Book Review: Born

Happy Birthday to ME! YAY! Anyways...today I'll be reviewing Born by Tara Brown. I read this book as part of the Clean Your Shelf Challenge. 

Title: Born
Author: Tara Brown
Series: Born #1
Publisher: Tara Brown Publishing
Original Publication Date: September 19, 2012
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic, YA Zombies, New Adult
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:

"It's us and them, Em. There are no regular people anymore."

Ten years ago when the world ended she ran for her life.

Five weeks ago the world she'd hidden from came knocking on the door of her secluded cabin.

Ten days ago she found salvation hiding amongst the dead.

Yesterday she went back for the living.

Today she wonders if she will live to see tomorrow.

What do you do when the world you were born to is gone?

Where do you hide when even your own body isn't safe?

Emma ran when her daddy told her to. She hid like he said she should. He was the first person she turned her back on. The first one she let die. Ten years has gone by and she still lives by the simple rules he taught her when she was nine years old.

"Don't help anyone. Don't go where other people are unless you have to. Trust no one. Always pull the trigger."

Until one night she hears the worst sound in the world, a knock. A simple, timid knock, on the door to her cabin. Only the voice of the brave little girl, ready to die for her brother, persuades Emma to open the door. As her fingers turn the lock, she has a terrible feeling she will regret her decision. But even as regret fills her world, so do love and companionship. Things she never imagined she would ever have again.

Everything comes at a cost, you decide what you'll pay.

Well, this is clearly a self-published book. Nothing wrong with that, but it could do with some polishing up, more drafts, some editing, etc...

This book definitely felt a little rough to me, especially in the beginning on of the book. The first few paragraphs didn't suck me in right away and I was a little confused about what the story was about. I should have some inkling within the first chapter, not everything, but a pretty good idea at least. I actually had to stop and go back and read the very long description of the book provided by the author. She could use a little help in that department too.

Anyways, below all of the roughness, I definitely see a good story here with lots of potential. The further I got into the book, especially past the half-way mark, the easier it was for me to gloss over any weird writing and get into the story. Now what is the story about?

When Em was growing up she always thought her father was a little weird with all of the prepping he always did. He was worried about a world-wide disaster that would set the world back years. He made sure his daughter was prepare with survival training, they practiced running to make sure everyone was fit, etc...

When Em was nine her father's fears came to light when a bio-engineered virus was released on the world. Millions of people died everywhere or were infected with a zombie-like disease. While escaping from the city Em's father died. She has survived the past ten years by following her father's rules, and remembering what he said, "It's us and them, Em. There are no regular people anymore. Don't help anyone. Don't go where other people are unless you have to. Trust no one. Always pull the trigger."

That comes to an end ten years after the world ended when Em hears a timid knock on her cabin door and a girl a little younger than herself, pleading for her help her brother. Em reluctantly agrees and our adventure and breaking of her father's rules go from there. 

We have Em who is a survivalist bad-ass who is super good with a bow and arrow like some other big YA heroine we all know and love (ehem Katniss/Hunger Games). She also has a Timber Wolf companion, named Leo who helps her out (I liked Leo). And of course, two men who vie for her affections, two hottie brothers, no less. 

So in all post-apocalyptic worlds we know not everyone is nice. In this world you have people who do bad things to girls and/or try to round them up for the breeding camps or to work as slaves on farms. You see the bad people who released the virus on world managed to survive it's destruction and are working on rebuilding it to their desires. Think Hitler and whole Aryan race he tried to create. They are working on breeding healthy people to make a better world. 

Outside of the creepy people's place is everyone else trying to survive, whether you are a rebel, a loner, or someone trying to make it in a rundown crappy town. 

Through the brother, Jake, and sister, Anna, she ends up meeting with the rebels and deciding that she needs to take down the breeder camps, as they are not what they seem. 

A lot going on huh? The zombies seem to take more of backseat in this story. They are there, our characters come across them, but it's more about the rebels and a common man (or woman), against the big bad that ended the world. 

An interesting concept. I would really like to see this book polished up. I can't imagine how good it would be if a really good editor got her hands on it.

So, FOUR stars for the story idea plus TWO to TWO and HALF stars for the execution, gets us to....

My Rating: 

Book Review: Scarlet

Happy Thursday Everyone! Today I'll be reviewing the much anticipated second book in the Lunar Chronicles series, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I have previously reviewed Cinder.

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles #2

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Format Read: hardcover

Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Fairy Tale

Purchase: Amazon

Find on Goodreads

From the publisher: 
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Cinder, I just LOVED Scarlet! It's not very often that I like the second book in a series more than the first. A lot of the time they are just bridges in-between the first and last books in a trilogy or series. Marissa Meyer managed to do so much more than that with this book. Not only do we get our original kick-ass heroine from the first book, but we also get Scarlet. She is more than strong enough to stand on her own. I can't wait to see what both of these strong female characters get up to in Cress, the third installment in the series.

I will admit I was a little confused about why I was following Scarlet Benoit in this book. I knew it was somehow connect to the first book, but I had forgotten. So, to save you some trouble...Scarlet is the granddaughter of Michelle Benoit. If you remember from Cinder, she is rumored to be one of the people that helped Princess Selene escape death when she was little.

While Cinder is working on escaping and finding out more from her past by trying to seek out Michelle Benoit, Scarlet is looking into her grandmother's disappearance. Scarlet, who has red hair and wears a red hoodie (i.e. our very own Red Riding Hood), does not believe her grandma just left, she believes she was taken and will stop at nothing to get her back. Her search for her grandma leads her to Wolf, a mysterious hottie, who seems to have a connection to her grandma's disappearance. Wolf informs her he may know who has her grandma and agrees to help her. While there is mistrust and tension, it's obvious there is an attraction between the two. I think I might even life Wolf more than Prince Kai. Or maybe I'm just more attracted to Red Riding Hood's story than I am Cinderella, I don't know. I was also fascinate by the "gang" Wolf was originally from. 

This book is much more Scarlet's story than it is Cinder's story. We still get Cinder and Kai's POV's, but it felt like I was following Scarlet's POV the most (even though everything is connected). You even get a chapter at the end of the book from the Evil queen's POV. EEK! 

Just to give you the head's (in case you might be disappointed about such a thing): Scarlet and Cinder do not meet until pretty close to the end of the book. I know the description makes you think they will be meeting up sooner than that. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book. Just like in my review of Cinder, if you like this book, I recommend checking out these fairy tale retellings: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan or Beastly by Alex Flinn (book is way better than the movie). If you like stories with a little more science fiction, you might like one of these two stories that take place in space, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan or Across the Universe by Beth Revis. You might even like Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien.

My Rating: 

Book Review: Obsidian

Good Afternoon! Today I'll be reviewing Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 

Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Original Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Paranormal, YA Aliens
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from the publisher:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Obsidian reminded me of a cross between Roswell and something else (it's right there, I just can't think of it). So much so I might have to go back and watch Roswell again or try reading the books. Forbidden Alien Love Romance? Yes, please. 

The above description pretty much describes the book, so I won't go into that. 

The entire book is from Katy point of view. On the Kindle edition, I did get some bonus parts from Daemon's point of view and a couple of chapters from the next book in the series. I think the book could have been even better with some chapters being from Daemon's point of view. He is so mean to Katy, but yet she keeps coming back for more. It definitely borders on being abusive. Not the type of relationship I would want my daughter being in. The extras in the back explain Daemon's thoughts and why he acts the way he does. It makes him feel more "human" instead of being a jerk all the time. 

The whole will they won't they sexual tension has been done many times before and it is done in this book too. I still enjoyed the ride while waiting to find out. 

I liked the type of aliens they were and how when they use their powers around a human it marks them. The bigger the event the bigger the mark. To other aliens it would look like the person is glowing. 

I liked the fight scene towards the end, but it really reminded me of something. I can't quite remember and it's going to bug me until I do, but there you have it. 

I like how Katy isn't always the helpless damsel in distress. She holds her own in the book, sometimes. 

Overall, I felt like this is a nice quick read. I will be checking out more books in the series. 

Anyways, if you liked this book maybe check out the Roswell TV show (it can be streamed online for free via Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime) or The Outsider (Roswell High #1) by Melinda Metz (I know I might now).

My Rating: 

Book Review: The Archived

Good Day Everyone!

What happens when you die? Where do you go? I recently read a book with an interesting take on the dead and what happens to them.

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon

Description from Goodreads:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book. The publisher did an excellent job with the descriptions and world building. This book goes back and forth between now and four years ago (via Mac's thoughts) before her Da (or grandpa) died. The author did an excellent job of the whole back and forth thing. Although, at first I thought something was weird with the margins on my Kindle when I realized that was her way of making sure I knew I was in the past in the book.

I liked the author's idea of their being a world beneath(?) our own. You only need to know what you are looking for and a key to get in and out of the narrows and into the Archive.

I liked the first half of the book or so more than I did the last half. One example of the writing I really liked was this little tidbit from chapter 4:

     "And stop.

      I’m not alone.

      Halfway down the corridor a boy my age is leaning against the faded wallpaper, right beside the painting of the sea. He’s staring up at the ceiling, or past it, the thin black wire from his headphones tracing a line over his jaw, down his throat. I can hear the whisper of music from here. I take a soundless step, but still he rolls his head, lazily, to look at me. And he smiles. Smiles like he’s caught me cheating, caught me sneaking out.

     Which, in all fairness, he has.

      His smile reminds me of the paintings here. I don’t think any of them are hung straight. One side of his mouth tilts up like that, like it’s not set level. He has several inches of spiked black hair, and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing eyeliner."

I really think this is a great visual. As the book went on I found it harder and harder to spot little gems like the one above. That's not to say I didn't like the story. There is a mystery going on in this book. 

Here is a tidbit from chapter 11, about half-way through the book when I felt things were getting really good. I like Mac's internal thoughts (Possible SPOILER ALERT!):

     "I think of calling Lyndsey, but it’s late, and what would I say?

      How was your day?… Yeah? Oh, mine?

      I got attacked by a Keeper-Killer.

      I know! And saved by a stranger who just vanished—

      And that guyliner boy, he’s a Keeper!

      …No, Keeper with a capital K.

      And there’s the murder in my room. Someone tried to cover it up, ripped the pages right out of the history books.

      Oh, and I almost forgot. Someone in the Archive might be trying to get me killed.

      I laugh. It’s a strained sound, but it helps."

For a while I wasn't quite sure if X or Y was involved somehow with the mystery, but when it came right down to it, I was a little disappointed when things were solved. I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I did expect better. I know I'm in the minority here. I have seen several reviews where they just LOVED the second half of the book. 

Overall, when I started the book and through the first half or so, I was all set for a four star or higher review. When it came to the end I decided I needed to lower my rating. I still plan on reading the second book in this series, as I'm curious as to where the author will go with the story.

Normally at this point I recommend some books you may like based on this book, but this book is so different from others I've read I can't think of one. If you have read this and can think of a book others might like too, please feel free to comment.

My Rating:  (because I loved the unique world Victoria Schwab created so much, but was disappointed in the ending)

Book Review: Dust & Decay

This evening I'll be reviewing the second book of the Benny Imura (Rot & Ruin) series.

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Benny Imura #2

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Format Read: paperback

Genre: YA Zombies, YA Post-Apocalyptic

Purchase: Amazon

Find on Goodreads

From the publisher: 
Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also been six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

But before they even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town, and as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers, and the horrors of Gameland—where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

 In the great Rot & Ruin, everything wants to kill you. And not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will survive….

I liked the first book enough, so I decided to try out the second book in the series plus I already had it from the library, because my husband read it. 

I have to say I liked this book better than the first one. It might have been because we got all of the world building information and character setup information out of the way in the first book or not. It also probably had a little to do with the fact that Lilah the Lost Girl is a lot less annoying in the second book. The author finally has her speaking like a normal person. The character point of views are also changed up in the second book. I liked reading from the different characters point of views. I got to see what just about everyone was thinking at one point or another. 

Of course, some of the plot points do feel forced or very predictable, like the Chong and Lilah "romance" or Chong acting childish and running off or the very obvious death of the character that doesn't make it. 

I would recommend this book if you liked the first book. But as far as YA Zombie books go, I would recommend The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and the rest of that series over this one any day.

My Rating: 

Book Review: Rot & Ruin

Afternoon everyone! Today we are going to enter the world of ZOMBIES!!!

Title: Rot & Ruin
Author: Jonathan Maberry 
Series: Benny Imura #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Format Read: paperback
Genre: YA Zombies, YA Post-Apocalyptic
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from publisher:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

I don't remember how this one ended up on my to-read list, but I'm guessing it has something to do with zombies. I do like a good book that includes zombies. This book wasn't on my pressing to-reads list, but my husband who loves zombie books wanted a new book to read, so I scoured my to-read list for something not to girly for him to read as well as something involving zombies. I found Rot & Ruin. My husband breezed through the book and asked me to pick up the next ones in the series for him from the library. I figured I would just go on ahead and read them too, since we had them from the library and I figured I could discuss them with my husband.

What I found was an okay zombie book, I've read better. The characters are okay and the plot line is okay. The book is a little big (the author probably could have edited it down a bit). 

Fifteen years ago, the dead woke and started wandering the earth. Within a few days, weeks, and months, the majority of the Earth's population had been wiped out. Most of the remaining people live in towns surrounded by fences. Many of the residents never leave the boundaries of the fences. Those that do are usually scavengers, traders or bounty hunters. In the society that remains everyone must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or their rations are cut in half. There are a wide variety of jobs to choose from. Some even allow you enough time to continue going to school for half days. 

We follow Benny as his fifteenth birthday approaches. He tries out a variety of jobs, all while many people ask why he doesn't just apprentice with his older brother Tom. Benny thinks his brother is bounty hunter who wacks zoms for cash. However, Tom is really a closure specialist who goes out on jobs to quiet family members who have been changed into zombies.

Benny reluctantly agrees when he decides he doesn't want any of the jobs he checked out. Benny ends up finding out there is a lot more to Tom's job and the way of the world than he ever thought (think coming of age story during a zombie apocalypse). There is a girl, not only the girl next door, but also a mysterious Lost Girl, who is a loner wandering around in the Rot & Ruin. 

Like I stated above, I found this book to just be okay. I liked it alright, but felt it could have been better. There was one thing that really bugged me while reading the story...SPOILER ALERT!

When they find the Lost Girl and she doesn't know how to talk or have conversations even though she very avidly read books all the time. Sure she was basically on her since she was eleven, but up until then she had people to regularly talk to. I found this part very annoying!

END SPOILER ALERT!

I would recommend this story, if you didn't have any better zombie books lying around or just to read until you get to the second book. I've already read that one and it does get better.

If you like this book (or want to read a better one with zombies in it), I'd recommend The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. The whole series is pretty good. And of course the second book to this series, Dust & Decay.

My Rating: 

Book Review: Endlessly

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I'm a little behind on my reviews, but plan on getting caught up today. Today I'll be reviewing, Endlessly, the final book in the Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White. 

Title: Endlessly
Author: Kiersten White
Series: Paranormalcy #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: July 24, 2012
Format Read: kindle
Genre: YA Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon
Find on Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

Endlessly picks up pretty much where Supernaturally left off. It's pretty much more of the same of the first two books, but without all of the original charm. Many of the characters just fell flat. Maybe Kiersten White ran out of steam by the time she got to the third book?

That's not to say that this book was bad, it wasn't, it just was not as good as the first two. Evie loses some of her spunk and fun in this book. Lend also is a lot less impressive (his romance with Evie too). I continued to like Jack (even after what he did in the second book). Reth was also more interesting in this book. It still was a really quick read. It took me less than 24 hours to read counting sleep time. The story still moves pretty quick like the other books in the series. 

About the storyline: In Endlessly, all of the paranormals start to gather by the pond out in back of Lend's house and around town. They want Evie to help them and send them home by opening another gate before it's too late and one can no longer be opened. Evie, who remembers what happened last time she opened a gate, does NOT want to and refuses. At the same time, someone new has taken over the IPCA and wants Evie either working for them or locked up for good. Raquel seems to be missing too as Evie hopes to get advice from her. Evie and Lend have another obstacle in their relationship. The Dark Faerie Queen is taking more and more human slaves into the faerie realm...let's just say there is A LOT that the author tries to cram into the final book. The book isn't that long either, which causes ALL of the above plot points to be very condensed.

Overall, if you have read the other books in the series and are looking to wrap it up, I would recommend this book. Beyond that I would not. I still look forward to checking out more of Kiersten White's books.

My Rating:

Clean Your Shelf Challenge

Over the next two weeks I'll be participating in the Clean Your Shelf Challenge. In honor of Spring Cleaning, I'm trying to clean some books off my to-read list over on Goodreads. The Challenge is through the YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ group I'm in. I picked out twenty possible books that I had easy access to on my to-read shelf (that I still want to read). Then I was assigned a partner. My partner picked out ten books for me to read AND the order than I should read them in. I did the same for her. Here is my list of books I'll be trying to read between March 21st and April 3rd:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

It should be interesting. I wonder how far I will get. I need to finish reading my current book before I can even start.

Do you have any books you really want to clean off your shelves/to-read list this Spring?

Book Review: Cinder

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I'll be reviewing Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Format Read: audio-book, kindle, hardcover

Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Fairy Tale

Purchase: Amazon

Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale set is New Beijing. It's a future with humans, androids, and cyborgs. A future in which a deadly plague ravages the population. While a ruthless lunar queen watches, waiting to make her move to take over Earth.

Our heroine is Cinder. She is a gifted cyborg mechanic and a second class citizen. Cinder has no memory of her life from before the operation that turned her into a cyborg at age 11. She lives with her step-mother and step-sister(s). Even though, Cinder is the source of income for the family she is treated very poorly and is blamed for her step-sister's illness. Through a request to repair Prince Kai's android, she is pulled into the intergalactic struggle where she might just be the only person who can protect Earth.

The first thing you might notice is ALL of the different formats I used to read this book. I started out with the audio-book and only made it through the first chapter. I was not a fan. I found myself zoning out when the performer read to me and I knew I was missing vital information. I also knew that based on the books description and the little over four star average reviews on Goodreads that this book was right up my alley. So, I figured I would try again. I was able to locate on Amazon the first five chapters of the book for free. So, I picked that up and tried chapter one again. And it was true. I was intrigued once I was able to read the story. Unfortunately, my library does not have an ebook of Cinder, so I put myself on the hold list for the hardcover. After my hold came in, I quickly progressed through the book, finishing it in one day.

That's how much I ended up liking the the book, I read it in one day. There was still one mild issue with the story that bothered me. Cinder's mother and sisters are referred to as "step-mother" and "step-sisters," when in reality they are her adoptive mother and sisters as her father adopted her after her birth parents were killed in a hover accident. I'm guessing the author did that to try to more closely resemble Cinderella, but I don't think it was necessary. I feel she could have just stated they were her adoptive family and called it good. I think the readers would have been more than happy to go along with it. 

Now on to the interesting world that Marissa Meyer created. As far as fairy tale retellings go, I found this one to be interesting. Most of the retellings I've read seem to take place in modern or present time. A few have taken place in the future, like A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan, but Cinder not only takes place in the future, but a dirty, gritty world after a few wars. I like that there are humans, androids, cyborgs, lunars, etc...I do find it a little hard to believe that in the future we would treat cyborgs as second class citizens. It seems like most of them had an accident and had a body part replaced, like a leg or an organ, etc...I would believe that we would actually herald that a success in medicine an advancement, from what we can currently do for our soldiers and other accident victims today. But alas, I went with it while reading the story. 

I like description of the vendors in the market. It almost reminded me of Aladdin of all things. The lunar people are scary and mysterious. The plague is obviously scary as they still haven't located a cure. Those who catch it are sure to die a painful death and it's so easily spread. 

Overall, a very appealing set up to a series. I already have the next book in my possession and plan on reading it very soon.

If you like fairy tale retellings, you might also want to check out, A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan or Beastly by Alex Flinn (book is way better than the movie that turned the beast into some goth guy). If you like stories with a little more science fiction, you might like one of these two stories that take place in space, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan or Across the Universe by Beth Revis. You might even like Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien.

My Rating: