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.
Marissa Meyer on Cinder, writing, and leading men
Which of your characters is most like you?
I wish I could say that I'm clever and mechanically-minded like Cinder, but no--I can't fix anything. I'm much more like Cress, who makes a brief cameo in Cinder and then takes a more starring role in the third book. She's a romantic and a daydreamer and maybe a little on the naïve side--things that could be said about me too--although she does find courage when it's needed most. I think we'd all like to believe we'd have that same inner strength if we ever needed it.
Where do you write?
I have a home office that I've decorated with vintage fairy tale treasures that I've collected (my favorite is a Cinderella cookie jar from the forties) and NaNoWriMo posters, but sometimes writing there starts to feel too much like work. On those days I'll write in bed or take my laptop out for coffee or lunch.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which character from Cinder would you want with you?
Cinder, definitely! She has an internet connection in her brain, complete with the ability to send and receive comms (which are similar to e-mails). We'd just have enough time to enjoy some fresh coconut before we were rescued.
The next book in the Lunar Chronicles is called Scarlet, and is about Little Red Riding Hood. What is appealing to you most about this character as you work on the book?
Scarlet is awesome--she's very independent, a bit temperamental, and has an outspokenness that tends to get her in trouble sometimes. She was raised by her grandmother, an ex-military pilot who now owns a small farm in southern France, who not only taught Scarlet how to fly a spaceship and shoot a gun, but also to have a healthy respect and appreciation for nature. I guess that's a lot of things that appeal to me about her, but she's been a really fun character to write! (The two leading men in Scarlet, Wolf and Captain Thorne, aren't half bad either.)
Customer Reviews
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73 of 78 people found the following review helpful.
An Amazing Twist On The Original Cinderella Fairytale
By Alicia
Why, WHY did I wait so long to read CINDER???Because I can't for the life of me figure it out!! Now, just knowing how amazing it was, and that I was denying myself the pleasure of this amazing book, just depress me! I was enchanted by this book. I listened to almost the whole thing on audio, and believe me when I say, not only did the actual story amazed me, and the characters, and the plot line, but the narrator was amazinggggg, absolutely stunning!! She was so enticing, preforming like a painter, painting vivid visions in my mind with her alluring voice, and descriptive detail! Every character that came into the story took a new breath of life. She was able to preform and execute each character with their own voice that fitted with that character. And it allowed me to feel more attached to the characters (If it was even possible to become anymore attached then I already was) I just loved her story telling and audio performance, and I look forward to listening to SCARLET and CRESS from her voice on audio.CINDER was just EPIC!!! Truly original and heart-throbbingly painful! It had parts where I was in awe in a hazy dream-scape of the sweet bliss and romance attempts. And parts where I wanted to bury my face in embarrassment, like the things happening to Cinder were happening to me. Like I was that connected to the book and the characters. Then there were parts where I wanted to scream!! Scream at some of the things that were happening. And I loved that I could see some of the original Cinderella story in CINDER. It was like a remix of Cinderella with plenty of original elements, but stuck to the roots of the original fairytale.THE PLOT...The world as we know it has changed. Scientific breakthroughs have gone through the roof with discoveries that have changed the world. Scientist have been able to do the unthinkable. They have been able to give seriously injured or near dead people a second chance at life. Only downfall? You're not all human, anymore...You'll become a, Cyborg!!!Cinder is one of the lucky to have been given a second chance at life. Or cursed, depending on how you look at it. But either way she was given a second chance at life after a terrible incident occurred. She is now half-human & half machine. She is Cyborg!!!AND THIS IS HER STORY!!!Cinder lives her life shunned by society, looked-down upon for being a Cyborg, because of what she is, not who she is. And if that isn't enough, she has a terrible stepmother and stepsister that treat her like a floor-mat, stepped upon when they please. Luckily one of Cinder's two stepsisters is not like that. She treats Cinder like an equal, like a real sister should. And then there's Cinder's only real friend, and she's not even human either. She's an android. All machine programed to do what they're owner wants, but is still able to have a personality chip installed, and have some of the same characteristic traits as a human would. That is Cinder's family circle. A devil of a stepmother, a hater of stepsister, a stepsister who loves her, but won't speak up for her, and a android of a friend, Oh, and a stepfather who died. That's it, welcome to Cinder's world!Cinder fills her days slaving as a mechanic in the New Beijing's market. Fixing androids and electrics to make money that she'll never see. Forced to immediately hand it over to her evil guardian. Well owner, because that's what she is. Her stepmother Adri owns Cinder, as does everyone else who has a Cyborg in they're home. Looked-down upon like they're an alien race. No good for nothing but serving their guardians. And that is what Cinder is, nothing! Worthless of anything... Until one day, it all changes...Everything Cinder has ever known is about to be questioned. Out of nowhere the prince walks into her life and her heart. There's an evil queen from another plant called Luna, that's hell bent on ending their world. Killing them or turning them into mindless slaves to obtain power and control to become the ruler of their plant. And there's a plague that's sweeping through the kingdom, killing off the citizens and claiming lives no matter the cost. And on top of that, Cinder has to fight her undying affections she's feeling for the prince. Because if he ever knew what she was, he would be repulsed, disgusted by what she really is. More questions are arising then answers, but as Cinder starts to dig deeper, she starts to realize that she might just matter more then she thought, and she may be the last hope their world has, if only she can make it out, alive!Overall, CINDER was an alluringly captivating, truly enchanting, massively impressive, mastermind of a book, that I will devour over and over again!
84 of 91 people found the following review helpful.A unique retelling of Cinderella in futuristic China-- a must read!
By Christina (Ensconced in Lit)
This book was chosen by my blog readers as the most important next book for me to read. Their decision just proved I need to do this more often-- they were more than right.Cinder by Marissa Meyer is about a cyborg, Cinder, who lives in a futuristic China. In a breathtaking and most unique retelling of the Cinderella story, we are introduced to a world of technology and wonder-- in addition to governmental intrigue, and another dominating species, the Lunars. Prince Kai meets our Cinder very early on in the story to ask her help in repairing his android, and it becomes clear that he may have to marry the evil Queen Levana to avoid all out war with the Lunars. While some of the aspects of the story are similar (evil stepmother and a ball), most of it is not, and it enthralled me from start to finish.Lauren Oliver, the best selling author of the Delirium series, told me in an interview that this was her favorite YA read of the year. I know now why. The world building is terrific and I kept wanting to see more. The characters are very interesting, and the ethical dilemma of what makes a human kept cropping up in subtle but interesting ways. Furthermore, the protagonist was wonderful-- Cinder is probably the antithesis of the typical Cinderella image, but that's part of her charm. I loved that she was a mechanic and that she was down and dirty working on electronics-- that she wasn't the typical heroine.I wasn't surprised by the big reveal, because hints were placed early on, and I can't still figure out why a certain doctor didn't reveal more earlier on, except as merely a plot device, but that was my only qualm.Overall, a terrific and unusual retelling of the Cinderella story in futuristic China-- well written with wonderful characters. Meyer is an author to watch.
102 of 112 people found the following review helpful.Excellent Beginning to Lunar Chronicles Series
By Jessica McKelden Cave
Where do I even begin with this book? I went in a little skeptical, unsure if I would really enjoy it or not. Quickly, though, I was sucked in. The first chapter kept me interested and each chapter urged me into the next. It was ridiculously difficult to convince myself to set it down long enough to do anything else. Needless to say, I finished the novel very quickly.I loved the characters. Cinder was convincing and real. She reacted the way I would have in most situations with which she faced. The choices she had to make were sometimes completely heart-wrenching, but it only enhanced the story. The fact that she is a cyborg really enhanced the story. It was very fun to read and such a fascinating, strange concept that I believed every single word of it. I loved the little descriptions of how she could feel the technology working in her body, sometimes against her human flesh. Another thing I loved about her was the fact that she works hard. This is sometimes hard to find in YA novels, but Cinder really works for what she gets. She doesn't just sit back and complain because her stepmother hates her and makes her work. She's good at what she does and she is just all around awesome.Cinder's stepsisters and stepmother were, of course, necessary characters, and I think they were done quite well. It was nice to see one of the stepsisters in a kinder light and to see the other stepsister and stepmother both had a degree of humanity in them. They are not one-dimensional, flat, lifeless characters who just hate Cinder for the sake of hatred. While yes, their motives behind the hatred may not be spot on, they are somewhat realistic and understandable. It will be interesting to see how these relationships develop in further stories.I thought Prince Kai was a great hero. I noticed several other reviewers did not agree with his ability to be so distracted by Cinder despite the utter pandemonium happening in his life, but I do not find myself agreeing at all. I think that even if your life is going crazy and you're unhappy and trying to figure out how to make it to the next day without going insane, you still need something to keep you afloat. For Prince Kai, this something was Cinder. The romance was also believable. I believed every word they said, every hope they dared dream, and every possibility of their togetherness.I also loved most of the miscellaneous minor plot quirks and secondary characters. I thought that restoring the car was fun, but I did wonder how she managed to learn to drive it. I loved Iko and I hope to see her again (a lot!) in future books. I loved the doctor and Cinder's storage compartment located in her leg and the descriptions of the city. The entire world was really beautiful and alive in my head, which always makes for a pleasant reading experience.The plot kept me completely entertained the entire time. While the story with the Lunar Queen was a little farfetched and, at times, almost a little silly and unbelievable, it was still interesting. I look forward to seeing how this particular plotline continues in future novels. Queen Levana is quite the formidable foe and I'm excited to see how Cinder knocks her down and picks up the pieces.To everyone who complained the questions were not answered: This is the first in a four book series! Of course not all the questions were answered! I'm sure questions will be answered later on and, if they are not, then you can go ahead and complain about it.My best advice? Just read the book! It was great! I can't wait to get my hands on the next novels in the Lunar Chronicles.
