Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (2012)

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-fi
Publication: January 3 2012, Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 387 pages, Paperback

Summary (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.

Personal Review

The story of Cinderella takes a whole new spin in Marissa Meyers thrilling novel, Cinder. This book is exciting, funny, and a great combination of fantasy and science fiction.
Cinder, a sixteen year old cyborg, is New Beijing's Commonwealth's talented mechanic. She is this storys' Cinderella. However her story isn't quite the same. After being adopted, Cinder is brought to live with her new stepmother, Adri and stepsisters, Pearl and Peony. Her stepmother never wanted Cinder, but because of her late husband, and the love he had for Cinder, decides to keep her. Her new family doesn't appreciate her in any way. She is a cyborg after all. Who would care for someone like her? She lives a laborious and strenuous life. She has to work very hard in order to provide for her and her stepmother and sisters. Cinder makes the all the money but legally it belongs to her stepmother. Because of this, everything she makes is handed off to Adri. She feels as if she is chained to her. Cinder just wants to escape from this and from living there her whole life. Freedom is calling her when she finds a broken down automobile in a junk yard. She plans on fixing it up and fleeing from this life. Her android, Lko, is her one good friend. She helps Cinder with anything she needs and plans on escaping with her. Lko is extremely funny. Shes always saying such witty and amusing things. Lko is very loveable and even though she is made of metal, she is full of heart.

The story takes flight once an unexpected costumer walks in Cinder's booth. Prince Kai of the Eastern Commonwealth. He asks Cinder to repair one of his personal androids. It holds important information, but can't be retrieved because it has broken down completely. She promises to repair it as soon as she can. While talking with him she leaves out the fact that she is indeed a cyborg. She knows she is piece of machine and doesn't believe the prince will think of her the same. She keeps this a secret for as long as she can. From that moment she starts to care for him. Her feelings seem to develop a bit quickly, in my opinion. Their love story was always just one bar too low before it hit the bar I have set. That might just be me though. Never the less its still terrific.

The relationship that grows between them is lovely, however, and its such an interesting twist on Prince Charming and his princess. When I say “grow” there is some exaggeration because the love seemed to bloom fast. What I mean is that, as the reader, you know from day one that she loves him. And its not hard to tell that he cares for her as well. But I guess love is different for everybody. Over all, though, it is adorable and I really enjoyed reading about them and their love story.

All throughout New Beijing, Commonwealth is a severe, deathly plague that is consuming and killing its citizens and spreading throughout the world. There is no cure and hardly any hope. The cyborg draft continues as the best doctors try their hardest to find a cure. Adri blames Cinder for a tragic event that ends up happening and volunteers her for the cause. Cinder is taken by force. All who go never make it out. Its more like a death sentence then a worthy cause. However, while she is there she is told that she is actually very valuable. She becomes friends with Dr. Erland and learns many things from him: Secrets about her past and who she is. Her whole life and everything she thought she was is now changed. Its very difficult for her to believe this news. But sometimes things have to be the way we don't want them to.

Her life then gets entangled with Prince Kai. While she is struggling to find freedom, Kai is learning to role an empire. He is only eighteen and isn't ready for this. Surprisingly, running an empire is not the worst thing on his list. Queen Levana of Luna, the moon colony, is basically threatening him to marry her. She has tried to talk Kai's father into doing the same thing. She says it will settle all war and there would finally be peace between them and Luna. But Kai knows that it will not solve their problems. But the Queen is strong. She is wicked, cunning, and deceiving. Lunars have the ability to make someone else see them however they wish them to. Queen Levana is strikingly beautiful. When someone looks upon her its almost as if they are being enchanted. Ironically enough, Lunars hate mirrors and refuse and eliminate mirrors of any kind. For it is mirrors that reflect and show who they really are.

The grand ball of Prince Kai's inauguration is the night that everything in the book is leading up to. Adri forbids Cider to attend the ball, but she doesn't mind all that much because thats her night of escape. But there is one conflict facing her. The prince has asked her numerous times to accompany him to the ball. Decisions, decisions. What will she do? Will she take her chance to freedom or attend the ball with the famous prince? Will Queen Levana take over Commonwealth? Does the plague ever become curable? The questions carry on and on, but you won't find the answers here. Read Cinder for yourself and allow yourself to be swept in with this wonderfully wired fairy tale.

I have rated this book a four out of five stars. The writing is fantastic and definitely my style. Marissa Meyers is extremely talented and deserved all the feedback and popularity from it. She knows how to take an ordinary idea and keep it going. I never lost interest while reading. Very moving and intriguing. Even though this is a Cinderella story, it is still its own unique fantasy.

Review by Hannah Gibbons

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Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Genre: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: August 2013
Hardcover: 280 Pages

Summary:  It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Personal view/review
WARNING: MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS

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Review

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

“Not all of us know what we are. Some of us die without ever knowing. Some of us know, and
never get caught. But we're out there. Trust me.
-Samantha Shannon, The Bone Season

Approaching this book, and reading it, was probably the best thing I did in this month. Coming at it in the beginning was different because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Prior to reading this amazing book, I had not even the slightest knowledge to what was stored inside. It was more of a “This seems/looks interesting. I think I'll give it a go” kind of book. Normally, in the past, I would rather know a small synopsis of the book before reading it. Which isn't a bad thing, but anyhow, I didn't do that with this one. But I regret nothing.

~Just want to say now that this book does include some language. So just fair warning and something to consider before reading.~

From the very beginning, Samantha Shannon puts no doubt in her reader. She does not start off explaining the story or whats happening. You just dive into this whole new world and have no interpretation to whats going on. I think that's really cleaver and keeps the wheels in your head turning as you try to venture your way through all the things unknown. Throughout the first few chapters you might fell a little bit lost, like you don't understand anything. (However, in the back of the book there is a glossary and it is extremely helpful.) After a while you will understand the strange terms she uses and soon enough you will understand and enjoy the story.

This brilliant novel takes place in 2059. Paige Mahoney, the main character, works for a man named Jaxon Hall, who is a mimelord in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based in Seven Dials. Paige is a dreamwalker. Someone who is capable of moving in and out of the minds of other people. Her job to Jaxon Hall is basically just that, to find useful information by breaking into peoples minds. Like some kind of hacker. Because she is a dreamwalker, she commits treason by just existing. One day, Paige is kidnapped and is transported to Oxford. Oxford is a secret city that has existed for two hundred years. While she is there, Arcturus, Warden of the Mesarthim, a rephaite, becomes her master. From the first day she is chosen by him, they become enemies. Paige can barely stand the sight of him, she hates him so much. If Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die. Her whole goal throughout the entire story is trying to find a way out and back home to Seven Dials. But over the course of time Paige learns more and more about this place she is imprisoned at. She makes a few friends and plans a way to find a way for her and her friends to escape. Nashira, who is Wardens betrothed, is planning on capturing mimelords. She wants to be unstoppable. Personally, I just hate her guts. I could not stand her. She is in a way “Raising” red coats. To become a red coat one must past two different kinds of tests. It will test both their skill (in Paige's case, her skill to unleash her spirit and jump into the minds of others) and their ability to survive. Everyone starts out as white coats. Then if they pass the first test they move on the a to pink coat. If the next one is passed they become a red coat. Thats all I can say. I don't want to say too much of her plans because I don't want to spoil anything.

It may take some time, but you will soon grow to love Warden. I actually started liking him and his mysterious character in the first chapter he gets introduced. You never fully quite know who this person is. But I really liked that about him. Something about him just sucked me in. And might I just say that I absolutely love the love story that unfolds. Yes, yes it will be no secret here that there is, indeed, a love interest. When I was not even half way through the book, I heard that there wasn't no romance. I think its only fair to tell you that there is, and its beautiful. Unlike so many books or movies out there where a couple falls in love after the first day, this story takes time for them to actually realize they are in love. Warden and Paige start out being pure enemies. Slowly, and I mean slowly, they begin to kinda understand one another. Then they become somewhat tolerable with one another. After some time they become allies. He begins to want to help her. Trust is something that they both hold highly, but soon enough that are able to trust each other. They become friends. Then of course find the love. I just think its a wonderful process.

Now, I do want to talk about Paige Mahoney. She is a very strong and determined young woman. She knows what she wants and will have nothing stop her from trying. Honestly, she is like a super hero. Not afraid of a fight or of pain. Seriously, though this girl is tough. It is, at times, some what “annoying” I guess you could say, to how perfect she is. To me it seems like at he beginning of the story she is this strong, epic character and even til the end she holds on to it. There isn't to much character development. Of course she changed in the fact that she learned how to love and how to use her “gift” with more control. But honestly besides that I do think there could have been a time when she was weak and thought everything was lost. She always seems to be powerful and full of ambition. She is amazing though, I just thought that she could have evolved a bit more. But then again there are six more books along the way, so who knows what could happened in those. Overall this story is fantastic and I give it a five out of five stars! Wonderfully written and puts a whole new twist on futurist novels. If you have ever questioned yourself about reading the Bone Season, know that if you do you will not be disappointed. Its has mystery, suspense, love, and awesome characters. I loved it and can not wait for the next one. Samantha Shannon stepped beyond just writing a good book. She carried it up and over excellent.

Review by Hannah Gibbons

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