"Cinder" - Marissa Meyer

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I finally started The Lunar Chronicles, something I have been wanting to do for about 4 months now. I have book one, Cinder, finished for you today and I'm hoping to have books 2 & 3 ready for you at the beginning of the week in a combined post. I'm currently waiting for my request of book four from the library! Apparently, I've been swept into the YA science fiction/fantasy realm :)

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

First off, can we just talk about this cover. So gorgeous! And all the books in the series have covers just as amazing. Talk about some cover envy! Okay, back to the reason we're here. Review. What a great start to a series! This book is brimming to the core with new world orders (New Beijing, Luna), technology advancements (androids & cyborgs), and a futuristic spin on Cinderella. Meyer follows along with the classic fairytale but throws spins and twists throughout that kept me reading and begging for more. Cinderella as a cyborg (made of human and metal parts) living in a world being ravaged by a deadly plague with no cure. The Imperial Highness's health hangs in the balance as the Evil Queen from Luna continues to refuse to sign the peace treaty, threatening war with every step she takes. Cinder is stuck in a crappy situation with an evil stepmother and two stepsisters controlling her every move. But she is a strong, honest character, thinking about how her actions will affect others no matter how beneficial it may be for herself. And that goes for other characters in the book as well, always thinking of their actions will affect the rest of the people. I really liked Kai and reading from his point-of-view. I'm looking forward to seeing how his character grows and develops into the next book, Scarlet. 

Meyer is a great writer. While some parts of this new world are not always explained as soon as I would have liked them to be, Meyer does eventually get to it and explains everything clearly. She kept things intriguing and suspenseful throughout until the end. I am anxious to see where the next book picks up from as the end was fairly abrupt. This would be a great series for upper middle school aged kids and older to read. Some violence and a little foul language every so often but nothing too drastic. I will definitely be recommending this series! As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments or recommendations! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading fools :)