Cinder
Updated: Nov 28, 2022
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Meyer, M. (2012). The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder. Adfo Books. ISBN: 9780312641894
PLOT SUMMARY
Cinder, a gifted mechanic and a cyborg with a mysterious past, is blamed by her
stepmother for her stepsister's illness while a deadly plague decimates the population of
New Beijing, but when Cinder's life gets intertwined with Prince Kai's, she finds herself
at the center of an intergalactic struggle.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a sci-fi variation of the Cinderella story in which a girl named Cinder grows up as a cyborg due to a childhood accident that killed her parents. Cyborgs are considered second class citizens, so when she realizes that the hooded stranger who walks into her booth at the marketplace is Prince Kai, she hides her identity. An unfortunate chain of events links her inextricably with the prince and they both develop feelings for each other. But for Cinder, this makes things more complicated as her world continues to be turned upside down. Readers will enjoy discovering the easter eggs from this old favorite, yet it’s full of enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The author incorporates key elements of the fairy tale, so despite the improbability of a human and cyborg romance, readers will be rooting for the fairy tale ending of Cinder & Prince Kai. The book is fast-paced and interesting subplots keep the reader engaged. Despite the futuristic setting, the characters are plagued by prejudice, which makes this a more relatable story. This is a YA novel, but it would be appropriate for MG (middle grade) as well.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
There’s a lot of moving parts in this fresh spin on “Cinderella,” the first in a four-book
series. First, we’ve moved from a fairy-tale kingdom to a post–World War IV future in
New Beijing. Plagued by her stepmother and shunned by society for being a cyborg,
Cinder keeps her head down as the city’s best mechanic until she catches the eye of the dashing Prince Kai.
Booklist (October 15, 2011 (Vol. 108, No. 4))
AWARDS/HONORS
• Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 2012
• Publishers Weekly, Starred, 2011
• Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 2011
CONNECTIONS
Similar Items You May Enjoy:
• Fairest: Levana’s Story, by Marissa Meyer
• Cress, by Marissa Meyer
• Crashed, by Robin Wasserman
• Shattered, by Robin Wasserman
Classroom Applications
• Trace the main characters’ personal growth over the course of the novel.
• Create of movie poster for Cinder
• Discussion Guide
• http://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/wpcontent/
uploads/2022/08/Cinder-Teachers-Guide.pdf
• Explore Robots Project or Presentation
• Research/Multimedia presentation on flying cars
• Create a futuristic fairytale based on a traditional fairytale,
folktale, legend, or myth from any culture
• Create a comic strip from a scene in the book