From the Bookshelf of Once Upon a Time...…

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Marissa Meyer

Start date: September 1, 2014

Finish date: September 30, 2014

Discussion: Old Archives

Why we're reading this: 10/22/22 nominated by Adriel
September 2014 Group Read
[close] 10/22/22 nominated by Adriel
September 2014 Group Read

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Dearest - September 2015
By Rachmi · 16 posts · 15 views

last updated Jan 17, 2016 03:29PM

Hero - September 2015
By Rachmi · 35 posts · 21 views

last updated Oct 01, 2015 12:14PM

What Members Thought

Jun 19, 2014 Maki ⌒☆ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2010-to-2019, fairy-tale-retellings

Dear Past Self,

Why did you wait so long to read this book?

I seem to recall that you had some misgivings with the series. A sci-fi retelling of a fairy tale? An insane amount of hype around the series? To you, these things seemed like a recipe for disaster. You were convinced that things could only end in disappointment.

So, you kept biding your time, doing your best to forget that the books were there. Sitting. Waiting.

As Future You, I assure you that your worries are unfounded.

Yes, Cinder is a s ...more

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Sep 24, 2014 Heidi Garrett rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fairytale

I had hard time getting through this book, and I think it's because I had more of an intellectual connection with the story than an emotional one. I loved the premise—cyborg/mechanic/Cinder-ella—much of the world building, and how the fairy tale was retold. In her acknowledgments, Marissa Meyer thanks her big brother for his healthy obsession with Star Wars, and the influence is clear. I loved the androids in Cinder as much as I did in Star Wars. And the interplanetary conflict of Moon and Earth ...more

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Jul 27, 2015 Kassandra Wilcox rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I first heard the premise of this book, I was like, nope. Cyborgs are just not my thing. Then I saw a bunch of people on YouTube raving about this series, and it was only $3 on Amazon, so I bought it. The story was OK. I didn't love the book, but I liked it enough to search online and try to find the next books cheaper than what Amazon had them listed for. (That's right, Amazon, I bought my books somewhere else, you expensive bastards.) I actually found the other 2 books in the series at a When I first heard the premise of this book, I was like, nope. Cyborgs are just not my thing. Then I saw a bunch of people on YouTube raving about this series, and it was only $3 on Amazon, so I bought it. The story was OK. I didn't love the book, but I liked it enough to search online and try to find the next books cheaper than what Amazon had them listed for. (That's right, Amazon, I bought my books somewhere else, you expensive bastards.) I actually found the other 2 books in the series at a book store for $7 each, so I'm pretty stoked. ANYWAY, the book is about a cyborg named Cinder, who works as a mechanic. Apparently she is the best mechanic in New Beijing, which is why the emperor's son, Kai, comes to her for help fixing his android, Nainsi. He seems really into her, but she doesn't seem to really notice since she is too busy trying to hide the fact that she is a cyborg from him. After he leaves, there is a plague outbreak in the market. A horrible plague has been spreading all over the country and killing thousands of people. It is called Letumosis. Cinder goes home to Adri, her horrible adoptive guardian, who is having new dresses made for Peony and Pearl, Cinder's "stepsisters". There is going to be a ball, and Adri says that if Cinder can fix their hover, she can go to the ball. Cinder knows she is lying, but goes to the junk yard anyway, to get the part that she needs. Peony, the nice sister, comes with her. While they are there, they find an old gasoline-powered car that Cinder is very interested in, but before she can look it over too much, she sees a black spot on Peony's neck, signaling that she has contracted Letumosis. Peopny is taken to quarantine, and Cinder is tested to see if she has the plague too, but she is clean. She goes home, and Adri has volunteered her to be a test-subject for a plague cure. Cinder tries to get away, but she is caught and taken to the palace. When she wakes up, they inject her with the disease, but before they can give her the test-cure, they discover that she is immune to the plague. This is when she discovers that she is special. She agrees to let them test her blood, on the conditions that Peony gets the first dose of the cure, and that all money that she makes goes into a special account that Adri can't touch. She uses this money to start restoring the car from the dump so she can escape New Beijing and start a new life, far away from Adri. Meanwhile, the Emperor of New Beijing dies of Letumosis, and Kai becomes the new Emperor. The evil queen Lavana of the moon, or Luna, as it is now called, comes to Earth to try to get Kai to marry her. Kai refuses, since Lunars are evil, deceptive beings who use their powers to trick people into doing things. Lavana is hell bent on marrying Kai, and that is only the first step in her evil plot to take over the world. Now Cinder must choose: Escape from the horrible life she has been living, or stay and warn Kai, the man she is falling for, about Lavana's evil plan, and risk Lavana learning an even bigger secret than anyone expected. ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 K.M. rated it it was amazing

For the last year or so I’ve been hearing people rave about Marissa Meyer and her Lunar Chronicles series. I’m going to admit, I may have been snobby. I just couldn’t imagine cyborgs and Cinderella. As a twister of fairytales myself, I just wasn’t that interested. And then I decided, what the hell, I should just see what the hub-bub is all about. Last weekend I finished Cinder, the first in the series, and I’ve been checking my Amazon tracking ever since. Because I NEED Scarlet (It came today, F For the last year or so I’ve been hearing people rave about Marissa Meyer and her Lunar Chronicles series. I’m going to admit, I may have been snobby. I just couldn’t imagine cyborgs and Cinderella. As a twister of fairytales myself, I just wasn’t that interested. And then I decided, what the hell, I should just see what the hub-bub is all about. Last weekend I finished Cinder, the first in the series, and I’ve been checking my Amazon tracking ever since. Because I NEED Scarlet (It came today, FYI, just in case you were worried for my sanity). This will probably be the most informal review you’ve ever read from me because I’m fan-girling. Yes, it’s true. I’m a fan … woman.

Cinder is an example of everything done brilliantly in a retelling. It’s not only wholly unique in the twist, it’s fascinating because you actually don’t know what’s going to come next. Cinder is a young woman/cyborg, living in plague-ridden New Beijing, who has earned herself a reputation for being a first-rate mechanic. At the beginning of the story, she’s just saved enough to replace her “foot” so that she can hide the robot parts of herself and pass as human, which comes in handy when the prince comes calling and asks her to fix his favorite droid.

Hated by her “stepmother” and yet beloved by her youngest stepsister, Cinder soon finds herself embroiled in the search for a cure for a plague, which has been sweeping the world. Meanwhile, the Earth world is embroiled in a treaty talk with the Lunar people, who would bring war if New Beijing’s prince doesn’t agree to marry the Lunar queen.

I could go on about this carefully and creatively woven plot, but I won’t go down that road too much more because fantasy and fairytale lovers should just read this. Even though I actually guessed pretty early on an important component of the story, it in no way detracted from my utter and complete enjoyment of this fairytale, romance, dystopian novel. Cinderella as a cyborg now equals BRILLIANCE.

This is really like six stars. ...more

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Sep 18, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it

I usually wouldn't have chosen to read this as the description lead me to believe it was mostly a science fiction story with a slight fairy tale slant. However, as it was the chosen book for the Fairy Tales Eclectic book discussion, I thought I would try it, and I'm glad I did. The author does a marvelous job combining science fiction with fantasy, so that the technical or extraterrestrial content is never overpowering of the integral story line. All of the characters, including the androids, ar ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Kathleen rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this immensely. The writing, the characters, the setting. Ms. Meyer twists Cinderella into a whole new fabulous tale. There's a step-mother and step-sister to hate, an android to love (Iko will never be forgotten!) The prince is likable and not too princely. There's plague, self-doubt, self-sacrifice... I figured out the twist at the end, but it didn't take away any of my joy. I kept going back to find out what was happening. Not a book that truly touched my soul, but one I will rememb ...more

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Jun 05, 2014 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hardcopy, 2014

Wow so much of this book was different, fresh, and new and all in the best possible ways helping me fall in love with this unexpected Gem. The fact that Cinder is a cyborg and most of the story is told from her point of view was very neat, I do not recall reading anything like it in the past, I have also not read a Cinderella retelling (I don't think lol) and I loved trying to pick out the similarities as I was reading, best of all was Prince Kia finding her broken foot I mean it was a terrible ...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Sstrachan611 rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book and got very attached to the characters. this is something i am trying to encourage my 12 1/2 yr old to read. There are some very emotional parts, but nothing more than HP, or Hunger Games books had in them. Can't wait for part 2, Scarlet. Been waiting a year now!!! ...more

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