Waiting on Wednesday (21)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week I'm waiting on 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #2

Will be published on: February 5th, 2013 (Feiwel & Friends)

Synopsis from Goodreads: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I finished Cinder a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was amazing! I've been a fan of fairy tale retellings for a long time and Cinder definitely hits my Top 3. I can't wait to read this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. 

What are you waiting on?

Review Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: January 3rd, 2012 (Feiwel & Friends)

Pages: 276

Source: bought
Series: Lunar Chronicles

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.

The first thing I thought when I read a few pages was: WHY didn't I read this sooner? And it just got better after that! I love fairy tale retellings and this one was pretty awesome! Cinderella was one of my favorite fairy tales. 

Cinder is a cyborg and the best mechanic in New Beijing. What I thought was most amazing about this story is that is a different kind of retelling. The most I've read have more connections to the original story, but with Cinder it were just the little stuff. Cinder is a servant, brought to the family by a man she sees as a father, but he isn't. He died and she got stuck as a servant for Adri and her two daughters. And of course she meets the prince when he visits her to get his cyborg fixed. The moments with him had the most Cinderella-feeling over it. I had to get used to the cyborg things, but it gave the story a very original twist! It combined future, past and present. People are dying of the plague and servant cyborgs are being sacrificed to find the antidote. Cinder is immune and she hopes to save her stepsister Peony, who just got the disease. 

This was one of the pieces of the puzzle that came together at the ending. I must say the ending didn't came as a surprise for me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely had me wanting more. I really can't wait to read Scarlet. 

Of all the characters I loved Iko the most. She's just so sweet and adorable. I would have loved to have a cyborg like that! I also loved Peony. I expected her to be cruel, being one of the stepsisters and all, but she a really nice person. It broke my heart a little when she got sick. She was the last person that deserved that! 

I must say that my expectations were really high before I started this book and that's always a bit dangerous. I thought the story would be more emotional. Sometimes I felt a bit detached. I still think the story was amazing, but it's the reason I gave Cinder 4 stars. 
I would still recommend it though! It's an amazing story!