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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I thoroughly enjoyed this book (and the entire series)! I'm a huge Mariska Meyer fan! The story is very well-to-do with lots of details and back-up stories

This book is really engaging with lots of action and "magic" I would recommend this book to everyone from ages 12 to 18. The characters were really funny and I enjoyed reading it.

This book was very good. I have read that whole series and it is very good

Following the fairy story of Cinderella, the book Cinder follows a young cyborg girl as she faces opposition. This was a very well written book and I've already started on the next one.

is it good? I want to read it ......................................um?

I loved this book! I'm a huge fan of fairy tale re-tellings. This novel is about Cinder who is a human with robotic parts (a Cyborg). She has many challenges in the novel. One involves the Lunars, people who live on the moon and are trying to take over Earth. This novel is filled with all kinds of twists and turns. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.

I loved this book! I'm a huge fan of fairy tale re-tellings. This novel is about Cinder who is a human with robotic parts (a Cyborg). She has many challenges in the novel. One involves the Lunars, people who live on the moon and are trying to take over Earth. This novel is filled with all kinds of twists and turns. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.

If I spent at least 3 months anazlying this book inside and out, pulling out quotes, finding the hidden meaning of each sentence, write numerous essays for school, and still find this book interesting, that means this story will not be waste of your time. I've read plenty of books and a numerous amount of them were twists on the classical fairy tales, just like Cinder. What differentiated Cinder from all the other books was its unique plot-line. It is a modernized version of Cinderella, but so many aspects about this book make it so much more different (and if I do say so myself, much better) than the classic tale. One thing I would love to point out is the main character, Cinder. Her personality is something between brave and outgoing, and I always love a hearty and confident main character. It's also nice to see that Cinder is not the stereotypical girl that finds interest in shoes and fashion (which isn't a problem in any way), but instead she is a mechanic who takes great interest in how things work, repairing technological devices, etc. Another thing that I couldn't help but admire Marissa Meyer for was her ability to create so many paths, twists, and curves in the story. One page you might think that you know exactly how the story will unravel, but in just three more sentences, you might find yourself reconsidering your beliefs. How can you not love a book that does that to you? Every single one of the events is a puzzle piece to the greater picture, and when you get to the end, you can't help but ask yourself, "How does anybody think of that many plot twists?" In its unique way, Cinder was its own mystery novel. Cinder was such a pure and well-written book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Join the TLC (The Lunar Chronicles) Fandom!!!

Cinder is an amazing book based on the tale of Cinderella. I love that the story is based in a cool futuristic city called New Beijing. This book has so many twists so it never gets boring!

I love fairytale twists, and this is probably my most favorite book with one! It is set in a futuristic world, where Cinder is a cyborg who works for her evil stepmother and stepsister. Soon, she meets the crown prince of China, Prince Kai, which sets her off on a thrilling adventure. Not only that, but there is a disease devastating the entire world and moon people who are very evil. There are many twists and turns that you won't be able to foresee, which makes this book such a great read!

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