Review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary: Cinder is a cyborg, and in New Beijing, that means that she is an outcast. She also happens to be a fantastic mechanic, and that is how she first meets Prince Kai and becomes embroiled in palace intrigue. Prince Kai, meanwhile, is desperately trying to stop the deadly plague that covers the nation and make tentative peace with the Lunar people.

My rating: 8/10 stars.

Plot: For a Cinderella retelling, I greatly enjoyed this story. I loved that the familiar Cinderella storyline was noticeable, yet subtle enough not to distract from the other elements of the story. Marissa Meyer deftly managed to meld fairytale with original tale, adding her own twists to the familiar story. I especially loved it when Cinder arrived at the ball and caused a stir, but not because she was the most beautiful girl there—because she was wearing a wrinkled dress, grease-stained gloves, and had mussy hair!
One tiny qualm that others might have about the plot was its predictability. I guessed the two major plot twists near the beginning, and turned out to be right when they happened. But, since I like to know the end of the story before I finish reading (because the Unknown causes me a lot of stress), I didn't mind at all.
I did feel, however, that bits and pieces of the political plotline could have been explained just a little more clearly, and that other parts of the plot could have been expanded on a bit (like Cinder fixing up the car).

Characters: The characters in Cinder are delightful. I immediately liked Cinder and Prince Kai. I also liked Dr. Erland, though I was a bit suspicious of him. I think Cinder felt that way about him, too, but that didn't inhibit her from learning all she could from him.
And let's not get started on the Lunars... They have something called "glamour," where they can manipulate biochemical energy and make people think, feel, and do whatever they want. Their queen, Levana, wants to take over earth. Like the characters in the book, I felt repulsed by Queen Levana and her threats.
Each character fulfilled their purpose, and left an impression on me.

Would I recommend this book? If you are a person who likes fairytale retellings, and if you are a person who likes quick, easy reads with good plot and characters, then I would definitely recommend this book! (There are, I believe, two swear words in this book.) The other books in the Lunar Chronicles are also great.

Live long and prosper.