Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is a book I wish I could read again for the first time, and I often recommend it for middle grade (MG) readers who are graduating to young adult (YA) for the first time. The Lunar Chronicles took me by major surprise because my seventh grade self thought its premise (cyborg Cinderella) would be far too weird. Thus I have a lot of affection for it.

What I talk about in my little insomniac voice note discussion:

• how it’s a little easier to avoid “analysis/writer” brain automatically clicking on when rereading a childhood favorite (different from standards, which always exist!)
• our preference for existing IP or retellings overall, and how that ties into some publishing conversations about fanfiction, re-releases, etc.
• the pursuit of a “high concept” plot
• the fantasy vs. folklore split

The voice note is 15 minutes long, and I tend to prefer listening (to my own voice, lol) at roughly 1.3x speed.

Related Books:

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton; Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor; The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh; Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

About Cinder

The first book in the #1 New York Times- and USA Today-Bestselling Lunar Chronicles series by the “Queen of fairytale retellings,” Marissa Meyer, like you’ve never seen it before, now with new cover art! See where the futuristic YA fairytale saga all began, with the tale of a teenage cyborg who must fight for Earth's survival against villains from outer space.

"An interesting mash up of fairy tales and science fiction . . . a cross between Cinderella, Terminator, and Star Wars." —Entertainment Weekly

The prince straightened, forcing her gaze to follow him. “You’re not quite what I was expecting.”

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

With high-stakes action and a smart, resourceful heroine, Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that is at once classic and strikingly original.