un tipo de Lunar distinto y son los Caparazones, Lunares incapaces de ser controlados pero a la vez, sin ningún tipo de don. Luna está gobernada por la reina Levana, un ser despreciable que ascendió al trono luego de deshacerse de su hermana Channary y su sobrina, la princesa Selene y futura heredera del trono. Levana es conocida por ser una Lunar de gran belleza y gran capacidad de dominación mental, por lo que es temida a la vez de odiada. Pero solo unos pocos son incapaces de doblegarse ante ella: los caparazones.

Como se mencionó antes, la vida de Cinder cambió luego de que el príncipe heredero Kai llegó a su puesto en el pueblo solicitando sus servicios. Cinder, que nunca antes se interesó por el príncipe como sus hermanas y todos los demás pueblerinos, no pudo evitar caer bajo el encanto de Kai, la conexión entre ambos estableciéndose de inmediato. Luego de eso, todo lo normal en la vida de Cinder se alteró. Desde la noticia de Peony cayendo presa de la letumosis, al hecho de Cinder siendo obligada a ser sujeto de pruebas para el dr Erland, científico real a cargo de buscar la cura para la enfermedad. Pero claro, con este anciano a su lado, Cinder descubrirá que no solo resulta ser inmune a la letumosis, sino que no es tan solo una simple ciborg de Nueva Pekín.

Y allí es donde pecó la historia de predecible. Quería que todo fuera una sorpresa para mí, pero no fue así. No diré de qué trata, más lo que han leído el libro sabrán a lo que me refiero.

Todo este mundo que creó Marissa fue impresionante; las leyes, la forma de gobernar, los androides, cada zona de Nueva Pekín, todo. ¡Dios, las explicaciones sobre los ciborgs, los androides, la tecnología en sí! Sobre los Lunares, estuvo todo cuidadosamente planeado.

Yendo a la facilidad de lectura, diría que fue excelente. Todo fue rápido, pasando cosas que te tenían atrapada a la lectura. La pluma de Marissa es sencilla y eso fue algo que me agradó. ¿Lo peor? ¡Ese final abierto! Lo hace apropósito; todos los personajes cumplieron su acometido de agradar o desagradar. Adri la odié, a Levana la deteste, y quiero ahorcar a Pearl. Otro punto negativo, aunque no sé si fue debido a que tuve dos días entre avances sin leer que no me afectó cosas que debieron de afectarme, puedo decir una y es el que Peony cayera enferma. La niña me gustó, no voy a negarlo, pero esperaba que me doliera. En fin, c'est la vie.

THIS. WAS. AWESOME.

4.25..or maybe 4.5 stars.

Though I had high hopes, I found this book to be terribly predictable and cliché, but the writing was ok... It tried to stretch too much at the end, and I found my self skipping lines of useless detail just to get to the point. Still an interesting read though. I think I'll finish the series just to see the outcome, but I'm not dying to continue.

RE-read
It just couldn't hold my attention. I want to bring the rating down, but perhaps my surroundings are at fault and not so much the book.
Looking forward to reading Scarlet again :)

—————————————


This was amazing. I've read many fairy tale re-dos but, this one really was great.

Cinder is a cyborg in New Beijing in a time when a raging disease taking its toll on the world. Cyborgs are looked down on and treated like slave or second-degree citizens but, worse than cyborgs are the Lunars. Lunars are people who live on the moon and can use glamour, a type of magic, to manipulate the way people think or see things. Unfortunately the queen on the Lunars is the worst of the lot and trying to marry Prince Kai.

There is obviously more going on but this is the bare bones of the book with Cinder trying to escape her living situation and Prince Kai trying to find a cure for the disease.
This is SO easy to read, a quick read. But, it is was so different from Cinderella and after a while I forgot about it. There is a lot going on but, it isn't hard to keep track of everything.

Are the plot twists easy to figure out? Mystery not quite a mystery? Yeah, kinda. BUT it was still really interesting.
Ending what I expected? No! I loved it and I can't wait to start the next book.