Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles, Book Two

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Paperback

Published: 7^th February 2013

Number of Pages: 464

Book: For Review*

Genre: Dystopian, Science-Fiction, Action-Adventure, Romance, Fairy-Tale, Fantasy, Steampunk, Mystery, YA, Middle Grade, YA-MG Crossover

Recommended Age: 9+

Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing

Author's Site: Marissa Meyer

This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

                                                                   Review:

"This is war...  She's declared war on us…"

Linh Cinder discovered she was Lunar, tried to save the Emperor, got caught by the Queen Levana of Luna and arrested. 

So instead of being taken back to Luna and probably killed, Cinder breaks out of prison, taking American ex-cadet Carswell Thorne with her, and flees.  Thus making her Enemy Number One – and the most wanted person in the Commonwealth.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Benoit's Grand-mère vanishes and the police shut the case, claiming she's a crazy old woman who just wandered off.  But Scarlet knows something terrible has happened - that her grandmother has been taken by someone dangerous.

And the only person who can help her is the quiet, brooding streetfighter Wolf.

As they attempt to find Scar's grandmother, they stumble across Cinder and soon they're all wrapped up in a larger plot – to face the wicked Queen Levana and defeat her.

If they don't beat the Queen, Emperor Kai (the boy Cinder got arrested to protect) will become a prisoner – expendable.  And the Commonwealth will fall before the wrath of the vicious Lunar Queen...

I loved Cinder, when I read it so many years ago.  Somehow, I failed to read Scarlet as soon as it came out (I know, I'm insane – certifiable, in fact) and decided enough was enough: I had to know what happened next!  When I finally picked Scarlet up, I was worried for the poor book – time and my love of Cinder had built up sky-high expectations, ones I felt certain Scarlet could never live up to.  Man, I was wrong.  Scarlet... it just blew me away.  It somehow managed to be even better than Cinder – I didn't even think that was possible!  I just... I can't put into words how much I loved it – and how much I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner!

I adored the characters in the book – both the old ones and the new ones.  They're all so brilliant, so vibrant and real and amazing.  I'm a little blown away by how much I love all the characters (well, apart from Levana, Adri and the LSOP people)...

I'll start with the newest of our two heroines: Scarlet, who was a total badass – fearless and a little scary at times.  She was so protective and loyal and brave and funny.  All in all, another amazing heroine, just like the wonderful Cinder.

And speaking of Cinder – oh how I love her!  She's amazing and so very, very funny!  I love how resourceful, tough, vulnerable, clever and brilliant she is.  She's so strong, but prone to the teenage moments – c'mon, all teens have them – and she's also just so good.  I just love her – especially her new bickering with Thorne!

Wolf – oh, it is so clear to me that Meyer is capable of creating all kinds of book boyfriends I just fall for instantly.  He was intriguing, so mysterious, so broody and quiet and dangerous.  And so protective and good.  I was under his spell, intrigued by him, and by the end I was totally in love!  Him and Scar are perfect!

As for Carswell Thorne.  Is it wrong that I love him?  He is a criminal.  And a bit of a hound dog.  But he's also freaking hilarious.  And insane.  And amazing.  He was just such a doofus – such amazing comic relief in this fast-paced book.  He's freaking hilarious and I freaking love him to pieces!

Kai – oh, I love Kai!  We didn't see as much of him – no! – and had hardly any of him and Cinder together, but even when he was just in his office, dealing with royal advisors and crazy Lunars, he was brilliant.  He is such a good Emperor and I just love him.

Oh!  And how I loved seeing Iko again!  I love that little robot!  

Wow, that was a lot of character-related-rambling!  I just love them all so so much!

I loved the story in Cinder – it was engaging, addictive, fast-paced, exciting and amazing.  But Scarlet just took all of that and doubled it.  Thanks to the dual (sometimes triple) storyline that perfectly wove together, I was always on my toes, always utterly hooked, always excited and nervous and laughing and chewing at my fingernails (but not really, cause that's unhygienic).  And Meyer's awesome writing just enhanced all of this brilliant suspense, action and humour.  I loved how we got so many perspectives – Cinder, Scarlet, Thorne, Kai, even Levana.  We got to know so many characters, see so many interlinked stories, and it was just amazing.  Meyer is a master of words and story lines, no doubt about it!

I seriously love fairy tales.  I've read a lot of fairy tale retellings.  But the Lunar Chronicles world has to be one of my very favourites.  The 'princesses' are badasses, the carriages are high-tech space ships and the princes have to deal with homicidal alien queens – oh, and the singing-animal-sidekicks are witty little robots.  I mean, that's a million of my favourite things put together into one amazing, amazing series.  I'm literally one of the happiest bloggers in the universe when I pick up a Lunar Chronicles book – and trust me when I tell you I won't be daft enough not to read Cress just as soon as I've finished this review!

So yes, if you haven't gathered, I adored Scarlet.  I read it in just one sitting, staying up late to gobble it all up.  Meyer is truly a goddess and I utterly worship her.  Her books are so amazing, so addictive and brilliant, and I could just read about this world forever and ever.  Since that is probably impossible, I'm just going to read Cress.  I'm utterly hooked, completely under an enchantment, and I just can't stop with the Lunar kick right now!  

As far as addictions go, the Lunar Chronicles is one of the best – by far!  In fact, it is indeed one you will never, ever forget, or get over – or even want to get over.  I know I don't!  Hence the insane rambling and how I'm already picking Cress up...  

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Grisha by Leigh Bardugo

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Descendants by Melissa de la Cruz

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Crossed by Ally Condie

Series: Matched, Book Two

Publisher: Puffin

Format: ARC

Published: 24^th November 2011
Number of Pages: 384

Book: For Review*

Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Science-Fiction, Action-Adventure, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Violence, Death

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Site: Ally Condie

The Society chooses everything.

The books you read.

The music you listen to.

The person you love.

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed.  Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems…

A REBELLION IS RISING.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

Review:

Ky was taken from Cassia, sent to fight in a war with an unknown Enemy.  Cassia will do anything to get him back, including sacrificing everything.  So she follows him to the Outer Provinces to the place of the war, risking death.  Only to find that he has gone already, left with two others to save their lives.  Cassia follows again, this time joined by fellow work-camp girl Indie.  Bit something bigger is going on: a rebellion is rising, and it is larger than Cassia every thought it could be.  Could this rising have something to do with the mysterious Enemy Ky was sent to fight?  On the very brink of Society, nothing is what it first seems to be.

When I read Matched, I was stunned by the writing and the world.  I really couldn’t wait to get back there and find out what the hey was goin’ on in the Society!  And I found Crossed even better than Matched.  Beaufiul writing, forbidden love, death and a mysterious Enemy made Crossed faster-paced and way more interesting to me.  The new cast of characters only added to the new feel in a really, really good way.

Meet the new, improved Cassia Maria Reyes!  She’s actually fighting back, resisting, on the run.  And I am just loving the stronger version of her!  And, she’s still so clueless, so naive, so innocent: I loved seeing everything through her eyes – the most mundane things was wondrous and magical to her.  At the very end we see yet another whole new side of Cassia.  I can’t wait for Book Three, just to see where she goes next!

And Ky: I finally, completely understand what Cassia saw in him!  He’s been through so, so much, and knowing more about his background and everything he’s been through just made me fall totally in love with him.  He’s still fighting back, and I love the rebelliousness!  That boy totally has that hot-mysterious-tortured thing goin’ on! 

I was so pleased we got a brief glimpse of Xander – I love him!  He’s just so amazing, and wonderful, and I just love him.  But what I want to know is how he feels: does her looking for Ky feel like a betrayal?  Is he disappointed with Cassia?  Angry?  I want Xander’s words; I want to know how Xander feels.  Plus: he had a secret…  A big secret…

This time I could really feel both Cassia’s love for Xander: he feels like home for her, makes her feel better, and her love for Ky: he is like her in so many ways – strong, passionate, brave, and he’s a mystery, he intrigues her…  I could really feel it this time, Cassia and Ky’s love.  Their love just is so real to me now.  Therefore, I need the next book.  Because I finally get why Cassia couldn’t choose.  I couldn’t choose… ok.  I’m kinda leaning towards Xander… Still.

All the other characters were brilliant, and brought a whole new feel to the book.  I really liked Vick, who was slightly cynical and a natural leader.  Blunt and to-the-point, he too had fallen in love with someone he shouldn’t, which made me like him all the more.  Young Eli, also sent to fight the enemy, was cunning, brave and very clever, he was like a young Ky: I loved the young boy, and felt so sorry for him as well.  And Indie, Cassia’s only friend in the work camp, who was brave, quick-fingered and did whatever she wanted to.  I loved the mystery surrounding her, her inner fire and that she had a real vulnerable side: I loved the complicated Indie.

One thing I missed was the family feel.  I loved Cassia’s parents and brother and Grandfather, and of course Xander.  I wanted more Xander.  There were families in the Outer Provinces, but it wasn’t the same, and I hope we see more family bonds in the next book.

I was enchanted by the beautiful writing of Matched, and Crossed did not let me down!  The writing was lyrical, poetic, haunting.  And to be able to see both Ky’s and Cassia’s POV was genius on Allie’s part.  Their voices were similar enough to make me realise just how perfect they were for one another and different enough for me to be able to tell them apart.  And being able to see both POVs meant I could get to know Ky and his story: Ky wasn’t that jump-off-the-page for me in Matched, but in Crossed… I soon fell in love. Again.  But we want Xander to have chapters in the next book please Ally!  The plot in Crossed was faster and more exciting than Matched.  It was a real quest-like book and therefore more intense than just forbidden love (though there’s still plenty of that).  And again I found myself completely under Condie’s spell.  I have no idea how she does it.  I am pretty sure it’s the writing, but I needed to know what would happen.  I had to find out how it worked out. 

Again, I have to mention the amazing world Condie has created.  It’s so real, so scary, so… powerful.  I was obsessed with finding out everything.  And I loved that we finally got to find out why the Society was created!  And, worryingly, the reason makes sense…  It’s quite disturbing, actually.  And we get to know more about the Rising, the rebellion, Anomalies…

Love, trust, betrayal, searching, lost, found…  Crossed was a book that held me under its spell from start to finish.  I am now desperate for book three.  I NEED it!!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Matched by Ally Condie
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Chemical Gardens by Lauren DeStefano

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Puffin in exchange for an honest review

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles, Book One

Publisher: Puffin

Format: ARC

Published: 5^th January 2012

Number of Pages: 400

Book: For Review*

Genre: Dystopian, Science-Fiction, Action-Adventure, Romance, Fairy-Tale, Fantasy, Steampunk, YA, Pre-Teen

Recommended Age: 11+

Contains: Mild Violence, Death, Mild Swearing

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Site: Marissa Meyer

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

                                                                   Review:

Cinder is the best mechanic in the kingdom.  She’s also a cyborg.  A plague is sweeping through the land of New Beijing.  A manipulative alien queen is trying to force young Prince Kai into a marriage alliance, threatening his kingdom with war.  Cinder is stuck in the middle of it all, trapped by loyalties and her growing feelings for Kai.  When the truth behind Cinder’s mysterious past is revealed, it changes everything.  Caught between love and hate, freedom and war, Cinder’s actions could change the future forever…

Cinder, Cinder, Cinder.  Where do I start?  How do I describe the pure awesomeness that makes up this book?  Imagine the Cinderella fairy tale.  Now imagine it in a futuristic world, where Cinderella is a cyborg in a kingdom on the brink of war with a non-human race with freaky powers.   There’s also an incurable plague sweeping through the land.  And throw in a gorgeous prince with an irresistible smile, just for luck...  Ah, Cinder…  loved it!

Cinder herself was someone I liked straight away.  She was funny and sarcastic, as well as being totally awesome, with some really cool cyborg powers!  Cinder was just a really sweet person, who didn’t deserve any of the bad things that happened to her.  She was also the perfect heroine: kickbutt, strong, witty, caring and not perfect.  She was real.  I loved her, and seeing her grow into herself.

And Prince Kai (our very own Prince Charming) was really sweet and kind and down to earth.  And drop-dead gorgeous, obviously.  I found him really funny and brilliantly sarcastic.  And you just know that he would do anything for his people from the moment you meet him.  I loved him: I mean, forget Prince Charming, I want me a Prince Kai! 

Now, I just have to mention Iko, a little android with a unique personality.  She was so cute!  And funny.  She was like a totally juvenile (and freakin’ hilarious) teenage girl.  I never thought I could love a little robot as much as I loved Iko! 

The Lunas, the ones New Beijing was almost at war with were terrifying!  They were more-than-human-humans, with freaky mind-controlling powers.  They were the perfect ‘bad-guys’, for lack of a better word: scary, imposing with an evil, manipulative queen… 

Now, while I am aware this is a book, that the things in it are fantasy, the way the cyborgs were treated… it made my blood boil.  They were taken, against their will, and used as guinea pigs.  Treated like slaves, second class citizens.  It was a brilliantly crafted mirror of what has happened in the past in some cultures.

Before I say anything else, can I just say: I loved this world!  Cyborgs, androids, dashing princes, evil stepmothers.  It has seriously got to be the best Cinderella twist EVER!  And it was just insanely addictive, with a killer ending that has left me desperate for Book Two!

Although I managed to guess a few twists, I loved every turn Cinder took.  I loved the plot, I was never bored.  I was on the edge of my seat, unable to put it down.  I fell in love with all the characters – the amazingly strong Cinder, the adorable Iko, the sweet Peony, the gorgeous Kai.  I adored the relationships: the horrid one between Cinder and her stepmother, the amazingly slow and beautiful one between Kai and Cinder, the teacher-student bond between the brilliant Dr Erland and Cinder.  I just loved every moment of Cinder and I’ve been left desperate to know what happens next.  I need to get back into Cinder’s world!

The writing was amazing.  It was written so younger kids will love it, and instantly get stuck in, but so older readers can see some parallels between their world of the future and our past.  Discrimination, plague, wars, forced alliances.  Somehow Meyer managed to effortlessly weave the old with the new, the young and the old, the future and the past, science fiction and fantasy.  I was just sucked in, absorbed in the story.  Cinderella has been given a new lease of life in the brave Cinder, a kickbutt awesome heroine who most definitely trumps Disney’s princess.  And she felt real. Like I knew her, which is even more important for me.  Meyer nailed it!  In other, shorter words.

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Megan

* This book was received from Puffin in exchange for an honest review

Happy Reading

Matched by Ally Condie

Series: Matched, Book One

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Paperback

Published: 2^nd December 2010

Book: Bought

Genre: Dystopian, Realistic-Fiction, Science-Fiction, Romance, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Mild Violence, Drug References

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Site: Ally Condie

On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match.  Society dictates his is her perfect partner for life.

Except he’s not.

In Cassia’s society, Officials decide who people love.

How many children they have.

Where they work.

When they die.

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own.

And that’s when her whole world begins to unravel…

Review:

It’s Cassia Reyes’ seventeenth birthday, and she is just about to find out who her Match is, her perfect partner.  He has been chosen for her by Society, and they are meant to be perfect for one another.  Cassia is overjoyed by her Match: she can finally dream of him.  Only, she doesn’t.  And when she puts the chip that’s meant to contain his life, the face in the portscreen, she sees someone… someone who isn’t her Match.  But… that’s impossible.  No one can have two Matches, it’s just not possible.  Isn’t it…? 

I love me some dystopia, so Matched really didn’t disappoint.  The world was creepy.  The citizens basically brainwashed.  People fought back and fell in love with those they shouldn’t.  It was a bit slow, but for some reason I couldn’t stop reading.  I wanted to know how it would end; to see more of the world, the characters, the family love, the love triangle in particular.  I just felt like I had to keep reading!

Cassia was really imaginative, and actually quite cute!  She was very organised, but also ever-so poetic, both in her mind and writing.  The total trust she had in the Society creeped me out… but I liked that as the book went on, she became unsure, that there was a struggle, growth.  And, boy was she lucky, having two such gorgeous guys.  I felt sorry for her having to choose!  (Though I know who I’d choose!)  Cassia was really sentimental, brave and kind – and sort of a rebel!  I really loved her, but I did want her to stand up more, to fight more…  That was the biggest problem I had with her.

Xander: I loved him!  He was cute, adorably mischievous and very sure of himself... but in a totally irresistibly adorable way.  Plus: he was impatient to learn; so clever and so my kinda guy!  Clever, attentive Xander, who would risk everything for Cassia… Steady, always listening, so loyal, so brave…  Seriously, if Cassia doesn’t pick him, I will!  I loved him to pieces!   

Ky Markham was sweet and kind, but he always kept to himself.  Ky had perfected the art of being “exactly average”, of blending into the crowd.  He was also creative, sensitive, sweet, a romantic.  And he got Cassia: her need to remember the poems, her need to write.  He’s lost so, so much… and though he was reckless he never forgot who and what he was…

Cassia and Xander were perfect and too cute!  They’d been best friends since they were children, so they had loads of adorable little habits, and were always teasing one another.  They really did love one another: Their memories tied them to each other forever.  Their bond just felt so real…  Cassia and Ky, on the other hand, both had secrets that they shared only with one another; they really did know each other completely.  And, I could feel the chemistry…  But somehow it didn’t feel as real to me as Cassia and Xander’s.  I don’t know why…

The relationships between Cassia and her family were really sweet and strong; I could feel how much they loved each other.   Both parents would do anything to protect their children and each other.  The closeness and reality of the family life was really rather refreshing both in the Society and in other YA books – no disciplinarian parents with kids acting out against them here. The bond between Cassia and her brother Bram was really sweet too, with just the right amount of annoying one another and supporting one another.  And Bram himself was incredible: he was so, so strong, and was able to fight back with words that made me just love the kid to pieces. 

Speaking of which, I have to mention Cassia’s Grandfather really quickly: he was her role model, the one she went to him for advice, and I thought their relationship was really special and unique.  Her Grandfather himself was really kind and wise.  He was also mischievous, always making jokes.  He was just so strong, and wasn’t scared of anything: his own person with a mind of his own.  And I think he may have been my favourite character…

The plot wasn’t fast, it didn’t have me on the edge of my seat; I was just sucked into the world.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  And then… then I needed to know, I wanted to know more, and more and more.  And even though it was rather slow, it wasn’t dull for me.  I just love dystopias: they all have such clear (and often scary) messages.  This one gave us a peek at a life without freedom, and it scared the life out of me.  And, darkly enough, made me want to read more about it.  Plus, the ending?    If I didn’t already have Crossed, I think I may have gone mad.  And I still have questions.  So, so many questions…

And the world in this book scared the life out of me.  I mean, the Society chose everything.  Everything!  It was just so creepy, how everyone blindly followed what the Society told them, never fighting back, never resisting…  Everyone was brainwashed!  It was all so creepy, and so terrifying, and so believable.  Very.  Very.  Scary.

The writing… wow, it was beautiful, lyrical.  I fell in love with the voice – it was so Cassia.  And even though the pace was slow, I truly enjoyed Matched.  I just loved reading about the way Cassia saw everything – especially things from our time.  But, really, the writing enchanted me: it really was beautiful.  I could see everything, feel everything…  Stunning.

Beautiful, haunting, romantic and scary, I think Matched was a darn near perfect dystopian, with a hint of a love triangle thrown in.  I know who I’d want, but I have a feeling I’m rooting for the wrong team…

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Megan

Happy ReadingNumber of Pages: 366