Cinder by Marissa Meyer

RATED 5 STARS

Cinder has a secret that she doesn’t want anyone know.  Her adoptive family knows and they treat her like dirt.  She keeps busy in her shop repairing electronics and making money for her step mother.  She has no close relationships except for a robot droid named Iko  and her younger step sister, Pearl.

When Prince Kai shows up at her mechanic’s shop she is surprised and smitten all at once.  He is the talk of the realm with his good looks and great future as their leader.  They have a mutual attraction but Cinder keeps the Prince at arm’s length so he won’t discover her secret.

There is a ball, a mean step mother, two stepsisters, and a sort of carriage so the old fairy tale is in there if you look for it.  Sometimes obvious, sometimes not.

Cinder and Kai join forces to fight the terrible disease that threatens their families and everyone in their realm.  They are both willing to make sacrifices for the safety of the people.

Everything comes to a terrible head at the ball, much is revealed and Cinder is left with some serious decisions to make.

I really liked this dystopian view of Cinderella.  I thought Cinder was fresh and unusual for a heroine.  I liked that she wanted to control her own destiny.

Even though Kai was the typical handsome prince, he had a depth of character that charmed and delighted me.

Pearl was an innocent little thing and she loved Cinder in spite of her differences.  She is the only person in the household who treats Cinder like a beloved family member.

The meanies abound and they are all wicked and deceitful and even a little creepy.  I loved them all.

This is not your usual romantic fairy tale.  It is rough and tumble but all the elements that make the story of Cinderella a classic are there.  So read it!