Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

"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.com)

Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: January 3rd 2012
Pages: 387 (hardcover)

Just like many other books that I have bought only because I listened to some people rave about it as if it were the medicin to find eternal love, I was pretty excited to lock my eyes on the first written word in the book and start my journey from there.
Cinder seemed like something different, a fairytale with an unusual and very original twist, just how I like it. Now don't think that this book dissapointed me, not at all, but I do have some comments here and there.

“Even in the future the story begins with Once Upon a Time..” 

First of all, this book takes place in New Beijing after the fourth World War which kind of confused me because I didn't exactly know how to portray the characters. Did they have more of an asian look or european? It was one thing that actually bothered me throughout the entire book.
But, the characters were all very well developed and I enjoyed every single one of them. Cinder had the classic mean stepmother and stepsister, yes only one because the other stepsister was actually nice to her. I like that kind of changes, those are characteristics that makes the story even more original.

Prince Kai, the future king of New Beijing, is a smart and brave guy, but at times too nice towards people. I didn't like the fact that the doctor kept lying to him but then again, that wasn't the Prince's fault. cinder and Kai were perfect for each other, as they both were very down to earth and joyful. Especially Kai made me laugh numerous times.

Cinder twisted up her lips. "Do you think it could have a virus?"

"Maybe her programming was overwhelmed by Prince Kai's uncanny hotness.”

As for Cinder, the book starts out with her somewhat knowing who she is and what she wants. That all changes when apparently Cinder turns out to be completely different than other cyborgs around her. She has secrets she didn't even know she had, and those twists makes the story so much more interesting.

I had to get used to the mechanical world that is going around in this book but it wasn't difficult. It made her being a cyborg and a mechanical so much more realistic. It fits her character and allows you to get to know even more about the futuristic world that Marissa Meyer created.

Anyway, on to the plot. I don't think that this novel would have worked as a retelling if it didn't have some huge plottwists thrown in here and there. Marissa used them bravely and wisely, throwing you off within the turn of only one page. I just wanted to keep reading and reading and find out what else she had planned for us. Of course, the biggest plottwist is all about Cinder and definitely surprising. Who saw that last conclusion coming? Definitely not me.

As for me, a fan of dystopian novels and fairytale retellings, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was new, refreshing, exciting, cute and incredibly well written. I can't wait to read Scarlet and see how Marissa took on a creative turn on the story of Little Red Ridinghood!