Scarlet

The Lunar Chronicles #2

by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is back and trying to break out of prison―even though she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive if she does―in this second installment from Marissa Meyer.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Dystopia, Retellings, Fiction

454 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2013

About the author

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She did not know that the wolf was a wicked sort of animal, and she was not afraid of him.”

3 1/2 stars. I do not know that this is actually an amazing book, but dammit, it was entertaining. Honestly, I pretty much hated Cinder when I finally forced myself through it last year. It was a 1-star, ranty hate at all the wasted potential and - worst of all - tediousness. But so many commenters told me to read Scarlet anyway.

At first, I wasn't going to. Seems kind of stupid to read the sequel to a book you disliked so much, right? But, somehow, over time, my curiosity got the better of me. And hell, I just had so much fun reading this.

I think Scarlet is a much more interesting and less bland character than Cinder, and her introduction to the story actually contributed to making Cinder and her story more exciting. The big twist in this book is easy to guess, but it is surrounded by little mysteries and surprises that I never expected, keeping the pace at breakneck speed.

I love the girl power, the emphasis put on Scarlet's love for her grandmother, and even the romance. Unlike with Cinder and Kai (who I also had way more sympathy for in this book!), I enjoyed the arc of this relationship and found myself curious where it would lead.

And there's something about a sexy wolf that just does it for me. Maybe I have problems.

So strange how much more I liked this sequel. It still feels very much like a light, YA sci-fi and yet the fire in this book makes the pages fly by and the characters appeal to me. We are starting to get answers to bigger questions and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Meyer has up her sleeve.

I also can't wait to get to Fairest because Levana is a raging bitch and I want to know why!

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[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(more of a 3.5)

I really enjoyed this installment in the Lunar Chronicles, but I didn't think it was as good as Cinder. I was annoyed reading about Scarlet throughout this book. We really didn't get to know her, we only saw her concerned about her grandmother and wolf. I did love the sections that were focused on Cinder though! I also really liked how the two story lines came together. I'm looking forward to jumping into Cress!

[Sarah Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than CINDER! I could NOT put it down yesterday. And when I was forced to put it down (yes, FORCED), I could NOT stop thinking about it. It was absolutely amazing. Beautiful and heartbreaking and action-packed and just...wow. Can't wait for the next book!!!

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

this series is really fun, I'm enjoying ☺️

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

There should be more to this book.

I'm a sucker for a good fairytale rewrite - so I (mostly) enjoyed this retelling of Red Riding Hood.

BUT, the couple in this one (Scarlet and Wolf) and the book in general seemed to be missing something.

“What’s your name, anyway?”
That awkward shrug again. “They call me Wolf at the fights.”
“ Wolf? How … predatory."

It's like they are on the cusp of being truly great but fell a smidge short. Their rapport just seemed...off... Forced might be a better word.

“Wolf, are you asking me to be ... your alpha female?"

Perhaps it was Scarlet's complete lack of common sense. (oh, the Wolf has something to do with my grandmother? Suspicious background? Unparalleled fighting skills? Great, I'll follow him into the wilderness.)

Or maybe it was the frustrating subplot. (CINDER - why won't you just send Kai an email or something? You're half robot, I'm sure you can figure out how to send a digital message.)

Or it could have been the even more frustrating subplot. (KAI - You have LITERALLY trained for this your entire life. How are you so consistently bad at being Emperor?)

Or maybe it was Wolf's - nah, he was just too great. He was the shining beacon of light in this one.

Overall, this was an entertaining, light read. I liked most of it - especially the subtle hints of the characters yet to come and I really look forward to the next one!

Edit: As pointed out by Angela's Booked, I completely neglected to mention the absolute best part of the book: Thorne.

I mean, how could you not love him?

There's this:

A relieved grin filled up Thorne’s face. “We’re having another moment, aren’t we?”
“If by a moment, you mean me not wanting to strangle you for the first time since we met, then I guess we are.”

And this:

"But I'm a wanted fugitive, like Cinder." Thorne continued. "They do realize I'm missing, don't they?"
"Maybe they're grateful," Cinder muttered.

AND THIS:

"I don't like to think of it as 'stolen.' They have no proof that I didn't plan on giving it back"

I am eternally sorry for neglecting the banter in my original review.

Audiobook Comments
Exceptionally well-read by Rebecca Soler. Loved the voices!

If you are curious about Rebecca Soler, check Tucker the Reader's interview!

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[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”

Once Upon a Time, there was a little girl (let's call her Rina) who loved fairytales. Her favorite was Red Riding Hood, and she knew this story by heart since she was 2-years-old (everyone thought that this was a sign of her intelligence but in my opinion it was a warning. A warning that she'd never shup up). The girl grew up and decided to become a lawyer (so that people would pay her to talk non-stop) and she came across a horrible, horrible dilemma: she had to choose between what she had to do and what she wanted to do. She had to study, she had to finish her incredibly boring/difficult essay and being a perfectionist she barely had enough time to sleep, let alone read. But she wanted to read, to get lost inside her books, to travel in faraway lands and witness the upcoming war between Earth and Luna. In a desperate effort to balance her life goals, she stayed up all night to finish Scarlet so that there wouldn't be any distractions from her studies.



Pathetic excuse, I know. She read it because Marissa Meyer had the wondeful ability to make her forget her fears, her insecurities and worries and instead she introduced her to a world where Cinderella was a cyborg and a fugitive who tried to come to terms with the revelations that changed her life, where the Big Bad Wolf was a boy that tried to control his bloodlust and questioned the way he was raised, where Little Red was a feisty girl who would do anything to save her grandmother and smugglers were extremely hot.

“She did not know that the wolf was a wicked sort of animal, and she was not afraid of him.”

Rina found Scarlet's story extremely addictive! She was not the heroine she expected her to be. She was brave, stubborn, hot-headed and always ready for a fight, she was the little sister Hulk never had! Rina followed her quest wide-eyed and eager for adventures, secrets and romance because stars above! Scarlet's dynamic with Wolf made her feel fuzzy and giddy and warm inside! It took her a while to trust Wolf, but she couldn't resist the urge to hug him and cuddle him and make him her personal teddy bear!

“I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

See? Sweeter than milk chocolate! But his savage and wild side was also intriguing and kind of hot! Rina could not predict his secrets and the reasons he acted this way, he hurt her many times but she always forgave him! But Wolf wasn't the only adorable male character in Scarlet. There was also Kai and his difficult decisions that almost made her weep. And there was Thorne. Captain Thorne. A blend of Disney's Flynn Rider, Han Solo and Dean Winchester.



Yummy! Such a hilarious character that could not stop talking (a sign from the Universe that he should marry Rina), self-centered and charming and loyal... just great! His interactions with Cinder? Brotp alert! Cinder was more likeable when she was next to him and wanted to smack his head!

“A captain always knows where his ship is. It's like a psychic bond.”
“If only we had a captain here.”

When a book features an awesome gang, chaos, war, prison breaks, evil monarchs, bloodthirsty beasts, fights and psychic powers, it's impossible not to love it ! And bleary-eyed, disoriented and sleepy Rina was no exception!

P.S. Do I even have to say it?

✨ Cinder review
✨ Cress review
✨ Winter review
✨ Stars Above review

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know what to do with myself right now. This review probably won't make sense, and I'm probably leaving a shit ton out, but here goes.

I was lucky to score an advanced copy of Scarlet from Marissa Meyer while at Comic Con.


Totally me.

I was in the middle of another book which I quickly finished in order to start this. So, Cinder left us with our heroine basically on the run after finding out that she was Princess Selene. Scarlet opens by introducing us to the new character in this universe, aptly named Scarlet who is looking for her missing Grandmother and along the way meets a mysterious guy who goes by Wolf.

The book started off a little slow for me. I, like I'm sure most will be, was more concerned with what was happening with Cinder and Prince Kai than I was with Scarlet and her journey. But Meyer's storytelling would not let that be, and I found myself eagerly enjoying Scarlet's feisty personality while also searching for how Scarlet would come to meet Cinder. How could these two completely different characters come together? How are their pasts joined?

Well, let me tell you, the answer is pure genius. Meyer has created such a deep, complex story that when you find out how Scarlet and Cinder are connected, you're just like, whoa. Along with the flawless backstory, Scarlet introduces us to two more characters besides Scarlet herself: Wolf and Thorne. I really hope we see more of them in the final 2 books.

And just as in Cinder with the classic Cinderella losing the glass slipper, Meyer's use of the the famed Red Riding Hood scene is flawless. I love the way she just weaves in the fairy tales but makes it work for the plot.

Another thing I love about about Meyer's writing, is there's a point in her books that you hit where you suddenly can't put it down. You have to finish it! My point was when Scarlet and Wolf arrive in Paris and I sat on my couch reading like a madwoman until I finished.



Now...WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW MARISSA???? THAT WAS NOT AN ENDING??? WHAT WILL CINDER DO NOW? WHAT ABOUT KAI AND HIS ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END?

I wanted this book so bad...so bad!! But now that I have it, I have to wait that much longer for the third one. WHY???????

Sigh...I will wait...rather impatiently for 2014 to get here.

Just one final note: Prince Kai, no matter what happens:


Truth

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Your mom never made you eat your vegetables, did she?”
Their gazes clashed and the awkwardness was immediate.

Well, nope?! He’s the big bad wolf after all and I found it kind of hilarious that he loved tomatoes. *lol* This said, “Scarlet” was another great addition to “The Lunar Chronicles” and even though the Star Wars vibes weren’t as strong in this one as in the first book I still enjoyed it a lot and was very intrigued by Scarlet’s and Wolf’s story.

Interestingly this book picked up where the first one left off. So we didn’t only get Scarlet’s story that played in France, but also continued our journey with Cinder that still (mostly) took place in New Beijing. For me both plot lines were very interesting and the fast pacing of Scarlet’s chapters was a nice counterweight to the rather slow chapters of Cinder and Emperor Kai. Still, the fact they had a slow pace definitely didn’t mean that they weren’t super intriguing and suspenseful as well, because they definitely were. ;-)

I guess we can all agree that Queen Levana is quite a formidable antagonist so the Kai chapters had me clasping my fingers and hoping that she wouldn’t do something unforgivable to him. He’s too precious and I don’t want to see him hurt. And speaking of precious characters: The new addition of Thorne and the return of Iko made this even more fun. *lol* We finally got some answers in “Scarlet” and I can’t wait to read the next book! I’m sure there’s even more to come and I’m looking forward to see where Marissa Meyer will take this series. =) For now we’ll talk about “Scarlet” though and as always I have thoughts. (I always do, don’t I? ;-P)

The characters:

Bonjour, my fellow readers! You are now entering the spoilery territory of my review and if you haven’t read “Scarlet” already I’d recommend leaving this review. If you’re too curious... Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. We all know: Curiosity kills the cat! ;-P

Scarlet:

”I just think we shouldn’t judge her, or anyone, without trying to understand them first. That maybe we should get the full story before jumping to conclusions. Crazy notion, I know.”

Ahh Scarlet and her shotgun! I really liked that girl! *lol* She’s super independent, can stand her ground and is very down-to-earth, which are all good traits. And she’s very compassionate and always thinks of others first. I loved how much she cared about her grandmother and how determined she was to find her and to get her back to safety. When Scarlet finally reached her grandma it broke my heart though. They only had a couple of pages together and when she died I was so sad. You could feel their strong bond and their love for each other and if Scarlet now feels like eliminating Queen Levana’s soldiers with her shotgun for what they did to her grandma... well go ahead girl! XD The poor old lady deserved so much better than to be tortured by those Lunars. T_T I really hope Scarlet will get over the loss of her grandmother and that she’ll come out of it even stronger than before. Give my girl a shotgun in “Cress” and let’s see what will happen next! ;-P

”I suspect you would shoot me all over again if you thought it would help your grandmother.”
She blinked up at him, almost surprised to discover how close they were standing. “I would,” she said, “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be sorry about it afterward.”

”Mademoiselle Benoit retrieved,” she said, planting her heel on the back of the dazed, blank-faced soldier and shoving him off the ramp. “And don’t worry, we’ll take Alpha Kesley off your hands.”

Wolf:

”The only way to prevent becoming an omega is to fight. And to win. That’s why I do it. That’s why I’m good at it.”

Wolf was such an enigma! From the very first moment he appeared on page I wondered about his motives and why he helped Scarlet. His heightened senses, the predatory actions and his appearance, it all had me wondering if he would turn on Scarlet and in the end he actually did. Despite all that I’m pretty certain that we got to see the real Wolf. Beneath the animal there’s still a person and it’s struggling for control. I always wondered why he was so scared around Scarlet and I finally realized that he was afraid of her because she made him feel like a human being, like a person and not an animal. So that kind of made me wonder about how he was raised and how he became one of Levana’s soldiers. He’s certainly no normal Lunar and it was hinted that Levana sort of “breeds” them, whatever that means. The last scene showed her soldiers in some sort of boot camp so I guess she trains them? I really hope we’ll find out more about this in the next books or that “The Queen’s Army” will be able to answer some of my questions. XD For now I’ll give Wolf the benefit of the doubt.

His hands hastily brushed the curls from her face, gripped her shoulders, rubbed her bruised wrist, every ounce of his frenetic energy devoted to checking that she was there. That she was all right. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I lost focus, I slipped – I’m sorry. Scarlet. Are you all right?”

”His jaw worked as if to take in a bigger gulp of hair.
She could see his fight. His struggle. As clearly as she could see the animal – the wolf – in him. As clearly as she could still see the man.

Cinder:

”What are they doing?”
“Obeying,” she said heavily, hating herself for making the command. Hating the hums that filled her ears. Hating this gift that was too unnatural, too powerful, too unfair.

Cinder had quite a lot to digest in this book and it’s no wonder she’s kind of insecure about what to do and how to proceed. I guess to find out that you’re a long lost princess that was almost killed by your own evil aunt would be tough for everyone. XD She’s still trying to make sense of everything that happened and with Levana’s henchmen and every citizen of earth looking for her she didn’t even get a break to come to terms with her new status as a princess and fugitive. Not to mention that she still has feelings for Kai and must feel pretty betrayed by his actions. Considering what Levana did to her I’m kind of glad she has no conscious memory of what happened when she was a little kid though. >_< I wonder if Cinder will accept her powers in “Cress” or if she’ll still feel conflicted about them. Let’s hope she’ll make peace with them. I mean it’s not like the entire world depends on that, right? *lol*

”Levana had tried to kill her when she was only three years old.
Her operation had been completed when she was eleven.
Eight years. In a tank, sleeping and dreaming and growing.
Not dead, but not alive either.”

Kai:

”What he didn’t know was how many times she’d glamoured him before that. How many times she’d tricked him. How many times she’d made him out to be a complete fool.”

POOR KAI!!! To read his POV was pure torture! I felt so sorry for him because he doesn’t know about Cinder’s connection to Levana and has no idea what’s actually at stake. Not that he would need any more pressure. He’s basically holding his country together by sheer force of will. To say he’s between a rock and a hard place would be putting it more than just mildly. If you ask me it’s admirable that he even tries to defy Queen Levana! A lot of people would have cowered before her if she’d taken away their voice, but Kai? He still uses every single one of his breaths to annoy the hell out of her. It’s the only way he can defy her and boy does he give her a run for her money. *lol* Still, the pressure was too much and I hated to see him crumble. ARGH! I hated every single moment he had to wait for Levana to stop her attack. The price was too high and Kai basically gave his life for his people by agreeing to marry her. T_T Kai deserves so much better than that... so, so much better.

”Sensation returned to his tongue and Kai threw a thankless smile at Aimery. He then proceeded to do the most disrespectful thing he could think of – he pulled his chair back from his desk and sat down. Tripping back, he folded his hands over his stomach.”

”With the click of the latch, Kai let himself crumble into his chair. His entire body was shaking. It was suddenly so clear that he wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t strong enough or smart enough to fill his father’s shoes. He couldn’t even keep Levana out of his own office – how was he going to protect an entire country from her – an entire planet?”

Thorne:

Then, “You’re ... rather handsome, Captain Thorne.”
Cinder groaned.
“And you, my fine lady, are the most gorgeous ship in these skies, and don’t let anyone ever tell you different.”

Don’t you love a guy that calls himself Captain and is afraid of cockroaches? *lol* I’m not gonna lie, my first impression of Thorne wasn’t really a favourable one. XD To be honest my exact words were: He’s not the brightest candle on the cake. *lol* Which still holds true but the more I got to know him the more I realized that he’s like an adorable puppy. He has no idea what he’s doing but his heart is in the right place and sometimes he’s even downright reasonable. Haha! I think that makes him a great addition to the cast and I’m definitely looking forward to more of his dumb genius moments. In short: He’s super goofy and his rakish attitude makes him very entertaining. XD Considering the next book is “Cress” I’m pretty sure we didn’t see the last of him and that my wish to see more of him will come true soon. ;-P

”I get that you feel like it was your fault, but let’s try to put some of the blame where it belongs here.”

Queen Levana:

”Your Majesty,” Kai said, addressing the queen with, he thought, an admirable lack of contempt. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“One more patronizing comment and I will have you slice off and nail your own tongue to the palace gate.”

Isn’t Levana a sunshine? *lol* No, honestly, I hate that witch! With a fierce passion and the power of a thousand suns. This woman is horrible and I refuse to call her Queen. From now on I’ll only call her Levana because she certainly doesn’t deserve the title. Every once in a while you stumble upon a villain you can’t like because it’s such a horrible person and well, that would be Levana in my case. Guess there’s nothing that could redeem her in my eyes. I hate what she did to Wolf and all her other subjects and I hate her even more for using her power in order to bully Kai into a marriage with her. That cold and calculating, conniving, cruel WITCH! ARGH! I swear if she really marries Kai I’m going to throw that book against a wall. >_<

The relationships & ships:

Scarlet & Wolf:

”Don’t come near me. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to listen to you. I would rather die than ever be touched by you again.”
She saw a gulp straining against his throat. Hurt flashed across his face but it only served to make her angrier.

This was insta-love par excellence, but I still kind of shipped them? I guess we can cut them some slack because they got to know under really dire circumstances and if you take Wolf’s nature into consideration it’s kind of logical that he’d fall for someone hard and fast. Love seems to be connected to his instincts and since he’s such an instinct driven boy it’s no wonder he loves Scarlet. As for Scarlet... I have no explanation for her insta-love other than that she obviously digs broody handsome boys... don’t we all somehow? *lol* I don’t know how I feel about his betrayal though. From a logical perspective he’s as free as Kai is, so not free at all because his free will has been manipulated for years, but still. If I’d be Scarlet I would feel bitter about my grandmother’s death. I guess it works in his favour that he wasn’t around when they captured and tortured her. =( Ahh what a complicated mess... let’s hope that now he’s out of their reach he’ll be his own master and make his own decisions.

”I know you don’t want to hurt me, Wolf.”
His nose bumped against her jaw. His breath caressed her collarbone.
“You helped me. You rescued me.”

”I know we met less than a week ago and in that time I’ve done nothing but lie and cheat and betray you. I know. But if you give me a chance ... all I want is to protect you. To be near you. For as long as I’m able.”

Cinder & Kai:

”But Kai wasn’t his father. He wasn’t that selfless.
Knowing it was wrong, he couldn’t help but wish that wherever Cinder had gone, they would never find her.”

So we basically didn’t get any “Cinder & Kai” moments in “Scarlet” but that doesn’t mean that they didn���t think about each other because they did. Kai still cares about her and this even though he doesn’t even know the entire truth. And Cinder basically went ballistic when she heard of his engagement with Levana, which most definitely had nothing to do with him being foolish but everything with him agreeing to marry that despicable person. *lol* Ahh I really want those two to meet and to talk things out. Can’t Cinder idk... kidnap Kai before he marries Levana? XD Throw me a bone here Marissa! ;-P

Cinder & Thorne:

”You opened my control panel?” she said, her words a little clearer with anger behind them.
He scowled. “I didn’t want to.”

Hahaha!!! What an accusation! It almost sounded like they were intimate which I suppose they actually were? Control panels are tricky things like that. *lol* Anyway, I really appreciated the blooming friendship between Thorne and Cinder and I was so there for their moments. I think without Thorne Cinder wouldn’t even have come as far as she did because in his own way he supported her and helped her to continue. I was really glad she had him at her side and wasn’t all alone with her problems. Even though Thorne only found out about her real identity at the ending of the book. *lol* Their friendship is still precious and I hope we’ll have more Cinder/Thorne moments in “Cress”.

”Yeah, because we’re famous.” He sang the word with a certain measure of pride. When Cinder rolled her eyes, he nudged her in the arm. “Oh, come on, it could be worse.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him and his grin broadened.
“At least we have each other.” He held out his arms, like he would have given her a huge hug if they hadn’t been strapped into their seats.

Conclusion:

I think in a lot of ways “Scarlet” is such a typical second book. The world expands; new characters are introduced and old ones continue on their journey. Some questions are answered, new ones appear and the stage is set. ;-) All things considered this was a worthy sequel and I’m excited to read book 3. Apparently it’s even better than the first two and I’m ready to be blown away! XD

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlet, the second installment of The Lunar Chronicles, showcases Meyer's stellar world-building skills, as she raises the stakes and introduces us to exciting new characters.

Most importantly, this novel proves she sure knows how to write a sequel!



Scarlet Benoit's Grandmother is missing and Scarlet seems to be the only one who cares.



As she begins looking into Grandma's mysterious disappearance, she meets a stranger, Wolf, who may have important information to aid in her search.

Wolf and Scarlet are drawn to one another from the start and a tenuous bond forms.



The more she digs, the more Scarlet discovers. It quickly becomes clear, there is quite a bit about Grandma she didn't know.

As it turns out, Grandma was keeping a lot of secrets. Ones that could sway the fate of the entire universe.



Cinder, our dynamic cyborg mechanic, is in prison, trying to escape. With her usual tenacity, she will stop at nothing to regain her freedom, forging necessary alliances along the way.

Cinder and Scarlet's worlds converge as Meyer takes this story to the next level. I had so much fun reading this. I wasn't sure we would get to see Cinder in this installment, so I was quite pleased with how Meyer wove the two stories together.



I cannot wait to continue on with this series, as I am sure the story will only get stronger and more compelling!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't want to write this review because I hate being an outlier, especially when I'm being Debbie Downer. I fully expected to love this one. After all, I gave Cinder four stars and by all accounts Scarlet is even better. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I also have to chalk some of the discrepancy to a change in taste. The things that irritated me about Scarlet were issues I noted with Cinder, only they were more problematic for me this time around.

The first sign that Scarlet and I weren't going to get along was my irritation over the writing style. It is very juvenile. There is a lot of telling and very little showing, and everything is told in a very simplistic way (as opposed to Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, which also has a fair amount of telling but with very pretty prose). Instead of providing visual or auditory clues to show character emotion, characters in this novel say things in a/an [insert emotion] way, or [insert emotion] radiates off of the character, or [insert emotion] is written all over the character's face, or one character senses that another character is feeling [insert emotion]. This made it hard to visualize many of the scenes, and kept me from vicariously experiencing the story.

As with Cinder, the world-building, both in terms of history and present scenery, is lacking. By the end of the second book, there should be a clearer picture of how this post-apocalyptic world came to be, yet the reader is given no more details about the vague world wars and consolidation of countries than in the first book. While I do think there was some improvement in the description of the current scenery—there are actual French landmarks mentioned in Paris—the setting was still superficial. I could find nothing to distinguish Asian, American, and European culture aside from Europe having wine and Asia having dragon decor.

In terms of plot, Scarlet suffers from predictability issues, partly because the story follows Little Red Riding Hood and partly because much of Wolf's character is spoiled by The Queen's Army. I think I would have enjoyed Scarlet more if Wolf's history had been a mystery. The Queen's Army is a nice addition to the series but would be better read after Scarlet. There were also a couple plot twists that were obvious to me because I knew the story of Little Red Riding Hood. There was no question in my mind that Wolf was going to betray Scarlet and that his finding her was all part of the plan because of the fairytale. I think the story would have been stronger had I been less certain of Wolf's motivations. While Cinder also had predictability issues related to Cinder's history, I thought there was enough suspense in other areas to sustain the story despite its predictability.

In the end, the most problematic aspect of Scarlet is the characters and their utter stupidity and nonsensical thinking. They all have a real blind spot when it comes to figuring out that Cinder is Princess Selene. Kai still doesn't figure it out, nor does Captain Thorne despite having clear evidence thrown in his face. But it's Scarlet and Wolf who win the award for most oblivious. They know that Princess Selene was adopted by a man from the Eastern Commonwealth, that his surname is Linh, that there is a Lunar teenage fugitive whose surname is also Linh, that she is the same age as Princess Selene, and that she is wanted by Queen Levana, and they don't figure it out. Their lack of reasoning is unbelievable and it makes them both look like idiots.

Character stupidity does not end at Princess Selene's true identity. Scarlet shows poor judgment in trusting Wolf after knowing him only a day. In fact, she doesn't truly begin to trust him until after she finds out that he's been lying to her the entire time they've been together. Instead of taking this information to mean he isn't trustworthy (the logical conclusion), she proceeds to fall in love with him almost instantaneously. While there is no love at first sight between Scarlet and Wolf, the love between them comes out of no where and is baseless. Despite having met only a week prior and having spent maybe two days together total, by the end of the story they have fallen in love, risked their lives for each other, and decide to be life partners. Kai's solution to the Lunar problem also makes absolutely no logical sense. I can't give him credit for nobility because he's only making the situation worse. His decision to marry Queen Levana doesn't reduce the Lunar threat, and, in fact, increases it. He knows Queen Levana plans to kill him after they're married and use the Commonwealth as a stepping stone to taking over the planet. Marrying her does bring about temporary peace, but it also puts Earth in more danger. None of the characters are particularly intelligent.

Lastly, Meyer gives inaccurate information about the social structure of wolves. This indicates a lack of research, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Even Wikipedia gets it right, and there are several free scientific journal articles on that subject that are readily available. While it would certainly make sense for Wolf and his hybrid pack to behave as they do (with betas and omegas and such), it's misleading to suggest that this is how wolves behave in the wild.

While I did not enjoy Scarlet, I do think most people who liked Cinder will like this one as well. The things people loved about Cinder are still true in Scarlet. The plot is fast-paced and the female characters are strong-willed, however, I would caution people away from this book if they are at all sensitive to shallow world-building, simplistic writing, obvious plot points, or oblivious characters.

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: i kind if realized how much i hate myself for giving this four stars. I have sinned omg, changing my rating to five stars like right fucking now,

THIS BOOK WAS TEN THOUSAND TIMES BETTER THAN Cinder.


Scarlet and Wolf will be the literal death of me. I'm incapable of writing a review for this. It's just....READ IT PLS.










THIS LAST IMAGE KILLED ME. I actually screamed you guys.

I love Wolf so much it hurts.
I need a Wolf in my life.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

its been awhile since i read cinder and, after reading this, all i have to say is ‘why did i wait so long!?’

holy smokes. i enjoyed this book so much more than cinder, and i thought cinder was wonderful. i was really impressed at how this not only had its own fairy tale twist (little red riding hood), but it also incorporated the previous retelling (cinderella) and resulted in this unique and entertaining book. i was a bit apprehensive at how it would work, being able to develop more of the story told in cinder and also tell the new story of scarlet, but i thought there was a really nice balance between the two. and when the stories finally merged, i was ecstatic!

everything about this was just so great. the pacing and writing and development was on point throughout. and i absolutely adored all the new characters - i felt so spoiled that so many were introduced in this book. i also feel the need to mention that this series is giving me so many new book boyfriends. first kai, and now wolf. god bless marissa meyer, is all im saying.

im so excited to continue this series. its been very fun and thrilling so far, and i know really cool things are in store. cant wait to see how the story continues to play out!!

↠ 4.5 stars

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlet and Wolf are Matthias and Nina and that’s the tea.

Unfortunately, I was extremely Not Into Matthias and Nina, and through extrapolation (and also my true and real experience) I am also not into Scarlet and Wolf, and they are absolutely the duo at the very core of this book.

Luckily, here are some things that are also at the core of this book: space; sci-fi-y magic; cyborgs; fairytales; space-y, sci-fi-y magic-y, cyborg-y fairytales; moon people; moon people who are genetically modified; A WHOLE LOT OF ACTION.

So the fact that the romance at the core of this book -- which, yes, is overwhelming and sickening and overall Yuck -- is not my cup of tea can be overcome by the sheer force of the other cool things.

This also does a really good job of that sequel thing where you have to kinda recap the last book, which is normally the most annoying thing about reading a sequel. IS THERE ANYONE WHO JUST JUMPS INTO THE SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES ON PURPOSE?? IS FULLY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THEY ARE MID-SERIES, MISSING THE BEGINNING INTENTIONALLY? PEOPLE WHO READ THE SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES AND DON’T READ THE FIRST AND NEVER HAVE A MOMENT WHERE THEY REALIZE IT’S A SECOND BOOK AND PUT IT DOWN? Because I have to say, if you are one of those people, you are ruining everything. Picking up the second book in a series and having to deal with that first-book recap is one of the worst experiences in all of humanity. Alongside being damp from rain in an overly air-conditioned room and accidentally eating buttered popcorn-flavored jellybeans.

But I digress.

Even though this book had a terrible romance, it is SO MUCH MORE FUN AND EXCITING than dumb old Cinder. And that is enough of an improvement, if you ask me.

Also, when you read this, you are aware that the next one is Cress. And Cress is the best one. And I have to imagine that even if you’re not rereading, you have some sort of sixth-sense feeling of anticipation and potential. Your body must clue you in.

BECAUSE IT’S CRESS.

Also, more Thorne here. Still not enough Thorne. Never nearly enough. But More.

Bottom line: THE GOOD STUFF IS NIGH.

-----
pre-review

Marissa Meyer Was There For Me When No One Else Was

review 2 come

-----

this is officially a Binge Read™

[Victoria Resco · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐9/10⭐

-Wolf, casate conmigo.
-Cinder, bebita en este libro apareciste muy poco, se te extrañó.
-Thorn, lo poco que dijiste fue un 10/10 y no puedo esperar a leer Cress para saber más de usted.
-Kai, sos un imbécil pero uno muy responsable.
-Scarlet, sos un pitufo enojado, te adoro.

Eso es todo lo que voy a decir por ahora.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to give it to Ms. Meyer for one again combining your favorite fairy tales with sic-fi/fantasy. Seriously, well done! The Lunar Chronicles is quickly becoming one of my new favorite series and for good reason. It has kick-ass protagonists like Cinder and now Scarlet. When we first met Cinder in book one, she was shy and timid, eventually coming into her own strength. And when I heard that we would be introduced to a new main character, I was a little nervous. I was worried that I'd end up comparing the two and dislike Scarlet. But let me tell you! When Cinder was unsure of herself in the beginning, Scarlet is fierce. Who's afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? Not Scarlet.

I should warn you that this review *will* contain spoilers for Cinder. So, if you haven't read book one...



Scarlet picks up directly after Cinder left off. Cinder's busy breaking out of jail, Kai is trying to placate Levana (the wretch) and we get to meet Scarlet (yay!). And if you can't remember the finer details about what happened previously, there is a nice little recap.

The biggest difference between this installment and Cinder is the point-of-view flipping. And with that, you have two different main characters with two separate goals. Scarlet's is to find her missing grandmother, who was abducted and Cinder's is to escape from the Eastern Commonwealth and... not get caught. Somewhere along the way their paths intertwine and revelations are had. Now, here's the thing: Though, overall, I did enjoy Scarlet, there are still a few things I really disliked about it too. Don't give me that look! There is method to my madness.

Things I liked:

1. The new characters - Along with meeting Scarlet, we also are introduced to two other characters, the wolf, who travels to Paris with Scarlet in search of her grandmother and Carswell Thorne, a womanizer and fugitive that escaped prison with Cinder. I thought they were both great characters, especially Thorne, who I happen to love and hate at the same time. Wolf is a bit more complex because of his past (which I can't talk about due le spoilers), but I like the mystery surrounding his character.

Scarlet is fantastic. I mean, the girl wears a red hoodie and carries a gun in her belt. Sweet and innocent? *pfft* How about sweet and deadly?

She's all about action and doesn't take "no" for an answer. She doesn't sit back and wait for someone else to save her grandmother. And I think the best way to describe her would be to quote Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus: "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!" So, while she isn't a perfect character, she certainly is determined to do whatever it takes to reach her goal. I loved that about her and I think other readers will too or at least respect her spirit.

2. I also really enjoyed the plot and back story. We get to find out more about Cinder's past and how she ended up ended up on earth and who helped her. I really think Meyer did a good job at telling two different stories and later having them weave together. And I really like seeing Scarlet and Cinder together. I only wish that they had teamed up sooner than the ending.

Things I didn't like:

1. At times it felt like there was too much story to tell. (Maybe this was just me wanting more from Scarlet.) Even though Scarlet is longer than Cinder, I'd even say that I think that there was too much happening in this installment and not enough time spent developing the new characters or the new relationships, which, incidentally, leads to my next con...

2. I'm not sure I liked Scarlet and Wolf's relationship. Since the novel very frequently flips back and forth from Scarlet to Cinder and even Kai, there wasn't much page time the reader is left developing some kind of connection with their relationship. Actually, they themselves didn't even have much time developing anything and by the end, I found it all rather cheesy. And while they do both admit that they've developed feelings for one another (in a matter of days), it never felt real because I was too busy keeping up with all the story arcs.

3. I missed Kai and Cinder being together. Kai is in the book, but I missed the chemistry they had in Cinder. I think Wolf and Scarlet's romance was supposed to fill the void temporarily, but since I didn't really spend much time with them, the sparks never flew for me. Perhaps in book three, Cress, things will be different. But right now, I have my doubts considering it looks like we will be meeting even more characters. I'm starting to wonder if this world is just too big for this series. Ah, well. We'll see.

The Ending:

'Cause, yeah, it needs its own section.

Kai. WHY?! WHY? WHY? WHY?



Okay. I think I need a moment to process that ending. *breathes in and out*

Did that just make you want to read this book even more than you already did? Oops.

So, in conclusion, even though I liked Cinder more, Scarlet was still a fun and exciting read. Meyer has built an interesting world, making "old faces" from fairy tales new again. And I know you're probably giving me dagger eyes for the little bit above, but just think how hard it will be for me to wait for Cress. It's torture, I tell ya.


ARC was provided by Macmillan. Thank you!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
----------------
GAH!!! LOOK AT THE PRETTY COVER!!!

And I just found out about the new Sailor Moon anime!! Too much awesome for one day. I shall be off in my corner spontaneously combusting.
http://t.co/29QLtAD3

[Kassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5*

I loved seeing all of the storylines coming coming together and the different perspectives. Things got crazy in this one and it was awesome! Loving this series.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She did not know that the wolf
was a wicked sort of animal,
and she was not afraid of him."

She is sassy and fiesty.
He is dark, mysterious, and ADORABLE!
What more do you need people?!
. . . Did i mention she carries a gun around?? Yeah, you don't mess with that one. ;)

"Wait until morning," he said.
"The world wont be safe tonight."

Still cant find a perfect Wolf! This will do for now. Who do you guys picture as Wolf?



Now that i have read all four books, i can say this without a doubt Scarlet and Wolf are indeed my favorite of them all! I am very ashamed to say after reading Cinder i wanted to skip this one and jump onto Cress. It might have something to do with Rapunzel being my favorite fairytale, or me being uncomfortable with the idea of welcoming a new main character, especially since i know almost nothing about the Red Ridding Hood. I see them more as Beauty and the Beast. I JUST LOVE THESE TWO SO FREAKING MUCH!

Holland Roden would make a perfect Scarlet.



I have read this book 3 times already, it's about time I move onto the audiobook. Just can't get enough. =D

[Reynita ★ The Night Reader ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third Reread Review

To be honest, I nearly gave this book 3 stars. It’s just that the beginning of the book was kind of dull. I don’t know why but the interaction between Wolf and Scarlet was both sweet and boring. Lol. It contradicts one another, but that’s honestly how I felt. I am not saying Wolf and Scarlet were boring characters, which they weren’t. But they weren’t that fascinating either. The interaction between Cinder and Thorne was TRULY what I lived for. Lol. Thorne was chaotic and funny character. I could understand Cinder’s annoyance, BUT that annoyance was totally the best. 😂

The plot in this book made the book SO engrossing. It was so much better than the first book. I was on the edge of my seat reading this book and I just couldn’t stop turning the pages when I was nearing the end of the book. IT WAS SO TENSE and I didn’t want to miss anything, yet I wanted to read it quickly so I would know what happened next.

Overall, it was an engaging book with funny, tense and romantic moments. If you haven’t read this book, I think you should give it a chance since it’s better than the first book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second Read Review

"I just think we shouldn't judge her, or anyone, without trying to understand them first. That maybe we should get the full story before jumping to conclusions. Crazy notion, I know."

the first time I read this book was in 2015 and I LOVED it so much and this book instantly became one of my all time favorite. So months ago, I had this thought to reread this series just to make sure whether I still loved it or not and I was so excited when I finished reading Cinder because that meant I would read this book and this book was also the one who made me fall in love with the lunar chronicles world and I hoped so much that I still could love this book but I didn't feel the same anymore about this book and I think I used to give this book 5 stars but now I just gave it 4 stars but I still enjoyed reading it and here are the reasons I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars like I used to rate it.

The Romance

I seriously don't know what's happening to me now. I mean, I fell in love with Wolf when I read this book for the first time and I really really loved him so much until I even wrote his name all over my school books and my friends even called me weird for loving him but well, I didn't care and after I finished reread Cinder, I was so excited to start this one because I used to love this book so much but I think that time I loved this book so much because I loved Wolf and I expected myself to love Wolf even more when I reread but it didn't happen and honestly, I was sad I didn't love him anymore and I don't know why I thought this book was slow burn romance because I didn't think it's slow romance. it's insta-love.



This was just one more example of her emotions carrying her away, all over a guy she'd known for only ... she strained to count back and realized with some shock they'd barely known each other for a day.

and insta-love is one my bookish pet peeves and I don't know how could I said this book was slow burn in 2015 and you know I kind of hate myself for not loving Wolf anymore. I had been in love with him since 2015 and then I reread this book and POOF! I don't love him anymore. how could something like this happen to me!? I just feel nothing toward Wolf now and he used to mean everything to me.



and when I read it for the first time, I used to cry over some scenes and when I reread it, I was just like this



The Story

I used to think that this book was better than Cinder and now I don't really think so ... I mean, yeah it was better because there's Thorne in this book! but sometimes, I felt uneasy every time I read Scarlet's POV and I don't know why! it frustrated me! maybe it's because I felt guity for not loving Wolf anymore ( ? ) ( did I just sound weird? ) and I enjoyed Cinder's POV much more but the story was great and I enjoyed it. I have nothing to complain to the story, which is a good thing, isn't it?
but sometimes, it's really annoying when I enjoyed reading a certain POV then it changed. sometimes, it's annoying because I was focused on that but well, it's not really a problem even though it's kinda annoying.

The Characters

THORNE!!! this guy is so funny! and he's one of the reasons I enjoyed reading this book. he made me laugh and sometimes I just wanted to hug him but he's annoying as well but you know what's special about him? he still managed to make me grin even though he's kind of annoying and I have nothing to complain about the characters. they're all good, especially IKO AND THORNE. ❤❤

oh and I just have one word for Levana





First Read Review

this book is my favorite book in the lunar chronicles series because i loved every scenes in this book and this book was really really perfect.



guys,do you want to know why i loved this book so much??

1.The Characters

Wolf:oh my god, he's the only guy i loved in this series and i really loved his smile,i really loved his eyes and i loved his heart too, and he's a cold hearted guy too.
he's really kind guy and he always made me smile and i know this is weird but he made me blush and i really loved the love chemistry between Wolf and Scarlet,it was really sweet and so so romantic.



“I knew they would kill me when they found out, but…” He struggled for words, releasing a sharp breath. “I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

i cried when he said those words because he really touched my tiny heart.



Scarlet: she's the best heroine i've ever read, i really loved reading her POV and i always agreed with every decision she took, and i loved the scene when she kissed Wolf because it was really really romantic.
i know this is weird but when i read this book i always thought that i was Scarlet and Wolf was my boyfriend*LOL*



after i found out that Wolf, at first had the intention of betraying her,i cried so much on my pillow until my pillow was soaked with my tears, i actually already suspected his intention of betraying Scarlet but i never believed it.

2.The Story

i couldn't even describe my feeling toward this story but i just can say that this book was great,super super great.
if i could give this book more than 5 stars i would give this book 500 stars.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
I loved this book! I don't think I liked it as much as Cinder but I still really enjoyed it. I just love being in this world.

Things I loved:
-Scarlet/Wolf <3
-Cinder and Thorne's friendship
-Iko being a ship
-Captain Thorne.

I read the majority of the book in one night, I was so addicted to it. I'm very excited to move onto Cress now as it seems to be most peoples favorite.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

11/8/15 - UPDATED thoughts and miscellany: Still my favorite in the series, for more than one reason. Obviously, I love Wolf. But I equally love Scarlet:

“I just think we shouldn’t judge her, or anyone, without trying to understand them first. That maybe we should get the full story before jumping to conclusions. Crazy notion, I know.”

PREACH. And while most people would react to Wolf's "enhancements" with disgust:

“So are there any other oddities I should know about? A tail, perhaps?”
Finally, he met her gaze, flushed with insult until he found her smiling up at him.
“I’m joking,” she said, offering an apologetic grin. “They’re only teeth."

My kind of broad.

THEORIES and spoilery (but swoon-worthy) quotes:

THEORIES:

1. This is left over from CINDER, but since I didn't include any theories in that review, it's carrying over to this one. Anyway, Torin, adviser-to-the-emperor guy? I'm 99.9% sure he's a RAT.

A shmoebag traitor. Planter of Lunar bugs and probably various other spy-type devices.

Do I have specific reasons for thinking this? Well, no, not really. BUT. He's always struck me as being more PRO marrying Levana than any good adviser should be, b/c, come on . . . the only thing such an alliance would accomplish is legitimizing her INEVITABLE hostile takeover of the WORLD. And he should know that.

So maybe I do have a specific reason.

Also, a lot of his reactions to the Lunar embassy and their shenanigans seem vaguely . . . off.

2.

“Your Majesty?” said Sybil.
“No, don’t send Aimery,” she said, her attention glued to the cub as he writhed in pain. Still fighting his mistress’s control. Still struggling to keep his own mind. Still wanting to be a little boy. Not a soldier. Not a monster. Not a pawn. “Let Jael’s pack go. The special operatives have served their purpose.”

$20 says this turns out to be a HUGE mistake. Which makes me happy, b/c hate dat bitch. I bet Wolf gathers them b/c ALPHA, and they pledge themselves to Cinder.

Disclaimer: if the above has in fact already happened, please excuse. I've only read CRESS once, and it was right after it was released. I am old and senile and therefore can't be held accountable for lapses in memory.

WOLF SWOONS:

“I knew they would kill me when they found out, but…” He struggled for words, releasing a sharp breath. “I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

". . . you’re the only one, Scarlet. You’ll always be the only one.”

11/7/15: REREAD. B/c WINTER. On TUESDAY.



Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

The first time I read SCARLET, I nearly lost my mind.

CINDER had been one of my favorite reads from the previous year, and I had waited the entire twelve months for the next installment to come out. When it showed up at my house (after being pre-ordered for months), I probably hugged it tightly to my chest and SQUEE-d. Then (after petting the lovely cover) I ran to my comfy chair, settled in, and began to read.

And the perspective I was reading . . . Was. Not. Cinder’s.

If I was the kind of person who threw books, I would have thrown it across the room. Then jumped up and down on it a few times. But I’m not that kind of person. So instead, I shrieked in pure frustration--probably a few times--then I forced myself to calm down and come to terms with the situation.

So this was a new story, from a new perspective . . . it could still be good right? Right?!

Sighing heavily and not at all convinced, I began to read again.

I soon discovered that once again “Scarlet” was both book title and MC. And that a grandmother was missing. Then a mysterious underground fighter shows up who is described as acting like “a scolded puppy” and goes by the name of “Wolf.”

Wait a minute . . . I flipped back to the cover. That looks like it could be a . . . LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD!!

Things were looking up. Then I got to chapter four and woo-frickin’-hoo there she (she being Cinder) was.

All that rage for nothing. I then decided, belatedly, to do some research.

I knew the LUNAR CHRONICLES was a four book series, but I learned that each book was a retelling of a different fairy tale, not a four book-long retelling of a single fairy tale, like I had originally assumed (yes, I am distinctly aware of what that makes me). The four retellings are as follows:

1. CINDER – Cinderella
2. SCARLET – Little Red Riding Hood
3. CRESS – Rapunzel (My personal all-time favorite fairy tale)
4. WINTER – Snow White

Firm in the knowledge I finally knew what was going on, I returned to SCARLET.

The rest of the story was told alternately from Cinder and Scarlet’s POVs, with a few chapters from Kai’s perspective tossed in for fun.

And let me tell you--Meyer has mastered the art of the cliff-hanger chapter (to the tune of several more shrieks). You may be the kind of reader who can nonchalantly skip back and forth between chapters, I, however, am sadly not.

But don’t freak out. While Meyer heartlessly ends chapters at pivotal moments, thus far, she has not ended an entire book that way.

And SCARLET was S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R. I loved it even more than CINDER. Scarlet and Wolf’s story is pure hearts and flowers (in that I saw them in my head, not in that they didn't encounter any difficulties--they definitely did). I sighed in blissful happiness NUMEROUS times throughout the progression of their relationship. Toss in Cinder’s new sidekick (and fellow jail-break-ee) Thorne, who is equal parts swagger, flirtation, and hilarity, and what’s not to like?

Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles, is TBR February 4, 2014—NEXT WEEK.



My other reviews for this series:

Glitches (Lunar Chronicles 0.5)
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles, #1.5)
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)
Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)

[Mrinmayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 4
Apparently, I thought I couldn't get any more cheesy BUT Spoiler Alert: I AM AS CHEESY AS ONE CAN GET!!
I PROMISED myself that I will STOP fangirling over Wolf

But the constant reminder of Wolf made me miss him even more!!!
*whispers* I ended up making a playlist on us (Wolf and Mrin)
Wellllll.....actually my mortal enemy friend Shhh made the playlist Cause apparently I was playlist illiterate 😂😅(I know I sound like an old soul BUT I really had no idea you could personalize your own playlist !! BUT now I can make my own!! *cheers for self*)
Ummmm..the playlist's name is Wolfin Around xD
Wolfin= Wolf+Mrin (cringes)
This is what happens when you ship yourself with your true love *sighs in Wolf*

Don't worry you guys!!! All the songs are Bollywood Songs!! So most of you won't have to cringe at the cheesiness again😂
this playlist is a REMINDER for FUTURE Mrin...to let her know HOW CRINGEY and ANNOYING 19 yrs old Mrin was😂
The playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ol...

Update 3
Thanks for being patient with my fangirling🙈
Here I made a meme for you all!!!


I mean....I should have thanked you all for bearing with me first😂
I might have gone much a little overboard with my Wolf updates😅
Not that I am complaining!! I could have continued with my updates FOREVER!!😂
So thank you once again❤



Wolf’s expression iced over and he looked away. His tone became uneasy again. “I know you must want nothing to do with me. I don’t blame you.” Wolf scrunched up his shoulders, and met her with an expression full of regret. “But you’re the only one, Scarlet. You’ll always be the only one.”
When WOLF said this Mrin went like...

This is the "Bridal look" btw...
Nooooo that's not me😂
But I would definitely propose Wolf if he said this to me
Just in case you are wondering why I picked that particular pic...THOSE EXPRESSIONS!!!!!🙈
I can see myself reacting to Wolf that way...😂😅(Ohhh and that is Maharashtrian Bride Look...I am from the state of Maharashtra)(And EVERY STATE in INDIA has a diff bridal look)
DISCLAIMERThis is going to be a cheesy review...You have been warned!! This is basically me fangirling over Wolf
Also don't be surprised if I write MRIN instead of SCARLET....That's because Scarlet is basically me BUT with red hair
🙈
Let's start the review.....
Scarlet



Just gonna take a moment and appreciate Marissa for the BODY DIVERSITY
For the first time when I read this, I found MC who not only had a similar personality as mine BUT also the same BODY TYPE
It might not mean much to you...But back then I LOVED seeing someone with a similar body type as mine

Also while reading this book it felt that I was seeing myself in Scarlet for the entire time
Especially the inner monologue of Scarlet😂
We were thinking the exact same thing!!
Her thoughts & feelings regarding Wolf, Her making some tough decisions and her being STUPID....
Everything was relatable!!
I couldn't even get mad at her when she did something stupid because just before she was being dumb .....I thought the exact same thing😂

MRIN TAKING NOTES ON WHAT NOT TO DO IF A RANDOM STRANGER HELPED HER



Another thing which I loved....the anger management issues Scarlet had
Someone who has anger issues herself...I could point out the small instances where Scarlet struggled to control her anger
Our methods to calm down were also similar
And the trouble she got into because of it made me go...


Just random bunch of things which I found in common with Scarlet
*Extrovert
* Loves farm
*Wants to be content & happy...probably will retire to a farmhouse
*Family means EVERYTHING
*Loves working in the garden(Our Garden had Okra, potatoes, spinach, herb garden ...OF COURSE TOMATOES & other vegetables which I am having trouble translating)
*BFF with Grandma
*Does stupid things
*Get's into trouble bcoz of STUPIDITY
*Does not understand "STRANGER DANGER"
*Is irritating
*Stubborn to a fault
*Has a thing for sweet cinnamon roll boy
*Is probably the only one in the group who thinks Wolf is sweet😂
*MOST IMPORTANT...LOVES WOLF TILL DEATH

Can we start talking about Wolf???!!!


If you have been my friend for a while....you might know that Wolf is like...."THE ONE" for me
No....if you don't like him...DO NOT tell me!!!
For me, he is the best...
HE IS JUST MISUNDERSTOOD!!!


Now the "maglev kiss scene"
When it happened...



When Wolf kissed back...



Did I mention he is Scorpio????!!!
WOLF is a SCORPIO!!!
And I am CANCER!!!!
*shouts at the top of her lungs*WE ARE MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!!!
P.S.: I know Zodiacs are not true and blah blah BUT I don't need you to tell me😂
Let me live in my small bubble!!!

Ok...Sooo I am quite serious about Wolf...
So I decided to make his portfolio...to present it to my parents...
It's an Indian thing...like tinder but family is the one to choose...

NAME :WOLF aka Zeev Kesley
PHOTO :



AGE : 23 yrs old (Just 4 yrs age difference mom!! It's not much!!)
Height : 6ft 3 inch (Imagine mom ...you will have the tallest son-in-law!!!)
ZODIAC: Scorpio (Our Zodiacs match!!)
QualificationsHe may not be a Science student BUT that's because he served his country!!
*glares at fellow friends on GR: Shhh...His true profession will remain a secret*
He was the ALPHA Loyal Soldier of the Queen's Army

Nationality Again it doesn't matter mom...I love him
I don't know much about his culture BUT you yourself said...that if I ever love a boy...It should be because of his heart & personality NOT nationality, caste or religion

He might be a Lunar BUT he will settle with us!!
Think this way: I won't have to go away from you!!
Wolf & I will buy a small house close to yours!!

FamilyHad a brother...He...Ummm...He is no more
His MOM is someone whom I look up to
Her name was Maha Kesley..
We have decided to name our future daughter after her...Of course, we will keep your name as her middle name!!

Hogwarts house: HUFFLEPUFF!!!!!*dances*
Didn't you advise me that if ever given a choice I should go for a Hufflepuff boy??!!
Guess what??!! WOLF IS A HUFFLEPUFF!!!
He will be the perfect calm to my Gryffindor self

But the most important thing is...I LOVE HIM
With all my heart
He will be the only one for me
I believe in our Love
Now it's your job to go and tell Dad
I know Dad will love him!!
You ALL will love him!!
He even eats all the vegetables!!!
You won't have to worry if dad & I get picky while eating our vegetables!!
He will eat every single of them!!!
Sooo I hope you like him
Love,
Mrin

If you guys read the entire review hats off to you!!



UPDATE 2
How I think I will flirt with WOLF....

What I will actually do...


Had to write this update guys

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re read this on audio

I love Scarlet so much and of course, Wolf!



This is my wolf, not just a wolf man that he really looks like =)



I always wanted to be a werewolf when I grew up but it hasn't happened yet and I doubt it ever will!

***SOME SPOILERS***

Scarlet has been looking for her grandma ma. Where is she? What is gong on? Well, I'm not going to tell you about that.

Scarlet helps her grandma run their farm, Benoit farms. Scarlet cruises around in her hovercraft thing dropping off veggies to some places. On this one trip, Scarlet manages to meet Wolf and he ends up coming with her.

Meanwhile, Cinder is in jail and she meets Thorne. Oh, Thorne is a character. Cinder and Thorne make their escape because Thorne has a spaceship. The joy! Cinder can get the hell out of dodge. Iko ends up becoming the ship, fun times. The ship is called Rampion in case you were wondering.

Cinder and Thorne end up meeting up with Scarlet and Wolf down the line and they are all in it together now. I LOVE IT!

In other places, Prince Kai is dealing with Queen "jerk" Levana. Fun times for Kai as well. NOT.

Anyhoo, I loved the re=read on audio and off to the next. ♥



***Old stupid review from 2015***

This book is so awesome!! I loved it more than Cinder and I loved that book a lot. Cinder was just the start of a whole new world.

Scarlet continues on with Cinder and new people that you love and hate.

I'm so glad to have started reading these books.

I will be reading Cress soon!!! I can't imagine where that one will take me !

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 Stars

I liked Cinder, it wasn't anything magical or something that really stood out to me, it was just okay. However Scarlet the second book in The Lunar Chronicles has made me think again. I honestly really liked this book, I liked the new characters. I can't even decide between Scarlet, Wolf and Thorne because they al bring something different to the plot.

The building of the story progressed really well, I was curious as to how these two stories would entwine, but it was apparent quite early(ish) on. I thought it was really clever how they described Scarlet, with the Red Hoody, her companion is wolf and when she went to watch a fight they were called Hunter. Little attention to detail like this made me really happy and just think of the story that this once was.

I honestly think I preferred Scarlet and Wolfs story rather than Cinder and Thornes, although later on in the later chapters I did enjoy this. Thorne was an added bonus to the story, I always like some form of light heartedness and that comes perfectly with this cheeky character.

I'm looking forward to continuing on with he series, the ending of this book has set up the next book perfectly.

Wolf are you...going to ask me to be you alpha female?

Swoooooooon, Swoon, Swoon.
Wolf is my fave, there I said it.

Reviews:

Cinder- 4
Scarlet- 4.5
Cress- 4.5
Winter - 5

[Meyer S · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

MAN, THESE BOOKS ARE AWESOME.

I'm really loving The Lunar Chronicles so far !
The writing, the plots, the characters... everything about these books is EPIC basically .

I wrote a 5-star review a while back on Cinder (The first book) . And everything i said over there is completely relevant to Scarlet.

In this book, we are introduced to Scarlet( obviously ), as we follow her journey of looking for her grandmother who was missing.

What's really cool, is that we still get to follow Cinder's story (and learn more about her past), untill her path collides with Scarlet's in an epic-action packed event ! .

I, personally didn't find the new perspective added to the story(Scarlet's) distracting at all .
In fact, it was a refreshing change , and i can't wait to meet new characters and see how things unravel in the next book!

Oh and,
#TEAMIKO

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this just keeps getting better and better.

At first, I couldn't be bothered with Scarlet's story and had a mini heart attack when her story started because I thought Cinder's finished (idk man, I'm dumb)
Anyhoo, this book was way better than the first one. Sure I liked the first book but this had a lot more action, a lot more loveable characters *cough*Thorne*cough* and Scarlet was a straight up badass. I mean the girl carries a gun. Nuff said.
Oh and of course, Wolf was amazing.
This book is very fast paced. You don't even realize you've reached the end until you reach the About The Author page.

[Joie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s no secret that Scarlet has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2013. I bought this book the week it came out but forced myself to wait because I didn't want to plow through and then face the agonizing one-year wait before the next one.

Ye-ah, that self-imposed wait did not last very long.

And now that I’ve finished Scarlet, you have NO idea how hard it is to write a coherent review when all I want to do is flail my arms and fangirl about the book. Because it. Was. SO GOOD.



In this retelling, Scarlet (our Little Red) has traded in her cape for a functional hoodie and her basket of goodies for a handgun. One that she is not afraid to use, I might add. This girl is a badass. Not to mention tough and stubbornly determined to find her grandmother, no matter who stood in her way. I found Scarlet to be a tougher and more fiery character than Cinder, and I ended up loving her just as much.

And speaking of characters that I loved....
Wolf. What can I say about Wolf except


He's definitely not what I expected of a Big Bad Wolf incarnation. He was... shy. And quiet. And very adorable. Well. When he's not being an deadly fighter, that is. I can't even find the words to describe him because all I want to do when I think about Wolf is



(I'd highly recommend reading The Queen's Army before Scarlet because it's going to provide a lot more back story to Wolf's character.)

Cinder's adventure is continued in this book and picks up soon after her arrest at the Ball. She manages to escape from prison with the unlikely help from a fellow prisoner, one Captain Carswell Thorne, flirtatious American pilot. Thorne provided some much appreciated comic relief throughout the story, and OH MY GOODNESS, you guys, I am 95% sure he's going to be the love interest featured in the next book! *Squeeeeeee* >___<

As interested as I was by Scarlet's story, I was still riveted by Cinder's journey. Slowly, she is learning more about her newfound Lunar abilities as well as her past as Princess Selene. Watching Cinder explore her Lunar gift was awesome. I think it'll only be a matter of time before Queen Levana should head for the hills! (Fingers crossed).

Kai's story is continued in Scarlet as well. There weren't enough scenes to fully satisfy my Kai cravings (and don't even get me started on how much it's killing me that he and Cinder are not together!!) but there were just enough moments to keep me appeased. In the glimpses throughout the book, you see him dealing with Levana in the aftermath of Cinder's escape and his own conflicting emotions towards New Beijing's best mechanic.... Basically the result is me in utter agony. Especially after the way this book ended! I swear, Marissa Meyer is trying to kill me with all this anxiety. Evil, evil author.....(just kidding).

If I thought Cinder was amazing (and it totally was) then Scarlet basically took all the awesomesauce that went into writing Cinder and upped the ante, taking readers from the sweet innocence of the Cinderella retelling to a darker and grittier story. The alternating POVs in this story were handled incredibly well, and the way in which Cinder and Scarlet's arcs converged was flawless. Like a puzzle whose pieces are falling together, I'm starting to see how all these different fairytales are interconnected and it is kind of blowing my mind!

All in all:


For the love of all that is good and holy, I need that next book. I can't even bring myself to start another book because my head is still wrapped up in the world of the Lunar Chronicles, yearning to know what happens next. MARISSA MEYER, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVEN BETTER THAN THE LAST. Scarlet and Wolf are my new favourite ship and I love them so much!!! Also, I love Cinder and Thorne’s friendship!!!

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

~dropping my rating because I can only think back on this book with rage~



*slow clap* That was... something.

I still don't understand all the Lunar Chronicles fans. It's just not that good, in my opinion. It feels very middle-grade-ish, in that the writing is immature, the character arcs are predictable, and the romance is next-level trash.

After the hot mess that was Cinder, I was more than ready to toss Kai in the garbage and move on to Wolf, who seemed better. And then everything collapsed.

Wolf has NO personality. He's known Scarlet for a day. And then they're all like "you will be my alpha female" and a bunch of other cringy mushy stuff. He's an overprotective, violent guy with anger issues.

Scarlet is a hotheaded, impulsive, melodramatic girl, and you all know that's my least favorite cookie-cutter character type. Also, she likes to throw tomatoes. Kai literally has two chapters, in which he manages to enslave the world to a Lunar queen and doom the Commonwealth. Congratulations. Thorne was okay, even though I should technically hate him because he's a sarcastic idiot and I always picture him with that annoying lopsided grin boys with too much confidence like to use.

The world-building was so bad, too. I couldn't tell the difference between France and the Commonwealth. No culture changes, no scenery changes. France could be Antarctica for all I gathered. At least it's Europe and not Asia, though. The world-building in the previous book was supposed to be "diverse" and "inclusive" and ended up feeling very whitewashed and generic.

The plot was definitely better than Cinder. It's getting bigger and more epic, and I appreciate that. Scarlet was also much easier to slog through than its predecessor was.

So... I didn't love this book, but it was a fun read. I can officially say it wasn't a waste of my time. Which is more than I expected.

2 stars

[lydia ‧ ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ☆ !

“I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

🍅 ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ if you know me, you know that I absolutely adore this series. Third time around and it’s just as good as always! Wolf & scarlet are adorable ofc, and we love cinder & thorne’s sibling rivalry relationship <3 I can’t wait to remeet cress and jacin in the next book!! - also I read this book with my irl book club who are amazing ofc. Love u girls 💞💞

[Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Overview:

“I just think we shouldn't judge her, or anyone, without trying to understand them first.”

I read Cinder almost a year ago, and was very underwhelmed. In fact, I didn’t really plan on continuing the series. Except bestie kept bugging me about it.

So I started this, a little reluctantly.

And then...



THIS WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN CINDER. LIKE WHAT.

Pros:

By far my biggest problem with the first book was how predictable it was. Like we all could all pretty much guess what the deal with Princess Selene was, couldn’t we? Most of that book was just establishing the dynamic of Cinderella and her step-sisters, and then she meets the prince... and oh wow they start to fall in love. Surprise. Surprise. We’ve all seen it before and it was boring.

NOT HERE

This perfectly blended the original fairytale with sci-fi elements in fun and creative ways. There were so many things I didn't see coming and I just honestly had no idea where the story was going. Scarlet’s story blended very well with Cinder's to expand upon this really interesting world.

I really enjoyed most of the characters here, including one’s that seemed flat in the first book? Kai is still a little boring to me, but Cinder really started to come into her own. She was an all-around stronger character and her struggles were more interesting than the classic Cinderella struggles.

But it was definitely the new characters that made this book for me. Mainly:

Scarlet. My bae.
- Is appropriately afraid of hot-guy when she needs to be. No Bella Swanning here
- But that fear doesn’t mean she also won’t fight like hell. Because she will.
- Has a deep loyalty to family that didn’t extend to justifying their mistakes.
- Penchant for firearms.
- The whole world is going to hell and there’s all this chaos and then: “I can fly the ship.”
- A little ball of sunshine and rage
- That shotgun scene. Just yes

This is how you write “strong, sassy” female protagonists, YA authors. She wasn’t overpowered. She wasn’t annoying. She wasn't absurdly special or good at things. She was just delightfully independent character with her own motivations and goals--and ability to move towards those goals.

Thorne. How do I count the ways?

- Started a prison riot over soap
- Winks during his mugshot
- Seems to ship Cinder and Kai after watching one press conference
- Leather jackets
- Befriends a cyborg in a society prejudiced against them
- Tells Iko she’s “the prettiest”

He gave me Han Solo and Jack Harkness vibes (two other cocky space-captains I love) and really invigorated a ton of desperately needed humor into this story. His friendship with Cinder was glorious and showed how funny she could be as well.

The writing here was really sharp and fit the story very well. It did a great job establishing the characters and the setting without relying on purple prose. Especially since this changed from the Beijing setting to France and the differences were illustrated very well.

I didn’t quite love Wolf as much as everyone else seemed to, but I’m very curious to see more about him. He has a ton of potential and a very interesting backstory. I just want to see how he proves himself further on.

Cons

I really enjoyed Scarlet and Wolf… but couldn’t help but think they moved a little fast? I really enjoyed their whole dynamic, but they’ve known each other like what, two-days?

There were a handful of times I really wished Marissa Meyer would have shown rather than told. Particularly statements like ‘It looked like the words pained him, but he had to continue on.’ Or ‘She seemed happy.’ Or ‘He looked at her with a protective stare.’ (All of these are paraphrased, but you get the idea.) This matched the writing style, I just wish we’d been shown what some of these expressions looked like so we could infer their meaning, rather than simply being told.

Not a reflection of the book itself as much as me expressing displeasure. This is my physical copy of the book. I was pretty certain that wasn’t the actual line, and Google was quick to affirm this. So… why is this what mine says?



Is this something I can contact the site I purchased the book through? Or is it just an unfortunate misprint I have to deal with?

In Conclusion

Can’t talk right now, I’m looking for my copy of Cress. I need to see where this story goes.