This book takes place in the Eastern Commonwealth of New Beijing in the future, and it is the first book in “The Lunar Chronicles” series. Linh Cinder is a cyborg that lives in the Eastern Commonwealth. She wants to escape her dutiful life where she isn’t treated properly by her stepmother, Adri, and her stepsister, Pearl. Although, her other stepsister, Peony, is kind to Cinder, and she treats Cinder like she is her sister. One day while Cinder is in the market she meets Prince Kai, who is the son of the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth, and Kai tells her to fix his android. Soon after, Peony becomes overwhelmed by the disease of letumosis, and Cinder is taken for the cyborg drafts, which are trials that are performed on cyborgs to test the antidotes of the letumosis disease. Now, Cinder must find a way to escape, help the scientists with the letumosis disease, or decide whether she will attend the ball. The question is, what choice will she make?
When, I first looked at the cover of this book, I didn’t think that it would be a very good book because of the image of a mechanical leg, although when I kept reading the book, I realized that the plot line is very exciting. I love that the plot is intriguing and keeps the reader on edge for more. The benefits and the losses of the book add much more character and exhilaration to the way that it is written. My favorite component of the book is that the author always leaves you either on a cliffhanger or on a section that leaves you thinking; I enjoyed the different aspects and stories that come together to form a good novel.
I think that one of the most memorable parts of the book was when Cinder met Dr. Erland. This is because he took her in and did not judge Cinder for her being a cyborg. Dr. Erland and Cinder bonded through their tests of letumosis and learned many different things about each other which impacted both of their lives, and it created a secret bond between both of them. This part of the novel showed that there are people in the world who will judge others for what they seem that they are, although the “Dr. Erlands” of the world will look deep inside of people and find that there is more to them than what it seems.
Reviewed by Natasha, Grade 6, Twin Hickory Area Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 