CINDER is a retelling of the classic fairy tale but it is definitely NOT the “Cinderella” you might remember from your childhood OR from the landmark animated film. It is Meyer’s debut novel and has all the relevant elements of the original fairy tale: a teenage girl trying to find herself, an 'evil' stepmother and two step-sisters, a (sort of) missing ‘shoe’, a not-to-be-missed royal ball, and a prince with no clue about who (or what) the main character really is. But the story has a science fiction edge, taking place on a futuristic Earth more than 100 years after a devastating World War IV and has Cinder dealing with not only prejudice but also a deadly plague, and interplanetary politics.
The title character, Cinder, is a 16-year old mechanic who lives in New Beijing, capitol city of the Asian Commonwealth. She also happens to be a cyborg which makes her a second-class citizen in the eyes of everyone else including her step-mother Audrey who has two daughters of her own. Audrey is the widow of Garan, the scientist who adopted Cinder as a child after 'repairing' her but she sees Cinder only as a source of income, not as a member of the family.
The story also deals with Prince Kai, the future ruler of the Commonwealth and Cinder's romantic interest. They meet one day when Kai asks her to fix a family android that he needs repaired before the upcoming royal ball; it contains vital information he needs as soon as possible. Although Kai appears interested in her and Cinder is attracted to him, she is sure he would reject her if he learned she is a cyborg -- so she doesn't tell him. Kai is worried about the incurable plague which has been killing his people for years and now threatens the life of his father, the Emperor. And as the heir, he must now deal with his nation's dire economic and political situation, especially the ruthless and powerful Queen, Levana of Luna who is determined to marry Kai.
I wanted to listen to the book and was given access by the publisher to an advance digital audio copy to review before the January 3rd release. The narrator, Rebecca Soler provides Cinder with an appropriate young voice and gives distinctive voices to the other characters with her fully-voiced reading. And although CINDER is marketed for a Teen audience, I think many adults would enjoy the book and/or audio even if they, like me, discover the mystery of Cinder's background early on in the story.A view-alike might be the current ABC fantasy television series "Once Upon a Time." According to the publisher, CINDER is the first of four books in The Lunar Chronicles; a futuristic series which will continue with alternate versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White.
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