Cinder (book review)

 

                                                  

“Broken isn’t the same as unfixable.”

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… 

Sis teen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother. 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 the world’s future. Because there’s something unusual about Cinder, something people would kill for.

    “Oh, my stars! Think about Prince Kai! You could dance with Prince Kai!”

This made Cinder pause and squint into Iko’s blinding light. “Why would the prince dance with me?”

This book is quite an interesting twist on Cinderella, and the mix of sci-fi and fantasy is pretty cool. Cinder works as a mechanic in New Beijing with her android Iko, and when the prince Kia shows up to their shop, Cinder is assigned to fix his personal android that holds something important. Cinder wasn't my favorite character; she had a few relatable moments, but she didn't feel as hopeful or exciting, and she can be a bit annoying at times. She was a little 

girl-bossy and short-tempered. Her story was very intriguing, though, and Prince Kai was also a good character. He and Cinder live very different lives, each with their own struggles. I just wish they would explain that to one another.             

    The story doesn’t end here, though. You must read the other princess to get the full story. All of their stories connect, and it’s cool to see them coming together and hinting at one another. I will say, the plot was a little predictable, and halfway through, I already guessed the big surprise. I don't know if I really liked the book, but I do think most people will because the twists and futuristic/fantasy world are so creative, and I did enjoy some of that. Although there isn't much action in this book, it features several cool elements.  The characters are older, and I think getting into the series, it feels a little more like an older read. There's nothing too extreme, but I do think you should review the books before reading, and I'll hopefully get to the rest of the books eventually.

        “She was a cyborg, and she would never go to a ball.”

    I would rate this a 4/10 for ages 13+                                 

    -JaybirdsTweet's