Book #56 of 2018:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
A sci-fi retelling of Snow White / Cinderella is a great story idea, but I’m a little underwhelmed at how author Marissa Meyer has exectued it here. The villains are pretty one-note, the love interest is whiny and entitled, and there are some fairly severe worldbuilding and character issues that are never properly addressed. Why are cyborgs like Cinder — who are essentially just humans that have received lifesaving medical implants — treated as second-class citizens? Does the prince share this prejudice, and if not, how does he reconcile his nation’s policies? (Or if so, how does Cinder reconcile her feelings for him?) These are the sort of basic details that should undergird the plot, and by not developing them with clarity, Meyer is never able to get me to fully invest in her story.
This is the first book of a four-part series, but I see no reason to read any further on the basis of this one.
★★☆☆☆
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