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!

Dystopian Lit Roundup

I read Legend by Marie Lu a couple of weeks ago. While it was really good, and at some point I plan on reading the sequel Prodigy, a sudden realization came over me when I was trying to explain the plot to my class. It was a realization that had been lingering a while, until someone finally voiced my concern. The conversation went something like this:

“What’s the book about?” the class asked me.

“Well,” I said, “in some ways it’s kind of like Hunger Games. It’s a dystopian novel about a society where teenagers take a test to determine….”

“Ugh!” a student whined. “All the books are like Hunger Games. Seriously!”

And that whining student is 100% correct. Just like novels and TV were overrun with vampires a few years ago, the dystopian society is taking over Young Adult Literature. These books are rampant, with the best of them being made into movies and making loads of money.

For reference, this is my definitive ranking of YAL dystopian novels:*

1.  Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Legend by Marie Lu
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
5. Matched by Allie Condie

*Full disclosure: I have read all of these books but not all of them in the series, so the list, while definitive, could change once I have read more sequels. There’s also probably 108 more books that should be in this list, but one only has so many time for reading young adult dystopian lit, right?

After some deliberate thought, I have decided that writing a dystopian novel is truly the next “get rich quick” scheme for any aspiring writers. And lucky for you, I have decided to help you become the next Suzanna Collins or Veronica Roth. Presenting….the formula for a dystopian teen novel:

1. Create a strong female protagonist who either:

          a. Has been stomped on her entire life by “the man” and is now incredibly jaded and
          angry

          b. Believes in her dystopian system like a blind wombat until some discovery or event
          shatters her understanding of the universe

This protagonist should be pretty B.A. and hardened in some way by her life experiences. She may not realize it at the time, but she also has a deadly power to motivate people and because of this, is a threat to the status quo of her city/country. Finally, although she is a teenager, she and her friends are given a ton of power and access to weapons.

2. Design a society in which some sort of “choosing” ceremony takes place, which divides the citizens into different groups based on: personality, looks, intelligence, occupation, love interests, etc. This society should be ruled by some sort of ruler who, at first appearance, may not seem to be in charge, but definitely is and is probably spying on the protagonist and trying to ruin her life.

3. Add in a love connection, which probably includes the following characteristics:

a. Secretive or forbidden fruit, a la Romeo and Juliet

b. A love triangle of some sort between an old flame and new, fun boy

c. A relationship constantly in turmoil due to the violence that erupts in the story, or the lovebirds’ volatile personalities

d. Love that is not consistent or fully solidified until the end of book three in the series. Which leads us to….

4. Drag out the story into a trilogy. Three books is a must, and for best results, make sure that the second one is a classic sequel and develops the overarching story without being able to truly stand on its own. In other words, provide no closure in the second book and force your readers to wait until the third book comes out months later. Hopefully when the movies come out, you can make them into four or five movies. That would be money (literally).

5. Add in a surprise twist. This twist won’t actually be a huge surprise, given the fact that this is a formula, and if your readers have read any other dystopian novels, they’ll be expecting it. Ideas for twists include: a character who seems good but is actually bad, a character who seems bad but if actually good, an identity change, a surprise attack, or a mystery death.

6. Kill your characters off with technology and violence. Lots of people need to die, and definitely consider killing off two or three really important characters. Remember that dystopian societies usually have some pretty boss technology, so use that to your advantage. These deaths should also be surprisingly violent, considering this is a novel for teens.

That’s about it. With these characteristics, you pretty much have a blockbuster formula for creating a hit book series. And remember: as long as the first book’s good enough, the last two can pretty much suck.

Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

You need to read this book.

In short, the book is about Eleanor and Park, two unlikely misfits who fall in love on a school bus. Eleanor is chubby with wild red hair, and is desperately trying to survive in the home of her abusive step-father. Park is half-Korean and half-Irish and uses music and comic books to figure out who he really is.

When you begin this book, be prepared for high school memories and adolescence to come flooding back to you. You will remember your first love. You will remember fighting with your parents and feeling like no one understands you. You will remember turning on your favorite song and trying to block out all the feelings you want to rid yourself of but at the same time make you feel alive.

And when you really dive in, you will want to reach into the pages and pull Eleanor out of her terrible world of poverty and despair. You will thank God for Park and his comic books and his beautiful hair and even his eyeliner, because maybe at least he is able to be himself.

And when you near the end, you will ugly-cry, as I did, for the last twenty pages, tears pouring down your cheeks and snot running down your chin. And when you are done, you will want a hug, and I hope you are lucky enough to get one, and afterward you will curl yourself into a ball and think about how blessed you are to have people who love you. If you’re an adult, you will thank God for the family that loves and supports you, and hope that every child can find the “deep and wide as the ocean” type of compassion and support that parents should feel for their children.

And finally, you will dream of your one true love and hope that one day you will feel this intense, soul-crushing love that Eleanor and Park do. Or perhaps you will thank your lucky stars that you have found that love, and promise yourself that you will never let it slip through your fingers.

Why you might like this book: It’s beautiful. It makes you feel alive. It causes your soul to ache. This book has non-traditional protagonists and an unconventional love story that is a surprising breath of fresh air to other young adult romance books I’ve read. It's cheesy, sure, but it also gives a realistic look at teenaged love.

Why you might not like this book: This book has been censored from some school districts having inappropriate and negative content. I guess I’m not sure why that would make you “not like this book,” but it’s the best I have. In response to the censorship, author Rainbow Rowell released this statement: “When these people call Eleanor & Park an obscene story, I feel like they’re saying that rising above your situation isn’t possible. That if you grow up in an ugly situation, your story isn’t even fit for good people’s ears. That ugly things cancel out everything beautiful.” As follow up, NPR did a great story on Rainbow Rowell and “why ugly stories matter”- see here. 

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Paper Towns by John Green, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I would recommend this book to: all of my book club girls, all high schoolers, and basically everyone.

“Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.” -Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park