From the Bookshelf of Crazy Challenge Connection…

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Marissa Meyer

Why we're reading this: Awesome fairy tale retelling series. Finished with 4 books and a collection of Short Stories.
[close] Awesome fairy tale retelling series. Finished with 4 books and a collection of Short Stories.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Apr 24, 2018 Ashley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi

I'm late to this series, mostly because fairy tale retellings are not usually my thing, but this ended up being a pretty good one, and it was so much more than that too. This worldbuilding was fun, I liked the cyborgs, androids, and the Lunars. Iko was so cute! And of course Kai was awesome, he is probably one of the few characters I've read lately that seemed to be a genuinely good person. I actually thought this was a series of stand alones, so I was expecting everything to be wrapped up in a ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2018 Angie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, aty2018

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So! First of all, I should say that I was predisposed to not fall madly in love with this, because at the end of the day, it's a romance novel, and that is not my jam.

Having said that, I was hoping to like this more than I did. The premise itself is cool--Cindrella in futuristic Asia with cyborgs. So what were my issues?

1. The "sci-fi" aspect of this wasn't used to its full potential. Now, I love soft sci-fi/social sci-fi. I don't need to have the science laid out for me in intricate detail. I So! First of all, I should say that I was predisposed to not fall madly in love with this, because at the end of the day, it's a romance novel, and that is not my jam.

Having said that, I was hoping to like this more than I did. The premise itself is cool--Cindrella in futuristic Asia with cyborgs. So what were my issues?

1. The "sci-fi" aspect of this wasn't used to its full potential. Now, I love soft sci-fi/social sci-fi. I don't need to have the science laid out for me in intricate detail. I do, however, want the sci-fi aspects to matter. This chick is a cyborg, and according to the text, cyborgs are social outcasts. I wanted to know more about WHY cyborgs were viewed as they were and how her nature impacted her daily life. The main thing I got out of it was that she was afraid the boy wouldn't like her if he saw her removable parts. The same thing could have been accomplished with a scar, her low social class, or an ugly birthmark. In essence, the fact that she was a cyborg seemed incidental and interchangeable to me.

2. I didn't realize the majority of the characters were supposed to be Asian until someone pointed it out. That's a problem. The culture/cultures that made up the Eastern Commonwealth could have provided a vibrant backdrop for the story, but the characters were Asian in name only. What a bummer.

3. I didn't emotionally connect with the characters--especially Cinder. I did like Iko. I kind of liked Kai. But in the grand scheme of things, I was more broken up about Iko being dismantled than I was about whether Cinder and Kai would end up together.

4. Gaps in logic/continuity. We went through this whole guilt/worry thing with Cinder after Peony gets sick. She and the doctor talk about how long the plague would be active on her clothing, etc. BUUUUT... she goes directly to the palace after leaving the quarantines. Even if her blood test came back negative, that doesn't mean the plague wouldn't attach to her clothes. Did she wait an hour to be sure? If not, why didn't she. That seems inconsistent given her worry earlier.

So overall, it was a good premise, but I just couldn't get past certain elements of the story. It was okay. I can see what people probably like it. It's just not for me. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2018 Catherine Mulcahy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantastic retelling of Cinderella. The cyborg version is an interesting twist on the story. Loved the step mother and step sisters. Prince is a bit wet behind the ears for my taste. But loved it all the same.

Read again Nov 22

1 like · Like · see review