Cinder

Starred review from November 7, 2011
First in the Lunar Chronicles series, this futuristic twist on Cinderella retains just enough of the original that readers will enjoy spotting the subtle similarities. But debut author Meyer’s brilliance is in sending the story into an entirely new, utterly thrilling dimension. Cinder is a talented teenage mechanic and cyborg—part human, part robot—who has been living in New Beijing with a demanding adoptive mother and two stepsisters, ever since her late stepfather took Cinder in after a hovercraft accident. Several events abruptly turn Cinder’s world upside down: a chance meeting with the handsome Prince Kai has her heart racing; a plague pandemic threatens her beloved sister Peony; Cinder learns she is immune to the plague; and the evil Lunar Queen Levana arrives on Earth, scheming to marry Kai. Though foreshadowing early on makes it fairly clear where the story is headed, it unfolds with the magic of a fairy tale and the breakneck excitement of dystopian fiction. Meyer’s far-future Earth is richly imagined, full of prejudice and intrigue, characters easy to get invested in, and hints of what might await in future books. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-The Earth of the future is beset by a plague and under threat of invasion by the Lunar people, residents of the moon. Teenage cyborg, Linh Cinder, is despised by her stepmother and forced to work as a mechanic to provide an income for her guardian and stepsisters. Cinder is the best mechanic in New Beijing and her skills are sought by Prince Kai to fix his personal android and recover the important data the machine possesses. Her life is irrevocably altered when her younger stepsister contracts the deadly letumosis and Cinder is sent by her stepmother as a "volunteer" for plague research, a fate no other cyborg has survived. Yet survive she does, and the implications of her unique physiology will have far-reaching consequences for the commonwealth and, possibly, the planet. Marissa Meyer's debut novel (Feiwel & Friends, 2012), the first in a planned quartet, presents a retelling of Cinderella with all the recognizable elements woven into this original, futuristic story. Narrator Rebecca Soler captures the determination and independence that make Cinder a compelling character despite the predictability of her true identity. Though not without flaws, the story will keep listeners engaged and awaiting the subsequent titles-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

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