Cinder
Marissa Meyer, $9.99
This review was submitted by Addison McDonald, a sixth grader from Texas.It may contain slight spoilers for the series.
Huh. You wouldn’t think that fairytales would be that popular of a book choice for older readers in late elementary and early middle school, right?
WRONG. AND BOY WERE YOU WRONG.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyers, is a book that takes place in the far future. The world is united after the great world war, and hopefully the last world war they will have to deal with. A-whole-other race is located on the moon, called Lunars.
For YEARS, Queen Levana, the Lunar queen, has attempted to rule the world. But not only has that proved to be a challenge, but just GETTING welcomed to earth is hard. Earth has a bad relationship with the moon, who would want a Lunar on Earth soil? But the Lunars have a couple tricks up their sleeves.
They have powers, something they call glamouring. They can trick people into thinking that the Lunars are powerful and beautiful. That’s exactly what Queen Levana does. She brainwashes the people of New Beijing.
Prince Kai, who happens to be the new heir to the thrown, has been denying Levana’s suggestions of a marriage. Kai wants nothing to do with the Lunar queen, believing that Levana is a cruel and ruthless leader. You see, Levana isn’t as simple as you may think.
She had eyes in Earth, and WILL know what you do. The slightest signs of suggesting war leads in a full-on battle between Lunars and humans. Long ago, when Levana’s sister had a baby, princess Selene, Levana’s thirst for power had just begun. Angry, she burned the nursery of Princess Selene, ultimately killing her sister, the maid, and what they think is Selene.
Linh-Cinder, the main character in the first book, appears as your everyday cyborg, seconds class to the “real” humans. Cinder desperately tries to avenge her step-sister, who realizes she has the plague, and is Cinder’s only human friend.
The plague, a growing disease, soon takes the life of Prince Kai’s Father, and Kai has to make a decision. Marry Levana, or find Princess Selene. Soon, Cinder gets forced to help with plague research, constantly being tested on. A certain doctor tells her the truth.
Can Cinder really believe what she is? And can she help save Earth from the plague and the wars that threaten to destroy her home?