CATCHALL
I adored Cinder. It had everything I love: romance, intrigue, mystery, danger. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was such an enjoyable read that I had almost no complaints anyway. It was a fantastic read and I genuinely and absolutely adored it.
THE HEROINE
LINH CINDER
Cinder was a gorgeous, beautiful, and brave heroine. I didn't seem to be able to connect with her as well as I've connected with other heroines, but I liked her well enough. She was intelligent and didn't go around making stupid choices half of the time. She was also real and had feelings that were almost tangible in their realness. Although, she can be annoying and whiny sometimes. But all in all, I thought that Cinder was a very, very good heroine and I look forward to seeing her develop further.
THE LOVE INTEREST
CROWN PRINCE KAITO OF THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
Mmm. I really loved Kai. I thought it was marvelous that some parts of the book were told from his point of view. Otherwise, we would have barely gotten to know him. But this way, we get a genuine look at Kai and the person that lies inside, rather than just the person he is outside. He was a surprisingly deep character and I liked him more than Cinder. I may be biased. Oh well.
THE VILLAIN
QUEEN LEVANA OF THE LUNAR
Queen Levana was actually a surprisingly complex character. I didn't, however, see anything real about her, and this ruined her for me. Maybe she's a bit overly selfish, but seeing something a bit more human would really have moved me. Of course, she is not human, but, you know. Still. But in general, I thought she was fascinating.
THE STEPMOTHER
LINH ADRI
This is the point, obviously, but I really disliked Cinder's stepmother. Like, what is wrong with her? She foils Cinder quite nicely, though, I will admit. Also, she's kind of an interesting character. She does seem to have a few layers to her, we simply don't get to see them.
THE STEPSISTERS
LINH PEONY
Unfortunately, we really don't see very much of Peony. She's a shallow character, true, but she is also very sweet and cares genuinely for Cinder. I admire that in her, and I feel that with a little maturity she really could have grown to be an interesting and wonderful character. Alas.
LINH PEARL
Brat. Again, that was the point, but personally I felt it was a bit overly done and unnecessary. Still, I loved the dramatic foil and seeing Pearl cast against Cinder, and even Peony, was very interesting.
THE DOCTOR
DR. ERLAND
Because I forget his first name
I actually really liked the doctor, and he might actually be my favorite character. He felt deep on a level that the rest of the characters couldn't quite reach, and felt genuine where sometimes the other characters rang false. I am looking forward to seeing more of this somewhat mysterious character in future installments.
THE PLOT
This book kept me constantly guessing (except for one thing) and I could never tell just what was going to happen next. Even though some parts were predictable, it did not detract from the overall anticipation.
Each moment it felt as if something interesting was happening. Some parts dragged, others rushed, but but it all seemed to neatly balance out in the end.
Some events I could see coming, while others were completely unexpected! Cinder managed to keep me on my toes almost the entire time. It had a genuinely interesting plot line.
THE ROMANCE
The romance was sweet and not overbearing, and also not the main focus of this book. Au contraire, it is mostly a backdrop for the story thus far. Cinder and Kai definitely have some sparks flying, but Meyer doesn't force the relationship or try to rush them into things. Instead, she's given them gentle chemistry and let it built slowly, slowly, oh-so-slowly. It's beautiful to watch it develop and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more.
THE WRITING
I very much love Meyer's writing. It is lush and descriptive. While there is most definitely room to improve, there is also much potential already quite visible. Meyer has a talented hand and her voice is fresh, if a bit young. The amount of technical detail is astounding and beautiful.
THE ENDING
I really hate cliffhanger endings that force me to wait months to read the next book. However, I must honestly concede that this one is brilliant! It is absolutely perfect and a gorgeous way to close the book. I am in love with this ending that I hate!
WRAPUP
Hello, with an ending like that I have to read Scarlet! I will be greatly, greatly, greatly looking forward to it. I cannot wait to see Meyer grow as a writer and for Cinder to become still more complex. To sum everything up, I simply cannot wait!
FINE.