Cinder

Cinder can't believe her luck--the crowned prince at her stall seeking her mechanical expertise! It's the kind of encounter every girl in New Beijing dreams of. And he chose to come on the day she was missing a foot! Not that a prince would ever date a cyborg. Still, the way he looked at her with those gorgeous eyes has helped her to understand her sisters' obsession. They have bigger problems to occupy their minds, though. The city is ravaged by a mysterious plague that the King has contracted and cyborgs are being drafted for fatal testing to find a cure. In the midst of the outbreak, the mysterious Lunar Queen is threatening war unless her demands are met. Cinder is poised to lose everyone she has ever trusted--including herself.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales retold and this is a particularly good one. It has familiar elements to serve as friendly signposts, but it didn't follow the story too closely. I love the theme of cyborg rights and what it means to be human. Cinder is a strong heroine and a skilled mechanic. Prince Kai goes beyond the bland prince charmings completely lacking personality so common in fairy tales. I'd recommend this to fans of fairy-tales retold or science fiction.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Grades 6th - 8th
Tags: Dystopian, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction

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