Cinder

Cinder

By Marissa Meyer

116 ratings 158 reviews 171 followers
Book 1 of 4 in the  Lunar Chronicles Series
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 6 - 8Grades 3 - 6n/a5.887661

The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series!

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.

Marissa Meyer on Cinder, writing, and leading men
Which of your characters is most like you?
I wish I could say that I'm clever and mechanically-minded like Cinder, but no―I can't fix anything. I'm much more like Cress, who makes a brief cameo in Cinder and then takes a more starring role in the third book. She's a romantic and a daydreamer and maybe a little on the naïve side―things that could be said about me too―although she does find courage when it's needed most. I think we'd all like to believe we'd have that same inner strength if we ever needed it.
Where do you write?
I have a home office that I've decorated with vintage fairy tale treasures that I've collected (my favorite is a Cinderella cookie jar from the forties) and NaNoWriMo posters, but sometimes writing there starts to feel too much like work. On those days I'll write in bed or take my laptop out for coffee or lunch.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which character from Cinder would you want with you?
Cinder, definitely! She has an internet connection in her brain, complete with the ability to send and receive comms (which are similar to e-mails). We'd just have enough time to enjoy some fresh coconut before we were rescued.
The next book in the Lunar Chronicles is called Scarlet, and is about Little Red Riding Hood. What is appealing to you most about this character as you work on the book?
Scarlet is awesome―she's very independent, a bit temperamental, and has an outspokenness that tends to get her in trouble sometimes. She was raised by her grandmother, an ex-military pilot who now owns a small farm in southern France, who not only taught Scarlet how to fly a spaceship and shoot a gun, but also to have a healthy respect and appreciation for nature. I guess that's a lot of things that appeal to me about her, but she's been a really fun character to write! (The two leading men in Scarlet, Wolf and Captain Thorne, aren't half bad either.)

Publisher: Square Fish
ISBN-13: 9781250007209
ISBN-10: 1250007208
Published on 1/8/2013
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 448

Book Reviews (152)

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Where, oh where should I start with this one? Cinder… the book that tore me apart and thrilled me. Cinder by Marissa Meyer is about Cinder, a 33.65 % cyborg mechanic who lives with her step-mom and step-sisters. In this ‘dystopian-fantasy’, there are people called ‘Lunars’ that live on the moon. There is (of course) a charming Prince Kai that is heir to the throne and who (of course) likes Cinder. I liked this novel. And I love how Marissa Meyer based the entire the thing on the story of Cinderella but gave it a very interesting twist. I liked Cinder (the character). She was such a brave and well played character. Her curiosity is both interesting and lethal. And to have her as a cyborg made me love this book even more. The very fact that this novel takes place in a ‘plague-era’ made me read on. I find every book plague related very interesting. (EX- Cinder and the Mark of the Plague) The plot twist at the end wrapped everything nicely together, but I do have to say that I saw it coming. At the end, I really appreciate this novel. It was so interesting and fun. I am proud to say that I started my summer with a bang... Oh, and how many times did I say ‘interesting’ in this review? Very interesting. Five stars!

this is the best book in the world because it shows you the different ways someone can be racist and that sometimes you need to see past the outside and look into the inside of a person.

This was a really great book. Story ended with a cliffhanger. SO have to read the second book. <3 this book

I bought this book because I saw it on this website and I'm reading it. Let's see how it comes out. I also got Winter.

I read this book and it was so amazing! I loved the spin on such a classsic fairytale and all the twists and turns. I can't wait to get the next book!

I LOVEDDD THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! It was so good! Its about this girl and she's a cyborg and the community doesn't accept her very well. She has to help save her world tho when a evil Queen comes to take over earth. From there she learns to accept herself and how to help others using her abilities. LOVED IT A MUST READ

As the friend of many book lovers, this book seems to appear the most. A very recommended book by those around me, and a supposedly very intriguing and creative tale, I look forward to reading this book, along with many others.

suspenseful and really makes you think about what you are reading. this book made me want to keep reading and understand more about the charicters

Cinder is part of The Lunar Chronicles. It puts a modern day spin on the classic Cinderella in a way. I didn't really like the cyborg aspect of it though. I lot of people liked this book series, but I was not a fan of Cinder so I doubt I will read the other books.

Cinder; (the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series) was honestly my first sci-fi book and I surprisingly enjoyed it. The author has a unique point of view in what the future may hold for us and weaves it throughout the story to create an overall great book series.

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