Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In my effort to read outside my comfort zone, and in celebration of going to Disneyworld, last week I read Cinder by Marissa Meyer for my “being lazy by the pool” read, and I was pleasantly surprised!

 

Cinder is a science-fiction take on Cinderella. So in other words, Cinder is a cyborg mechanic (duh). She meets Prince Kai when he needs his personal android fixed, and together they do their best to fight against Queen Levana, the cruel ruler of the Lunar Colony on the moon. There's a lot more complexity than what I just explained of course, and similar to the popular dystopian books these days, this book deals with themes of injustice, discrimination, loyalties, and so forth. I have to admit I was pretty skeptical about this type of remake, but when I continuously heard the title from kids, at conferences, and on-line, I figured I should jump on the bandwagon, and I'm happy to have read it.

Why you might like this book: Even though we all know futuristic books are so not my forte, and despite the fact I had to figure out the difference between a cyborg and an android (still a little fuzzy on that one), I really liked this take on a traditional fairytale. Growing up, I loved twists on old stories, like Ella Enchanted and Just Ella. I think Marissa Meyer did a nice job of leaving some of the traditional elements- the shoe, the ball, the wicked stepmother, etc- and still transporting me into a whole new world where I had no idea what might happen next. 

Why you might not like this book: Although I guess this is also in step with the original Cinderella story, I thought that the relationship between Cinder and Prince Kai progressed a little too quickly. Cinder’s certainly an awesome person –er, cyborg- but all of the sudden Prince Kai met her and started telling her his deepest fears and I thought that was a little much.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Just Ella, Ella Enchanted, and Wicked

I would recommend this book to: All of the reviews on the cover of Cinder recommend this book to people who love fairy tales as well as Star Wars; in other words, everybody should like this book (right?)!

And of course, since this is Young Adult Lit, Cinder is a part of the Lunar Chronicles Series. Each story in the series focuses on a different fairytale protagonist. The first three- Cinder, Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), and Cress (Rapunzel)- are already out, but the final book Winter (Snow White) won’t be out until November 2015. Lots of time to read the first three books before then!

May Recap and Summer Goals

During May, I read five books:

1. When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago
2.  A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
3.  Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller
4.  Stiff by Mary Roach
5.  The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric

Looking at this list, these books have one huge theme in common: they are ALL non-fiction. I am just realizing this year, really, that non-fiction intrigues me so much and captivates me more than any other genre. However, as Reading in the Wild points out, while it’s really important to cultivate your favorite genre, it’s also necessary to get outside your comfort zone and learn from challenges that you set for yourself too.

Two events in May have convinced me of a need to have a few reading challenges for summer. First of all, I was lucky to attend a wonderful Young Adult Literature Conference in Appleton, WI and got practically millions of new book titles that my high schoolers and myself will love.

Secondly, I created a list in my classroom. A pretty simple one actually, that began like this: “What should Mrs. Droese read this summer?” I wasn’t sure how many responses I would get, or how serious my students would respond, but after just a few days, I am thrilled and intrigued with their suggestions. See the picture to the right for the full list thus far.

The biggest deficit I see in my reading is that I read practically no science fiction or fantasy. Looking at the list my students created, it’s pretty clear that a lot of them LOVE these genres. The closest I come is with dystopian fiction, and usually I only get to the first book of the trilogy.

So with that in mind, here are my summer goals:

• Read 30 books! So far this year, I have read 30 total, so I’m hoping with no school I will be able to have more time to read during my three months off.
•  Read a greater variety of genres. I have at least six fantasy books on my list and a couple of dystopian sequels too. Although I love non-fiction, I want a more even ratio of fiction to non-fiction.

To kick off summer reading, I have already starting working my way through The Magicians by Lev Grossman, a fantasy book that has been described to me as “the adult Harry Potter.” That’s a tall order for a book, but so far, so good!

Two more weeks of school, but I say to you this: Let the summer reading begin!!!

Do you have any summer reading goals or wish lists?