"Even in the future the story begins with 'once upon a time'"

Paul's Pre-Reading
My Pre-Reading

I apologize in advance for any and all spoilers.

First and foremost, this book exceeded all of my expectations. And that's really saying something, because I had super high expectations for Cinder. Amazon definitely didn't fail me in recommending this novel.

I really don't have the words to describe how absolutely wonderful this novel was. The plot, although loosely centered around the Cinderella fairy tale, has so many other twists and turns that Cinder becomes so much more than just another Cinderella. Other than Cinder being a cyborg, Meyer also introduces a ruthless queen from a nation based on the moon, a devastating worldwide plague, a handsome prince who has to cope with the loss of his father while taking on the role of Emperor, and a missing moon princess who everyone believes to have been killed years before. 

Seriously hardcore. 

Oh, and of course Cinder has the crazy step-mother and step-sister who hate her. And the one step-sister who loves her is killed by the plague. And her only friend, Iko the android, gets sold for parts. And even though the prince falls in love with her, she can't be with him because 1) he doesn't know she's Cyborg and 2) even if he could get over the whole cyborg thing, she's also Lunar. And since the Lunars can mind-control people, he feels he can't trust her once he finds out what she really is. Or, at least 2/3 of what she really is. Because not only is she Lunar, but she also happens to be the missing Lunar princess.

The only real gripe I had was that it was pretty obvious from the first 75-100 pages that Cinder was the missing princess. But really, I think that all the hints at that just make it even better. The reader realizes before Cinder does who she really is, and everything she does and realizes just makes the reader more restless for her to find out her real past. Which she doesn't until like the last 5 pages.

I cannot wait for the rest of The Lunar Chronicles to be published, and I really hope Marissa Meyer writes many more books. I'll read all of them. As soon as they come out. I give this a 5/5, and would definitely call it one of my favorite books ever. It's definitely the best YA book I've read in a long time.

Go buy Cinder. Now. And then read it.


--Ashley