When I got the advanced reader copy for Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, my sixteen year old daughter snatched it away from me. I think that is a good example about how this book is received by its target audience. I am older, have read more widely and am a great deal more cynical, but I still liked this book very much.Cinder is a retelling of Cinderella set in the future in the city of New Bejing. Cinder has all the requisite baggage--a wicked stepmother, two stepsisters, a prince, and a father-figure who died and left her to the mercy of her stepmother. She is also a cyborg--part human-part machine for the uninitiated. Cyborgs do not have the full rights of those who are completely human.
Given the nature of fairy tale reimaginings, the basic story line is already set in stone. This means some of the plot turns were less than surprising, but I think that anyone reading a book like Cinder already understands that. Her entrance to the ball was unfortunately similar to the entrance that another young princess made in a movie (and in the book, I believe, but I cannot remember). I am not saying any more for fear of spoilers, but if you read the book, you will probably know what I mean. Even so, the plot is imaginative and fresh and, while reading, I really wanted Cinder and her Prince to triumph over evil. It is Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles and I will definitely be reading Book 2.
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