Book Spotlight: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

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. 


From Goodreads.com

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued but not exactly sold on the concept. Sure, I like my super awesome technology just like any other girl and Cyborgs are definitely part of that list. However, I just wasn’t sure how it was going to look on paper. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

Cinder is a story about a girl mechanic, part Cyborg, part something else. She is harassed by her step mother, hated by her step sister, and looked down on for being who she is. Yet, she stands tall and works against all odds. I loved Cinder as the main character. I felt myself cheering “You go girl!” more than once during the book. Then, enters Prince Kai. Well, hello gorgeous! Right away, I enjoyed the relationship weaving between the two. It wasn’t just your ordinary “love at first swoon”, it was a real working relationship. Marissa takes two characters and makes them their own. Doom hangs over them at every step and they are forced to make tough decisions, and yet, they keep coming back to each other. That is real love story in the making.

And that ending, oh. my. goodness. that ending!!! What a cliffhanger! Book 2 is going to be fabulous, I can see it already!

The writing is beautiful, with just enough heart to keep you up at nights. Marissa weaves all aspects of a good fairy tale and makes it her own. The world Cinder lives in is painted with the best colors of words. The setting and the people are so real you can almost reach out and touch them. Cinder will grip your heart and leave you gasping for more. You are going to fall in love! 

Cinder hits the shelfs January 3, 2012! I highly recommend this book to anyone! 

Happy Reading, 

Valia 

PS. Let me know what you think!