From the Bookshelf of Hooked on Books…

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Marissa Meyer

Start date: April 10, 2016

Finish date: April 30, 2016

Discussion: Buddy Read Threads--April

Why we're reading this: This book was the winner of the Group Buddy Read poll for April.
[close] This book was the winner of the Group Buddy Read poll for April.

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Showing 2 of 17 topics — 113 comments total

Buddy Read Threads--April

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray-Buddy Read
By Madelyn · 1 post · 3 views

last updated Apr 30, 2016 10:22AM

This Star Won't Go Out-Buddy Read
By Madelyn · 3 posts · 6 views

last updated Apr 29, 2016 02:10PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 24, 2013 Cassandra rated it it was amazing

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I own this as a hard bound book

The cover is cool and definitely intrigued me to get it when I saw it.

Okay, I have owned this book and book 2 for quite a while, and it was sitting in my classroom. We have close reading at my school on Fridays, but this Friday everyone was told to bring their own book to read. So I went to my shelf and grabbed this book to read. I started reading it, and I was hooked. I had to bring the book home to finish becau ...more

32 likes · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2014 Eunice (nerdytalksbookblog) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: scifi, retelling, fantasy

Wondrously unique and addictive.

Oh Stars in heaven, I need Scarlet right at this very moment. I am surprised that I loved this book more than I allow myself to. To be honest I didn't set my expectations too high, the least I wanted to happen was to end up disappointed. But boy, this book is anything but disappointment. It was a real page-turner. It has everything I wanted in a book: romance, great world-building, badass heroine and some fantasy. I specifically loved that the things that have ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 20, 2014 Tiffany Heywood rated it it was amazing

Finally read this book. i have heard so many good things about this book for a long time and finally had the oppurtunity to pick it up and read it.
this book is based on the story of cinderella but had a scifi twist to it. having this twist made the book much more enjoyable to me and i had a lot of trouble with putting it down even though i had to at times.
i loved the scenes between cinder and the prince and thought it was sweet that cinder wanted to keep her secret away.

7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-highfantasy, fairytales-retellings, sci-fi

This book was absolutely great and I just couldn't put it down last night. I wanted to know what will happen to all of these characters too much to stop reading even if dawn came.

I'm so glad there's another three out so I can continue reading what happens. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2016 Mandy (Bookishlove85) rated it really liked it

Shelves: classic-retelling-fairy-tales, ya-fantasy, read-own

This book was a little hard for me to get into. It was a little slow starting and since I am not a huge sci fy fan, I wasn't sure if it would get much better. But I am so glad I stuck it out.

This is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story set in a futuristic setting, where we meet our main character Cinder (clever name ;) ). We follow her as she deals with altercations with her step mother and steps sisters, meets the prince but is afraid to let him know her true side, and wants nothing mor ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2020 Fangirl95 rated it really liked it

I should have read this so much sooner!! It so fast paced I couldn't put it down. And you still obviously hate the step mother and sisters well one of them. I can't wait to read the rest of the series! ...more

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Jun 12, 2014 Casey Carlisle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: caseys-favorites, science-fiction, fantasy

This book was a big surprise for me. Fairytale re-tellings are not my cup of tea. Too many times they feel lack-luster and over-done. Occasionally, they blow your expectations out of the water: and ‘Cinder’ definitely did that for me. Throw in a science fiction element and you have my attention. Marissa Meyer writes in a beautiful yet succinct style, leaving your imagination to paint the picture of Cinder’s world. Many authors tackling a fairytale adaptation tend to be flamboyant, or over-descri This book was a big surprise for me. Fairytale re-tellings are not my cup of tea. Too many times they feel lack-luster and over-done. Occasionally, they blow your expectations out of the water: and ‘Cinder’ definitely did that for me. Throw in a science fiction element and you have my attention. Marissa Meyer writes in a beautiful yet succinct style, leaving your imagination to paint the picture of Cinder’s world. Many authors tackling a fairytale adaptation tend to be flamboyant, or over-descriptive, dragging you attention away from the story - or start to bore you. But this read was perfect.

Was the plot predictable? Well, duh! We all know the story of Cinderella, yet given this, Marissa weaves a uniquely captivating story; and I only put the book down reluctantly for trivial things like food and sleep.

The biggest issue I had with the novel, and it’s minuscule given how much I enjoyed reading it, was a tendency to a little bit of information dumping (which in common in sci-fi), and I felt it would have lent great credence to the story having Cinder discover some of it on her own. She was such a strong independent character, her uncovering certain facts would have enhanced the story and her role in it. Besides that tiny point, I love, love, loved this book.

You can expect a certain amount of spooniness with this story – Cinderella loses a shoe, so Cinder, in turn loses her cyborg foot… but it was handled beautifully. You could really feel Cinder’s struggle and oppression – several times I had to bite my tongue from vocalising my distaste at how she was being treated.

Every character had their own motivation, their own personality and I have to praise the author at the intricate web she wove across with futuristic landscape. The added touch of aliens (Lunar people) to the mix of class structure, cyborgs, virus plague, robots, and a hint of paranormal powers; it ticks all the boxes to keep my up at night to ‘just finish this chapter… and the next one… and maybe one more.’

There are certainly some fantastic plot twists to Marissa Meyers first installment to this series; and the story does not really conclude, as it is continued in ‘Scarlet’ (a Red Riding Hood adaptation) which I am poised to read with much excitement. Yes, the Cinderella story is concluded, but the Cinder storyline is only just beginning…
...more

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