When I first came upon Cinder in my search for new Young Adult literature to read, I was immediately hooked. A cyborg Cinderella living in a dystopian New Beijing sounded extremely interesting. In my opinion, the book delivers on this promise.
Cinder is working as a mechanic, supporting her stepmother and her two stepsisters. When she was still a child she had to have major surgery that transformed her into a cyborg. Her life before the change is a mystery to her and her family as she was adopted right after the surgery and has no memories before this. Her stepmother resents her, blaming her for her husbands death and for being a cyborg but still relies on her work as a mechanic to finance the family. When the prince brings his broken android to Cinder her life begins to spiral out of control. There is a deadly virus threatening her family, she is afraid prince Kai might resent her for being cyborg and the empire is in danger of invasion.
A lot of people have laughed after I told them about the book. Cyborg Cinderella, Aliens and Androids. But the book manages to update a classic fairytale into something much more interesting. Keeping all of its major elements (the boot, the prince, the stepmother) and changing them into something that is much more modern and complex.
One of the major points within the narrative are Cinder's experiences of discrimination as a cyborg. They give the story much more depth (and modern verisimilitude) then her being vaguely hated for being poor and a stepchild. And while it is a Young Adult story, the author does not shy away from the darkness inherent in the original. My only criticism might be that the book (as it is the first in a series) ends within the story at a time where I would have liked to have at least some closure. Still, Cinder for me exemplifies how to update a classic fairytale, taking the major themes, referencing iconic moments and still presenting a fresh new take.
Cinder is working as a mechanic, supporting her stepmother and her two stepsisters. When she was still a child she had to have major surgery that transformed her into a cyborg. Her life before the change is a mystery to her and her family as she was adopted right after the surgery and has no memories before this. Her stepmother resents her, blaming her for her husbands death and for being a cyborg but still relies on her work as a mechanic to finance the family. When the prince brings his broken android to Cinder her life begins to spiral out of control. There is a deadly virus threatening her family, she is afraid prince Kai might resent her for being cyborg and the empire is in danger of invasion.
A lot of people have laughed after I told them about the book. Cyborg Cinderella, Aliens and Androids. But the book manages to update a classic fairytale into something much more interesting. Keeping all of its major elements (the boot, the prince, the stepmother) and changing them into something that is much more modern and complex.
One of the major points within the narrative are Cinder's experiences of discrimination as a cyborg. They give the story much more depth (and modern verisimilitude) then her being vaguely hated for being poor and a stepchild. And while it is a Young Adult story, the author does not shy away from the darkness inherent in the original. My only criticism might be that the book (as it is the first in a series) ends within the story at a time where I would have liked to have at least some closure. Still, Cinder for me exemplifies how to update a classic fairytale, taking the major themes, referencing iconic moments and still presenting a fresh new take.
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