Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella -- light sci-fi, if you will. In this day of the post-apocalyptic dystopia, it's refreshing to run across a book that isn't really either of those things.
Linh Cinder is one of the most talented mechanics in New Beijing. She's also a cyborg -- socially beyond the pale. Her stepmother tolerates her because of the income Cinder brings in, but she never lets Cinder forget that she was an unwelcome addition to the household. When the prince brings a damaged android to Cinder for repairs, Cinder finds herself caught up in a web of intrigue, and she may play a larger part than anyone could have expected.
I'll state right off that I saw all of the plot twists in this book coming a mile away. However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. Fairy tale retellings are one of my favorite things to read, and I loved how Meyer wove the familiar threads of the Cinderella story into this book, making it much more than the original, but still delightfully recognizable. I certainly recommend it, and will be seeking out future volumes in the series. A word to the wise: the ending of this book is first cousin to a cliffhanger -- not enough of one to cause screams of outrage (at least from me), but enough to leave readers craving the next book, which won't be out for some time yet.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
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