Cinder

Gr 9 Up—The Earth of the future is beset by a plague and under threat of invasion by the Lunar people, residents of the moon. Teenage cyborg, Linh Cinder, is despised by her stepmother and forced to work as a mechanic to provide an income for her guardian and stepsisters. Cinder is the best mechanic in New Beijing and her skills are sought by Prince Kai to fix his personal android and recover the important data the machine possesses. Her life is irrevocably altered when her younger stepsister contracts the deadly letumosis and Cinder is sent by her stepmother as a "volunteer" for plague research, a fate no other cyborg has survived. Yet survive she does, and the implications of her unique physiology will have far-reaching consequences for the commonwealth and, possibly, the planet. Marissa Meyer's debut novel (Feiwel & Friends, 2012), the first in a planned quartet, presents a retelling of Cinderella with all the recognizable elements woven into this original, futuristic story. Narrator Rebecca Soler captures the determination and independence that make Cinder a compelling character despite the predictability of her true identity. Though not without flaws, the story will keep listeners engaged and awaiting the subsequent titles—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL