So I basically stayed up all night to read this, and it is STILL replaying in my head (especially every scene from the ball forward). The nonexistent word I want to use to describe this book is "un-put-down-able". Because I literally could not tear my eyes away. I can't wait to buy this book in 2012. (And I'll die waiting for the next one. THAT ENDING. THAT ENDING.)

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Coherent review:

Cinder is one of the most enchanting novels I’ve read in 2012 (so far). Being a fan of Marissa Meyer’s fanfiction for years, I had known about the book for a while before it was published. But this didn’t actually prepare me for how much I loved the novel, or how much I wish I could experience reading it for the first time all over again.

As a child of the 90s, I grew up with fairy tales, mostly of the Disney variety. I can’t place exactly what it was that appealed to me about them then — that fascination with happy endings, the belief that a person can still live a meaningful and enjoyable life despite their wealth or social status, the idea that Prince Charmings do exist. In recent years, with Disney-Pixar’s new film, Brave and 2010′s Tangled, it is obvious that fairy tales and their retellings are popular for more than the pleasant lives, the princesses-in-need-of-rescue, and their heroic saviors. There is strength in these characters and hope in these stories, and retellings like Cinder continue to improve upon these tales, while still keeping their spirit alive.

Although Cinder is essentially a Cinderella retelling, the plot continuously amazed me. The qualities it shares with the fairy tale were relatively easy to foresee, but the overarching story — unique to Cinder — managed to take me by surprise. I found myself getting carried away by Cinder’s narrative, often forgetting that this was meant to be a tale re-imagined.


(Read the rest of the review @ Penmanship Smitten....)