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grapeapril75

grapeapril75

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Cinder

Cinder - Marissa Meyer Check out my other listens at Eargasms Audiobook Reviews

I was skeptical about this book at first. I am always wary of trying a book that has so much hype. And it has two elements I am not always big on, robots and Sci-Fi. Happily, I found I had nothing to worry about!

Most of the book is from the POV of the main character, Cinder. She is a cyborg orphan just trying to get by. I really liked her and was revealed to find she isn't an angsty teen. She has a surprising amount of spunk and sass. Her family situation is a very much like the original Cinderella, except Ms. Meyer manages to make the step-mother and sisters less offensive. Sure she is treated like a slave, but the characters are not evil, just lacking compassion and warmth for her. I do like the twist of having a nice sister to balance the spoiled one.

There is a touch of a romance with the Prince, but it is not the major motivation of the story. Thank goodness, it is tiring reading teen books that only seem to be about finding true love at sixteen. There is so much more to the world than romance, and this book explores many other themes.

This is the first book in the series and does a great job of setting up where the adventure is headed. I can not say I was surprised by the bigger plot twist, but it was very intriguing.

The world was so wonderfully crafted that I was easily swept into this Sci-Fi. It has an almost Urban fantasy meets Dystopian society kind of feel. While the main genre is Sci-Fi it was not overly heavy in techie details.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rebecca Soler, who does a wonderful job. She keeps the narrative moving at a steady pace, infusing it with energy and emotion. I like a quicker read, so I listened at triple speed. Her voices are consistent and distinct. She has a slight rasp to her voice that adds to the world weary feel of the main character's narration.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. Often I find series that are so lauded are a disappointment. I love all the nods to original fairytales that are peppered throughout the story. It is always a delight to find stories that are fresh new looks at stories you grew up with, taking them to new heights. I can not wait to see what will happen in the other books.