Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Everyone knows the traditional Cinderella story.  A young lady lives with her step-mother and step-sisters after the death of her father.  She is treated poorly, living in squalor, until one day she magically ends up at the ball dancing with a prince, changing her life forever.  Cinder follows this premise in a loose manner, but the title character is a cyborg that finds herself amidst a national security crisis that the prince also happens to be involved.

Being a fan of fairy tales and their retellings, I had to give Meyer's tale a try.  BUT, to be honest, I began reading with apprehension.  Would she be able to pull this off and still be true to the honor of fairy tales?

The answer:  I was very pleasantly surprised!  Cinder is part human, dealing with emotions (or lack thereof) of being part machine.  She is a strong woman that can hold her own, without playing the damsel in distress for a prince to rescue.  The love story still exists, but has a modern twist that fits perfectly into the science fiction play on a traditional tale.  I truly look forward to the sequel Scarlet to find out what adventures Cinder encounters next and what other fairy tale characters may be introduced.

Have you stepped into Cinder's shoes yet?  Did the sci-fi twist work for you?