Thankfully, my fears didn't materialise.
Cinder is a retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella, but it's not a retelling you'll recognise. Yes, there are stepsisters, a stepmum and a prince, but Cinder is a cyborg, she's living in New Beijing, there's a mysterious disease that's been killing people for years, and there's a colony on the moon (Lunars) ruled by an evil queen call Levana.
Meyer has created a tightly formed novel, the first in a series, following the trials and tribulations of Cinder. Where Cinderella in the original story was a damsel waiting to be rescued, there's nothing helpless about Cinder. Sure, she's locked in a situation she doesn't want to be in, but she fights at every step to make her life better - something made all the more admirable considering the miserable existence she lives.
The strong prince role still exists in Cinder, but Prince Kai is far more complex and far more human than the floppy haired fairytale princes that adorned stories from childhood. The world within Cinder is not idealised in any way, there's no redemption for uglier characters, no forgiveness or looking past bad deeds, and certainly no happy ending.
Cinder is an engaging, thought-provoking novel and it made me wonder whether society (and the gender balance within it) would be different at all if children were told stories where it was okay to be different and where people pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps, rather than told saccharine-filled, idealistic, unrealistic fairytales. That's a discussion for another time though.
I said in my review I'd nearly rather read this book to a child than a fairytale! So I agree with your comments :-)
ReplyDeleteI know it's still fiction, but I think the messages in it are probably more realistic than the messages in most fairytales.
DeleteSarah
I too really enjoyed reading Cinder! I was surprised to read in other reviews that some people felt as though Kai was a flat, underdeveloped character. I didn't see that at all. I definitely think he is complex and much more interesting than your standard faitytale prince and I cannot wait to see how he develops more as the series continues.
ReplyDeleteI liked Kai. I think the conflict he felt throughout the novel really worked, and made him well rounded. I'm reading Scarlet at the moment, and am enjoying what I'm seeing so far.
DeleteSarah
I'm glad you ended up enjoying the book. I feel that way too--worrying about whether a book's been hyped up too much. I was a little let down with Anna and the French Kiss and even though I loved the book, Graceling too. They got too much hype to fit my 5 star rating. Great review!
ReplyDeleteSandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
Thanks! I find expectation can really put a damper on reading a book/watching a film etc, so I was relieved when I got to the end of Cinder and found I'd enjoyed it all.
DeleteSarah