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the_sunken_library's review against another edition
5.0
Great idea, something fresh and new, love the use of cyborgs, great twist on the original story and no soppy love story, loved it.
stepharina's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for the second time because I did not really remember it and I anted to finish the rest of the series. It was okay I was not super invested in it but I liked the story to an extent. I thought the end was pretty good so I'm looking forward to see what the next book is like.
bahareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
May 2024
3.5 stars
The audiobook was great. Cinder has a fantastic plot with interesting characters. Cinder and Iko are loveable, and their chemistry with each other and the plot translates over audio. The insta-love trope is played out. (Cinder is older, but when will we move past it). Kai spilling his guts to Cinder, does not make sense to me. A PRINCE?!? talking to (essentially) a peasant. The step-mother was the prime example of a well-written villian. The perfect balance of evil and "I feel that." Queen L is too sterotypical villian for me. I enjoyed the fairytale and scifi blend.
—————————
Dec 2014
I'm giving this book 3 and a half stars.
"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" - Goodreads
I was 44 pages into the book when I had already figured out a major point in the plot which was disappointing. I wish we could have learned more about Garan but I guess that's just how the plot goes..
I did have a bit of a problem about Prince Kai. Why would he, a prince who has lived in the palace with probably fake people all his life, tell deep things to a girl he just meet a couple of days ago. Like no it didn't make real sense to me.
I wanted a bit more from depth from this book. I found it to be a light, yet still enjoyable read.
3.5 stars
The audiobook was great. Cinder has a fantastic plot with interesting characters. Cinder and Iko are loveable, and their chemistry with each other and the plot translates over audio. The insta-love trope is played out. (Cinder is older, but when will we move past it). Kai spilling his guts to Cinder, does not make sense to me. A PRINCE?!? talking to (essentially) a peasant. The step-mother was the prime example of a well-written villian. The perfect balance of evil and "I feel that." Queen L is too sterotypical villian for me. I enjoyed the fairytale and scifi blend.
—————————
Dec 2014
I'm giving this book 3 and a half stars.
"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" - Goodreads
I was 44 pages into the book when I had already figured out a major point in the plot which was disappointing. I wish we could have learned more about Garan but I guess that's just how the plot goes..
I did have a bit of a problem about Prince Kai. Why would he, a prince who has lived in the palace with probably fake people all his life, tell deep things to a girl he just meet a couple of days ago. Like no it didn't make real sense to me.
I wanted a bit more from depth from this book. I found it to be a light, yet still enjoyable read.
rene_'s review against another edition
5.0
I started this book thinking it was going to be super awesome as that’s what my friends kept telling me. 20 pages into the book, I felt bored so I put it aside. But after a day, I had nothing to do so I picked up the book again. And I read. This book is actually really great. I was wrong at the beginning. After Peony’s death, I was even more pulled to the book. I immediately finished the book and was very excited to read the next book. This is a very great book. I recommend it 100 percents.
hafessasbr's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
👍
ladygodivas's review against another edition
3.0
love the world building so much and the asian representation. we need more asian robots!
1risisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wanderingsparrow07's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
congressbaby143's review against another edition
3.0
I actually give this book a 2.9 but it's closer to 3 so I gave it a 3 on goodreads.
Here are some of the good points I found on the book:
=) The deconstructon of the Cinderella story was creative.
=) I thought it had to do with magic but it was mostly leaning towards science or maybe it was contributing to the conversation about science and fantasy sooo idk buy the combination of it all was kind of fun.
=) My favorite character is Iko. I remember this particular part of the book where Cinder was talking about how we all have weaknesses and Iko was like "I know... mine are shoes!" She had the best lines like "Do you thnk she's seen him in the nude?" And it helps so much that she's an android and she has all these funny lines.
//Y'all will hate me for throwing shade but here it goes//
=( It tried too hard to form these connections to the Cinderella fairytale like the pumpkin-turned-carriage plot where Cinder actually described the beatup car as the "pumpkin" colored car that's supposed to take her away. I felt like we ought to have made the connection without putting it out there that this orange-colored car was allusive to the carriage.
=( That the plague started in Africa was a bit off-putting.
=( Whirlwind romance between Cinder & Kai.
Here are some neutral points I'd like to discuss also
- It actually made me cringe when she went to the ball dressed in muck and grease but when I saw that the author was trying to achieve this "I'm not gonna be another girl just because I'm seeing the prince, I'll remain a mechanic" it somehow reconciled me with the idea.
- I slash shipped Kai and the Lunar bodyguard of Sybil for all the short parts they shared. I mean, from Kai's perspective the description was written as though Kai found him immaculate and not just a juxtaposition to the beautiful Lunarian woman. I'm telling you: S U B T E X T.
Since I heard on booktube that the other books in the Lunar Chronicles ar different stories, maybe I'll read them all even though I was disappointed with Cinder. Besides, I have the novellas and the whole series on my Kindle.
Hope this review helped.
Here are some of the good points I found on the book:
=) The deconstructon of the Cinderella story was creative.
=) I thought it had to do with magic but it was mostly leaning towards science or maybe it was contributing to the conversation about science and fantasy sooo idk buy the combination of it all was kind of fun.
=) My favorite character is Iko. I remember this particular part of the book where Cinder was talking about how we all have weaknesses and Iko was like "I know... mine are shoes!" She had the best lines like "Do you thnk she's seen him in the nude?" And it helps so much that she's an android and she has all these funny lines.
//Y'all will hate me for throwing shade but here it goes//
=( It tried too hard to form these connections to the Cinderella fairytale like the pumpkin-turned-carriage plot where Cinder actually described the beatup car as the "pumpkin" colored car that's supposed to take her away. I felt like we ought to have made the connection without putting it out there that this orange-colored car was allusive to the carriage.
=( That the plague started in Africa was a bit off-putting.
=( Whirlwind romance between Cinder & Kai.
Here are some neutral points I'd like to discuss also
- It actually made me cringe when she went to the ball dressed in muck and grease but when I saw that the author was trying to achieve this "I'm not gonna be another girl just because I'm seeing the prince, I'll remain a mechanic" it somehow reconciled me with the idea.
- I slash shipped Kai and the Lunar bodyguard of Sybil for all the short parts they shared. I mean, from Kai's perspective the description was written as though Kai found him immaculate and not just a juxtaposition to the beautiful Lunarian woman. I'm telling you: S U B T E X T.
Since I heard on booktube that the other books in the Lunar Chronicles ar different stories, maybe I'll read them all even though I was disappointed with Cinder. Besides, I have the novellas and the whole series on my Kindle.
Hope this review helped.
astrireads's review against another edition
5.0
Cinder is the first book of the Lunar Chronicles series written by Marissa Meyer. It is a YA science fiction book, which retells the classic tale we've known so well, Cinderella.
I believe this is the first ever YA science fiction book I've ever read so I had no idea what it'll be like. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this! I wanted to continue reading it, and I ended up reading it well after my sleeping time!
I think the plot and setting is an interesting retake on Cinderella and certainly different than I expected. Despite that, I appreciated how the author still paid homage to Cinderella by inserting tidbits of the classic story here and there. It is good to see that the main character, Cinder, is a tough and determined teenage girl who can stand up for herself. The love interest, Prince Kai, is the son of an emperor who is strong and open-minded for his age, and is able to serve the best for the citizens of New Beijing. The paragraphs in the book are so descriptive that I am able to imagine all of the scenes well. It has a cinematic feel to it, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book will be adapted to the small or big screen.
I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series and excited to know what comes next for Cinder and Kai!
I believe this is the first ever YA science fiction book I've ever read so I had no idea what it'll be like. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this! I wanted to continue reading it, and I ended up reading it well after my sleeping time!
I think the plot and setting is an interesting retake on Cinderella and certainly different than I expected. Despite that, I appreciated how the author still paid homage to Cinderella by inserting tidbits of the classic story here and there. It is good to see that the main character, Cinder, is a tough and determined teenage girl who can stand up for herself. The love interest, Prince Kai, is the son of an emperor who is strong and open-minded for his age, and is able to serve the best for the citizens of New Beijing. The paragraphs in the book are so descriptive that I am able to imagine all of the scenes well. It has a cinematic feel to it, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book will be adapted to the small or big screen.
I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series and excited to know what comes next for Cinder and Kai!