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

Synopsis

Cinder is a girl, but not just any girl, she's a cyborg, and perhaps something more, but in her step mother's eyes. She's a slave under her own roof, with two sisters. Pearl and Peony. This isn't your typical Cinderella story, the cyborg part aside. All Cinder's ever wanted was to escape for her freedom. When Prince Kai shows up at her workplace with Nainsi, his android, Cinder knows there's a reason he doesn't want her wiped clean. And while Cinder may be just a cyborg girl, everything puts her right in the middle of a political war between the Eartheners and the Lunars.

I give 

★★★★★

It took me about two days to finish this book. Is that a good thing? Yes. It's an amazing thing. Even though Science Fiction is not my thing, I was able to give this book a shot and I absolutely loved it!

I cannot wait to see what the next three books hold. They hype on this book is so great. I've been seeing this beautiful cover everywhere! 

The book is written from a third person's point of view. What does this mean?! We can get into anyone's head! Although the main focus is mainly Cinder, we still get to see what is happening with Prince Kai. The pace of the book is fast. There's a lot going on in such little time. My heart had a hard time adjusting to some of the events and I could feel like that all the time. It's what a good book does to me. Who needs time to drink in every thing?! Nah, overwhelm me with every little event, please! Going back to the perspective talk, the fact that the author chooses to place us with different characters in some chapters creates quite the suspense and Meyer did not throw in any boring, long chapters. I have to say, everything about how this book was written was absolutely perfect.

"Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything. 
What would you do?"

Now, let's get on the plot. I've mentioned above who this story is about. Cinder. A cyborg. She's 36% metal and the rest very human. But is that really all she is? Nevermind. Moving on. This cyborg girl, with two sisters. Pearl and fourteen year old Peony, who is undoubtedly sweet and surprisingly gets along with our Cinderella. They live in New Beijing, a place where the greatest threat is the plague, Letumosis. After her dear sister, Peony catches the plague at an old junk yard, Cinder is punished by Adri, her stepmother, by being sent as a volunteer to be a test subject for the very same plague, and everything changes for her as she finds more about herself inside the lab's walls than anywhere else. Dr. Erland does not tell her everything though.

"I'm sure i'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who think complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on."

Cinder is a very... cute character. Yes. Cute. Her actions are innocent, despite her strong personality. With the disability to produce tears and blush, her stepmother finds her inhuman, even though she is fully capable of feeling every little thing that hurts her emotionally. I would have to say the romance going on in this book kind of lacks a lot. As much as I wanted her moments with Prince Kai to prolong, there wasn't much going on. Except this sweet cyborg kissed him and the reaction we expected had not occurred. I'll have to admit, some things were, however, very easily predicted, like the fact that she is princess Selene. I didn't expect the Lunar part, but then as soon as she found out, I was so sure. 

"Kai cleared his throat. Stood Straighter. "I assume you're going to the ball?"
"I-I don't know. I mean, no. No, I'm sorry, I'm not going to the ball."
Kai drew back, confused. "Oh well...but...maybe you would change your mind? Because I am, you know."
"The prince."
"Not bragging," he said quickly. "Just a fact."

For a man in this story, Prince Kai lacks the masculine features I look for in the ideal man for a story with so much going on. Prince Kai came off as a wuss. Yes. A WUSS. Why, you ask? Because even though he was a little human with little control over Princess Witch-head's magic/glamour, he could've done more, or acted more superior, I mean, in the end, the whole world did look at him as a freaking Emperor, and he lacked judgement and probably character development overall.  Perhaps there will be more to expect from the mighty Emperor in the next few books. I would've liked him to be more controling (cuz' he's the damn prince) and perhaps more... arrogant? Yes, that would've been nice. 

Now, the villain of this book would be a Lunar, Queen Levana. Basically what a Lunar should be is: Creatures with the ability to glamour/manipulate people/humans into seeing and believing anything they want them to believe. And, yes they live on the moon, hence where "Lunar" came from. She's a total heartless bitch that cares about nothing but herself. She killed her sister, her daughter and attempted to kill her grand daughter, Princess Selene, if i'm not mistaken. But there were rumours about her surviving the fire and escaping on earth. When Queen Levana gets to earth in her fancy spaceship, she comes with one purpose. To become the Empress of New Beijing. (Marry Prince Kai) and if that happens, the war between the Lunars and the Eartheners would be prevented.

This heartbreaking story ended with sweet, sweet Cinder being imprisoned by Prince Kai. What a twisty turn everything took. And Cinder is left with only one option. To escape and meet Dr. Erland in Africa. 

Here's the most heartbreaking part of this story. 

(Page 282)

"She knelt over the pile of worthless parts that Adri had left. for her to find. A beat-up tread punctures with pebbles and debris. An ancient fan with a crooked blade. Two aluminium arms-one that still had Peony's velvet ribbon tied around the wrist. Clenching her jaw, she started sorting through the pieces carefully. One by one. Her fingers trembled over every mangled screw. Every bit of melted plastic. She shook her head, silently pleading. Pleading. Finally she found what she was searching for. With a dry, grateful sob, she crumpled over her knees, squeezing Iko's worthless personality chip against her chest."

OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO IKO?

"Prince Kai! Check my fan, I think i'm overheating."

I love Iko so much, please be in the next book!