Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
Marissa Meyer
Genre(s): young adult, science fiction, dystopia
Published: January 5th 2012
Pages: 387
Rating: 3 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.”

Cinder is not your average fairy-tale retelling. It's set in a post-WWIV world with cyborgs, aliens and advanced technology, with a distinct lack of singing and helpful woodland creatures.

While that all sounds excellent, I can't help but feel a little unfulfilled. The fairy-tale, I found, was pushed aside almost completely, with only a few hints towards it throughout the book. Shelving that plot did open the story up for Marissa Meyer's new world, though, which ended up being a lot more interesting.

The setting for Cinder is certainly unique and intriguing, but I found it to be a little under-explained for how complex everything is. You're thrown in at the deep end, left floundering about in a wash of terminology that is never fully expanded on, as well as a whole new set up to the planet and how its countries are ruled. With a little more work, New Beijing and the entire Eastern Commonwealth could become a world as well known and loved as The Hunger Games' Panem or Harry Potter's Hogwarts.

Not to worry though, as Cinder herself seems to struggle with keeping up with it all, as the life-saving cyborg surgery she underwent five years ago has wiped her memories. At first, after I learnt that, I was hesitant about her. Having no memories is a perfect set-up for a weak character who falls prey to insta-love and walks right into the bad guy's plans. Fortunately, with Cinder, this wasn't the case. She is independent and strong, and doesn't really have a problem with standing up for herself.

Cinder was a very quick read due to the writing style, which wasn't especially complex, and - while I don't always enjoy science-fiction - I am finding myself wanting to read the sequel, and all the other books in the series.