Sparkles and Lightning: Cinder: REVIEW

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cinder: REVIEW

Posted by Annabelle Marie Veronica | Edit Post

*****FINAL RATING: 4.50 STARS*****

CATCHALL
I adored Cinder. It had everything I love: romance, intrigue, mystery, danger. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was such an enjoyable read that I had almost no complaints anyway. It was a fantastic read and I genuinely and absolutely adored it.

THE HEROINE
LINH CINDER
Cinder was a gorgeous, beautiful, and brave heroine. I didn't seem to be able to connect with her as well as I've connected with other heroines, but I liked her well enough. She was intelligent and didn't go around making stupid choices half of the time. She was also real and had feelings that were almost tangible in their realness. Although, she can be annoying and whiny sometimes. But all in all, I thought that Cinder was a very, very good heroine and I look forward to seeing her develop further.

THE LOVE INTEREST
CROWN PRINCE KAITO OF THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
Mmm. I really loved Kai. I thought it was marvelous that some parts of the book were told from his point of view. Otherwise, we would have barely gotten to know him. But this way, we get a genuine look at Kai and the person that lies inside, rather than just the person he is outside. He was a surprisingly deep character and I liked him more than Cinder. I may be biased. Oh well.

THE VILLAIN
QUEEN LEVANA OF THE LUNAR
Queen Levana was actually a surprisingly complex character. I didn't, however, see anything real about her, and this ruined her for me. Maybe she's a bit overly selfish, but seeing something a bit more human would really have moved me. Of course, she is not human, but, you know. Still. But in general, I thought she was fascinating.

THE STEPMOTHER
LINH ADRI
This is the point, obviously, but I really disliked Cinder's stepmother. Like, what is wrong with her? She foils Cinder quite nicely, though, I will admit. Also, she's kind of an interesting character. She does seem to have a few layers to her, we simply don't get to see them.

THE STEPSISTERS
LINH PEONY
Unfortunately, we really don't see very much of Peony. She's a shallow character, true, but she is also very sweet and cares genuinely for Cinder. I admire that in her, and I feel that with a little maturity she really could have grown to be an interesting and wonderful character. Alas.
LINH PEARL
Brat. Again, that was the point, but personally I felt it was a bit overly done and unnecessary. Still, I loved the dramatic foil and seeing Pearl cast against Cinder, and even Peony, was very interesting.

THE DOCTOR
DR. ERLAND
Because I forget his first name
I actually really liked the doctor, and he might actually be my favorite character. He felt deep on a level that the rest of the characters couldn't quite reach, and felt genuine where sometimes the other characters rang false. I am looking forward to seeing more of this somewhat mysterious character in future installments.

THE PLOT
This book kept me constantly guessing (except for one thing) and I could never tell just what was going to happen next. Even though some parts were predictable, it did not detract from the overall anticipation.

Each moment it felt as if something interesting was happening. Some parts dragged, others rushed, but but it all seemed to neatly balance out in the end.

Some events I could see coming, while others were completely unexpected! Cinder managed to keep me on my toes almost the entire time. It had a genuinely interesting plot line.

THE ROMANCE
The romance was sweet and not overbearing, and also not the main focus of this book. Au contraire, it is mostly a backdrop for the story thus far. Cinder and Kai definitely have some sparks flying, but Meyer doesn't force the relationship or try to rush them into things. Instead, she's given them gentle chemistry and let it built slowly, slowly, oh-so-slowly. It's beautiful to watch it develop and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more.

THE WRITING
I very much love Meyer's writing. It is lush and descriptive. While there is most definitely room to improve, there is also much potential already quite visible. Meyer has a talented hand and her voice is fresh, if a bit young. The amount of technical detail is astounding and beautiful.

THE ENDING
I really hate cliffhanger endings that force me to wait months to read the next book. However, I must honestly concede that this one is brilliant! It is absolutely perfect and a gorgeous way to close the book. I am in love with this ending that I hate!

WRAPUP
Hello, with an ending like that I have to read Scarlet! I will be greatly, greatly, greatly looking forward to it. I cannot wait to see Meyer grow as a writer and for Cinder to become still more complex. To sum everything up, I simply cannot wait!

FINE.

Labels:4 red roses,books,cinder,marissa meyer,reviews,romance,sci-fi

27 comments:

WrightyApril 4, 2012 at 10:09 PM
When I first read the description of this when the ARCs came out I didn't think I would like it. Then I read an excerpt and got pulled right in to the story. Now I'm going to have to read it! I'm glad to hear you liked it too. Great review!
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StephanieApril 10, 2012 at 10:00 AM
When I first heard about this book I thought the premise sounded a little weird but after hearing so many good reviews like yours, I have decided to read it!
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VeronikaApril 11, 2012 at 2:55 AM
At first I was a little hesitant with this book. But it's absolutely amazing! Thank you for the review, I totally agree with you!
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Rachel at thejeepdivaApril 24, 2012 at 5:19 AM
I still have not read this book! I have so many other books that I am really backed up on reading but I want to read this book and your review just reinforces it. Thanks for the review.
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GabrielleApril 24, 2012 at 9:50 AM
I usually hate cliffhangers too, but I agree that this one seemed justified. Great review!
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Maria pronounced MariahMay 1, 2012 at 12:47 PM
First off the cover is so unique...I love it!

This is another book that I have been wanting to read but haven't made it around to reading yet...due to the whole cliffhanger ending. I will though! closer to when the next book comes out!
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LeannessfMay 2, 2012 at 11:13 AM
Great and thorough review! I am really looking forward to reading this since Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales and the cyborg twist is so interesting and unique!

It's a little disappointing to read that the characters are a little predictable, but I think I will enjoy this anyways! Sounds like the beginning of a great series!

Thanks,
Leanne
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LilianMay 6, 2012 at 9:03 PM
Thank you for the review. I am in my sci-fi/fsirytale mode, so I have my eyes on Cinder. I love switching viewpoints which Cinder has...and of course multi-dimensional villains. It drives me insane when villains just happen to be evil for no particular reason.
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IsaMay 14, 2012 at 7:57 AM
I want to read this book so much but I can't find it at my local bookstores.:( I've watched and read a lot of reviews, I have yet to come across a negative review and most people said they loved the cliffhanger as well. This only makes me want to read it more as I find cliffhangers to be torturous.

I like the twist on the Cinderella story and I've heard that background/environment is beautifully described. While I am slightly put off by the characters from your description, its interesting that the book kept you guessing. I haven't read a book like that in a while, then again its only recently I've had time to read more. ^^; Great review, I can't wait to read this book. :)
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Suz ReadsJune 10, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Great review! I too liked Cinder and agree with you that it had everything that makes a book good - romance, mystery and danger. I agree with your comments about some of the characters - loved the doctor and would have liked to see more of Peony. A great retelling of Cinderella!
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HollySeptember 1, 2012 at 9:23 AM
Cinder sounds like a book that I will really enjoy. I like the fact that Cinder and Kai's relationship isn't instant like so many other books. Great review!
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RoseSeptember 7, 2012 at 10:32 AM
What a great review! I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a little while now. After reading your review, I think its just about time to pick it up! I absolutely love the original Cinderella story so I'm hoping that this twisted up version is just as good, if not better! :)
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Aliaa El-NasharSeptember 12, 2012 at 5:07 AM
Great review! I absolutely loved the book when I read it, and couldn't put it down till it was over. I am a huge fan of fairytales as well as of the different interpretations of them!
I can't wait for Scarlet!
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Sierra AbramsSeptember 28, 2012 at 9:08 AM
I really enjoyed this book!! Not quite the brilliancy I was hoping for, but still so much fun. Meyer is a great writer and knows how to hook her readers - I was up till 2 AM reading this!! :D I can't wait for more of Cinder's story soooooon!! :D

Sierra @ Yearning to Read
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Alaiel KreuzNovember 12, 2012 at 5:21 AM
I have this book in my TBR pile and hopefully I'll get to it soon. It sounds so different that I'm actually I little bit afraid, hahaha. But I think I'm going to love it.

Great review, thanks!
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DianNovember 13, 2012 at 9:05 AM
I have the ebook but haven't read it yet. You successfully convince me to read it ASAP. Amazing review!

GFC name: Dian Christy
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Bea TejanoJanuary 15, 2013 at 10:25 AM
I'm currently reading this and it's just blowing my mind away!:) I absolutely love it! Thanks for such a great review:) I'm super excited for Scarlet already!:)

GFC: Bea Tejano
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