Cinder
Why, on earth, did I buy the next book before I finished this one? That was really stupid. That was really, really stupid. Because by the time I finished this one I hated it so much I wanted to fling my Kindle.
The story was okay. A steampunk-ish retelling of Cinderella – nifty. The additional element of a plague that terrifies everyone – fine. The additional additional element of lunar colonists who have become quite different from those still on earth … okay… There was a lot going on, and at times it was annoying. And I just really, really wasn't interested in the Lunars. The plot would pick up, and I would be engaged for a while – and then Levana would pop up again and I'd sigh. She had to be one of the most cardboard, predictable villains I've seen in recent years: basically, in any given situation think of the worst thing a character could say or do, and wait for her to say or do it. It got old.
Actually, all of the baddies were like that. The wicked stepmother was fairy tale wicked, with no real reason. At least one of the stepsisters was just the same – with the added irritation of a really appalling display of either "behold what an awful character I am" or "oops, the author forgot what should have been going on in this scene": without spoiling anything, there should have been one overriding powerful emotion in the scene (view spoiler), but instead the sister was smirking and mocking and being an all-around bully.
I found the writing somewhat shocking. In many places it seemed as though it was written by a teenager (was it? No, according to her blog she's married). The best example: "like tendons stretched to the max". Ew, like totally grody. There were so many odd little did-you-pay-attention-in-English-class errors: "make you look less accusatory at me." "Prime Minister Kamin of Africa grunted most unladylike." Odd – or outright incorrect – phrasing. It was one of the only consistencies of the book.
So maybe I shouldn't have been so very surprised when one character told another, "come meet me in Africa." Well, but gosh; it's a big country.
The story was okay. A steampunk-ish retelling of Cinderella – nifty. The additional element of a plague that terrifies everyone – fine. The additional additional element of lunar colonists who have become quite different from those still on earth … okay… There was a lot going on, and at times it was annoying. And I just really, really wasn't interested in the Lunars. The plot would pick up, and I would be engaged for a while – and then Levana would pop up again and I'd sigh. She had to be one of the most cardboard, predictable villains I've seen in recent years: basically, in any given situation think of the worst thing a character could say or do, and wait for her to say or do it. It got old.
Actually, all of the baddies were like that. The wicked stepmother was fairy tale wicked, with no real reason. At least one of the stepsisters was just the same – with the added irritation of a really appalling display of either "behold what an awful character I am" or "oops, the author forgot what should have been going on in this scene": without spoiling anything, there should have been one overriding powerful emotion in the scene (view spoiler), but instead the sister was smirking and mocking and being an all-around bully.
I found the writing somewhat shocking. In many places it seemed as though it was written by a teenager (was it? No, according to her blog she's married). The best example: "like tendons stretched to the max". Ew, like totally grody. There were so many odd little did-you-pay-attention-in-English-class errors: "make you look less accusatory at me." "Prime Minister Kamin of Africa grunted most unladylike." Odd – or outright incorrect – phrasing. It was one of the only consistencies of the book.
So maybe I shouldn't have been so very surprised when one character told another, "come meet me in Africa." Well, but gosh; it's a big country.
5
2
 - Marissa Meyer)
