Book Of The Month: Cinder
Hello there, fellow page turners, and welcome back to another Book Of The Month! (Insert ridiculously catchy theme tune here). Can you believe it’s already been a whole month since we took a look at Black Widow; Forever Red ?
As always, we want you to get involved by sharing your thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes with other members of The Arcade Community in the comments section below. Grab yourself a copy of this month’s book from your library, friendly neighbourhood bookshop, or BookDepository, kick back, and enjoy!
Cinder
“A forbidden romance. A deadly plague. Earth’s fate hinges on one girl …CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future. This is not the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.”
Cinder, written by the highly esteemed author Marissa Meyer is the first book of the Lunar Chronicles series, released in 2012. A clever retelling of the popular Cinderella fairytale, the book’s protagonist, aptly named Cinder lives in the distant future, in a world that has seen rise to five world wars, as Meyer spins a fresh sci-fi twist upon the ever familiar story.
One of the key departures from the source material, is the reimagining of Cinder as a cyborg. Not so much the robotic, artificially intelligent type of cyborg, but in this story, cyborgs are humans that through some form of injury or condition, have required technical enhancements to their body, with the addition of a control panel in the brain that allows the person to feel their new metallic limbs.
As I have already said, Cinder is a cyborg, a fact that the cover of the book also alludes to, with enhancements in the form of a metal hand a metal foot. She works as a mechanic in the city of New Beijing, where she is highly regarded as one of the best in the city. It is this reputation that leads to her crossing paths with the royal family. However, being a cyborg, society deems her as beneath any ‘normal humans’, a fact her step-mother constantly needs to remind her. Cinder still lives at home with her step-mother, and two step-sisters. One who completely under appreciates Cinder, and the other who shows nothing but adoration for her.
As well as cyborg’s, Cinder also incorporates imaginative and extensive world building, Meyer successfully builds the world brick by brick from beginning to end, gradually divulging further details when they’re necessary, without the need for over excessive passages of descriptive narrative. Meyer’s world is home to an advance human civilisation living on the moon, known as Lunars, a dangerous plague, united earth alliance and android’s that act as servants. It’s also fun to see how the various fairytale tropes will work in this futuristic world. Elegant balls, pumpkin carriages, fairy godmothers and wicked step mothers. It’s all in there, and incorporated in such seamless splendour.
If you’re looking for a book overflowing with heart, captivating characters and an expansive world to immerse yourself in, Cinder is the book for you!
Once you’ve read Cinder, we want to hear your feedback. Don’t be shy about commenting. We want to hear your unfiltered thoughts, whether they’re good or bad.
Also, don’t forget, Cinder is only the first book of a larger series by Marissa Meyer, with the sequels Scarlet, Cress, Winter and Stars Above (released this month) also released and waiting for you in all good book shops and libraries.
That’s it until next month, I’m Adam and you’ve been awesome!
Happy Reading fellow page turners!
