Marissa Meyer’s Cinder was the perfect sci-fi retelling of the age-old tale of Cinderella. Instead of strictly imitating, Cinder takes on a life of its own with its vague references to the classic. The characters don’t strictly adhere to the original, possessing realistic motives and flaws that even if they are a cyborg or robot, are astoundingly human. New Beijing shines as an interesting and engaging city that along with the deadly plague screams engaging world building.
At first, I was hesitant to read sci-fi as I usually don’t understand the technical terms and futuristic devices, however my initial doubts with Cinder were doused quickly. Meyer explains the scientific concepts efficiently and effectively, and I understood and found myself enjoying the depictions. Although Cinder can be slightly predictable at times, the engaging rhythm from chapter to chapter makes up for it in full with a fantastic fairy tale mashup unlike any I’ve seen before.
Review Written by Emily, 11th Grade