If Cinderella Were a Cyborg | Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: January 3rd, 2012

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, YA

Pages:  390

Source: Bought it

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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.

Review:
 
I picked this book up because when I was talking to a stranger with the same interest (books) on Omegle, he told me he was reading Cinder and told me the outline of the story and that was it. I was hooked. He told me it's a retelling of Cinderella story. Except Cinderella is a cyborg and instead of dropping a glass shoe at the ball, she dropped a metal foot. How interesting is that? That was all it took for me to choose this book over other books I wanted to buy at that time.

The tale of Cinderella actually only acts as no more than something the author had to hold on to when she wrote the story. She created a new world of sci-fi and fantasy along the premise of Cinderella itself. The world of the story is completely new and original, but we still get the essence of Cinderella in it. I completely enjoyed reading this book from front to back. There was absolutely not even a second when I was away from it that I didn't want to continue reading it.

The main character, Cinder, is a strong-willed, badass, and selfless character. Being raised by a vicious stepmother clearly has that effect on her. She doesn't let other people get the best of her even though they all see her through only one eye. She doesn't care about what other people think and just do what she wants, I mean, screw them, they know nothing about her, so why should she even care about what they think? Her sarcastic sense of humor is also something I enjoyed. She's funny without even trying and that just makes her even funnier. Her love for her little stepsister, Peony, is also something I treasured the most. I could see how much she cares about her and how she would do anything for her. It's just remarkable of her to treat someone like that.

The plot is highly interesting and while being so original at the same time, it's genius how the tale of Cinderella fits the story so effortlessly. In this book, every page flipped is another step towards a more amazing story and yet the connection to the original Cinderella story is always there. The story is mind-blowing and unpredictable, it's everything you need in a book. You want something fast-paced? It's here. You want something slow-paced? It's here too. You want something that isn't filled with bullshit and just tells you exactly the point of everything without taking a detour first? It's here.

The romance is so adorable and gradual. The attraction between Kai and Cinder feels so natural, it's like drinking water and breathing air. Nothing is forced and weird and awkward between them. I mean, sure, they have their own awkward moments. But they have these adorable and sweet moments that aren't overwhelming nor underwhelming. Seeing them interact is just so satisfying and it was hard for me not to squeal like a little girl. 

The supporting characters have their own spotlight moments in the book and places in my heart. The android friend of Cinder, for example, she may just an android, but it feels like we could've been best friends in another universe. I liked her sarcastic sense of humor and her determination and her undying crush for Prince Kai. There's just nothing that I didn't like about her. The others, like Dr. Erland and Peony, both also have places in my heart already. Dr. Erland is like a father figure for Cinder when Peony is so heartwarming and literally a bundle of sunshine. She's the only one in Cinder's adoptive family who truly cares for her and I just adored her for it.

It's so so enjoyable and worth binge-reading. There wasn't even a second in which I didn't enjoy it. The plot isn't slow-paced nor fast-paced. It's just the perfect length and pace for the book. I got more and more intrigued to flip the pages faster so I could finish it sooner. But then, when I did finish it, I felt so sad. I mean, I knew the book is the first in a tetralogy, but still, finishing it was horrible because it's just such a misery to finish a wonderful book.

In all, Cinder is the epitome of perfection! It has perfect main character (wait, perfect main character sounds so boring and Cinder isn't perfect, so what I mean is she's perfect in her own way), amazing storyline, adorable romance, funny and witty dialogues, and basically everything you need in just another book of Cinderella retelling.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewed by Inas