Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Summary: 

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.

My Review:

This my first book to read of Marissa Meyer. It seems that everyone has read it and I was one of the few left to read it. So heard a lot about this book, especially from my friend Janhvi. And went in thinking it is gonna be a good read. And it indeed was! It is one of my top favourite books this year.

Cinder is our female protagonist. This is a retelling of Cinderella story. But it is very unique story cause even though, the setting is of a Cinderella story with evil stepmother and stepsister with an okay another stepsister, Peony(I personally did not like her much but Cinder did). It is a dystopian novel and set in the future. This reminds of the quote from the book:-

“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”

Cinder is the best mechanic in New Beijing and a cyborg. Yes, this book is set in New Beijing and has cyborgs in it. It also has Lunars, people who live on the moon also called as Luna. Prince Kai comes to Cinder with a robot containing top secret information to repair having heard about Cinder and they meet there.

Cinder's family is really a pain but she survives with Iko, the robot being her best friend. Iko had kind of like human emotions and I liked Iko. Her dialogues were like as below:

“Prince Kai! Check my fan, I think I'm overheating.”
*
 Cinder twisted up her lips. "Do you think it could have a virus?"
"Maybe her programming was overwhelmed by Prince Kai's uncanny hotness.” 

Then you slowly come to know about Cinder and that there is the possibility of her being more human than she realized. I liked Dr. Erland too, even though, he seemed a bit crazy. Cinder is a very strong and witty girl. I really liked her.

Prince Kai's part shows more political part of the story and yet I didn't feel bored, quite the opposite actually. I was very interested to know more. He has to take incharge at a very young age. Because many people are dying due to some plague, including his parents. These people act so mature for their age! 

So Lunars are stronger than Earthens and there is evil queen Levana who has the cure for the plague, wants to marry Kai and is wants to go on war with the earthens. This is basically the situation and Kai has to protect his people from the evil queen somehow. And Cinder might just be the solution to his problem.

Prince Kai and Cinder were really cute together. I can't wait to read more of them. This book has a cliffhanger But fortunately Scarlet is already released.

Some of my favourite quotes:

“I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.” 

“Right,' said Kai, 'that'll be no problem in a city of two and a half million people. Let me just go dig out my special Lunar detector, and I'll get right on that.” 

“He was the fantasy of every girl in the country. He was so far out of realm, her world, that she should have stopped thinking about him the second the door had closed. Should stop thinking about him immediately. Should never think about him again, except maybe as a client - and her prince.

And yet, the memory of his fingers against her skin refused to fade.” 

“Clearing his throat, Kai murmured, "You have no idea how to dance, do you?"

Cinder fixed her gaze on him, mind still reeling. "I'm a mechanic."

His eyebrows raised mockingly. "Believe me, I noticed. Are those grease stains on the gloves I gave you?” 

Kai tilted his head, peering at her as if he could see right through to the metal plate in her head..."I think you should go to the ball with me."

She clutched her fingers..."Stars," she muttered. "Didn't you already asked me that?"

"I'm hoping for a more favorable answer this time and I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute."

"How charming."

Kai's lips twitched. "Please?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"I mean, why me?"

Kai hooked his thumbs on his pockets. "So if my escape hover breaks down, I'll have someone to fix it?” 

My Rating - 5 stars!