An extreme and futuristic twist on the old tale of “Cinderella,” “Cinder” is a tale of another girl with an evil stepmother, an evil stepsister, and a prince charming. However, she is far from the classic Cinderella; or human. Cinder is a cyborg, meaning she is half-human and half-robot, and the people around her detest her for it. Although there are the pros to being a cyborg, such as your brain downloading information, being able to tell when people are lying, and being an amazing mechanic, being a cyborg is still one of the worst things to be in Cinder’s home. This is where the evil step-family comes back into play; as her stepmother won’t let her buy new parts that she needs, and Cinder isn’t treated like a normal person. Just like Cinderella, Cinder has the evil family and dead “father,” the only major difference here would be that one of her stepsisters is her best friend in the story.
The story is set in New Beijing, and at the time there is an evil lunar queen who comes from the moon; and she will stop at nothing to take over the Earth. There is also a deadly plague called the “letumosis” running through the city, and there is no cure. The Emperor of New Beijing is dying, and in the middle of all this chaos, Cinder’s stepsister Peony catches this plague. Cinder is sure it is her fault, and blames it on herself. After this, he stepmother becomes more merciless towards Cinder, and wants to give her up as a sacrifice to the lunar queen. However, she also meets Prince Kai. Both Cinder and Kai keep secrets through their friendship, and the secret Cinder learns about herself turns her world completely around.
A friend recommended this book to me, and I almost didn’t read it; but knowing I would be leaving for my grandparent’s soon with nothing to do, I picked it up last minute. Although I didn’t think I would like the book, I really did! It hooks the reader from the first page to the end, and it draws you into Cinder’s world, letting you see what it is really like to be in her shoes; to be truly different from everybody else. The story moves you, and you can feel Cinder’s pain, fears, and excitement. The connections to the original story of Cinderella keeps the reader in familiar territory, and adds further intrigue.I loved both the similarities and differences to the original story of “Cinderella.” The book takes you on an emotional roller-coaster, offering you times when you are too scared to turn the page; afraid of what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this great read to ages 12 and up. Check out the other books in the series too. I hope you enjoy this book as much as me and my friends have.