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| us.macmillan.com |
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. . . .
Cinderella 1865 Image via Wikipedia
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.
I think the first editor who had this book cross her desk must have looked around to make sure no one could steal it, and then smiled realizing she had a great find in her hands.
Reading this book I kept saying "Brilliant!" to myself page after page. I read it on a road trip (while my husband drove) so didn't have a pad of paper to make notes. I could find threads of other tales in the story, The Little Prince, The Prince and the Pauper, tales where the princess is enchanted into a loss of identity. I loved that there were excerpts from classic versions of Cinderella.
Highly Recommended.
Book Information from AMAZON
The first known version of Cinderella was from China. So, I was excited the story takes place in "New Beijing." I love how it pulls diversity into a story I am sure people of European descent or cultural tradition think of wearing European robes. I imagined the story and characters more as Manga than Classic Illustration.
Placing Cinder in a position where she has little control over the situation of her life Meyers crosses cultural divides for anyone else who is less than empowered. Her relationship to the prince is not that of the house slave from the original story, where he plucks her from a life of hardship and puts her into a luxurious life where she can, but usually doesn't, exact revenge on her evil step family. Seriously, was there ever a worse blow to being a stepmother than Cinderella?
In Meyer's version we don't have a helpless, oppressed female. Cinder is more than up to the task when she does manage a bit of freedom at several points. I just loved her. She knows when to speak up, when to shut up, when to take cover and when to take a chance. She is spunky, snarky and smart. She is a girl you can't keep down.
Meyers proves you don't have to have heavy romance to make a story appealing to adults because I didn't feel I was reading YA. The language was sophisticated, the plot is complex and while the truth of the matter is fairly obvious early in the novel there are surprises happy and heart breaking throughout. And, if you happen to share it with your teen it will fuel a lot of discussion.
Meyers expertly makes an great move placing the fairy tale in a science fiction setting. The mix feels more like fantasy than science fiction. It doesn't focus on the technical aspects of the future; even though Cinder is a cyborg and her technology is important it doesn't bog the story down.
Marissa Meyers is a debut novelist and I know we'll see her again and again.
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| Image via Wikipedia |
In Meyer's version we don't have a helpless, oppressed female. Cinder is more than up to the task when she does manage a bit of freedom at several points. I just loved her. She knows when to speak up, when to shut up, when to take cover and when to take a chance. She is spunky, snarky and smart. She is a girl you can't keep down.
Meyers proves you don't have to have heavy romance to make a story appealing to adults because I didn't feel I was reading YA. The language was sophisticated, the plot is complex and while the truth of the matter is fairly obvious early in the novel there are surprises happy and heart breaking throughout. And, if you happen to share it with your teen it will fuel a lot of discussion.
Meyers expertly makes an great move placing the fairy tale in a science fiction setting. The mix feels more like fantasy than science fiction. It doesn't focus on the technical aspects of the future; even though Cinder is a cyborg and her technology is important it doesn't bog the story down.
Marissa Meyers is a debut novelist and I know we'll see her again and again.
Highly Recommended.
Book Information from AMAZON
- Reading level: Ages 12 and up
- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (January 3, 2012)
- Language: English
- Kindle Edition: 456 KB
- Sold by: Macmillan
- Audio format also available
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