Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Purchased

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My thoughts: 

When I bought this book, Marissa was on her book tour and Cinder and just been released. I knew there was a lot of hype surrounding Cinder but for some really it just didn't appeal to me.  I had never read anything dealing with cyborgs and honestly I thought the was weird-striking-but weird, nonetheless. So I bought the book in April of last year and I'm telling you, it sat on my shelf for a least 6 months and my blogger friends kept asking me if I had read it yet! I pretty sure I read it just so that I could say yes when they asked me again. Even though I wish I had read it earlier and that I hadn't waited so long, I'm glad I read it later because it was really fresh in my mind for when I read Scarlet!

I cannot believe how completely involved I got into Cinder! I loved the futuristic setting, the mystery of the moon colony and the Lunars' powers, the part cyborg people, the cultural Chinese elements mixed in with a heart warming boy meets girl story. Cinder is a very exciting adventure that had me turning pages until the very last chapter!

I can honestly say that I liked, if not loved all the characters. Cinder in very endearing and charming in the way that she is somewhat an airhead and a tomboy with a little sarcastic wit. She is so likable and one of those characters that I wish was a close friend in real life. Kai is definitely the embodiment of prince charming; he is a swoon worthy gentleman! But above all my favorite character is Cinder's bot personality Iko! She was definitely the comic relief and had me rolling with her blunt statements! 

Cinder was a true highlight of 2012 and had me anxiously awaiting the release of Scarlet! It's really a very unique novel in a sea of YA novels that tend to feel the same. If you're reading this review and you STILL haven't read Cinder, read it right now! Right this minute! 

Win a Couple of Books by Kate Ellison!

Rules:

• US and Canada ONLY! 
• No cheating! I will find out and you will be disqualified.
• Must be 13 years or older to enter.
• Winner will be contacted by email and given 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
• Giveaway provided by Egmont.
• Elegantly Bound Books and Egmont are not responsible for any books that are lost or stolen in the mail.

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Stacking the Shelves (27)

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

I've had a very exciting week and I hope you guys got some great books as well!

For review:

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Flicker & Burn by T.M. Geoglein

Huge thanks to Putnam Juvenile for the welcome surprise :)

From the Library:

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Every Day by David Levithan

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson

Purchased:

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday (85)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Hitting the Shelves: May 07, 2013

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they've been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her. But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

Can you say super creepy? DEFINITELY! 

Blog Tour: Giveaway of Nobody and Every Other Day!

Rules:

• US and Canada ONLY! 
• No cheating! I will find out and you will be disqualified.
• Must be 13 years or older to enter.
• Winner will be contacted by email and given 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
• Giveaway provided by Egmont.
• Elegantly Bound Books and Egmont are not responsible for any books that are lost or stolen in the mail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves (26)

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

I had way too much fun at the library this week and I definitely got way too many books! Haha! Oh well.

Library:

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Crash by Lisa McMann

The Essence by Kimberly Derting

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shephard

Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The Field Guide by Holly Black

The Seeing Stone by Holly Black

Purchased:

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (Recommended by Thuy & Katie!)

Review:

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (OMG!!!! So excited! Thanks Netgalley)

Emblaze by Jessica Shivington (Netgalley)

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield (Edelweiss

Another Little Piece by Kate Kayrus Quinn (Edelweiss)

Reboot by Amy Tintera (Edelweiss)

Review: The Archived

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived #1
Publisher: Hyperion
Source: ARC from publisher

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

My thoughts: 

As soon as I read the synopsis for The Archived I knew that I would pretty much do whatever it took to get my hands on a copy! Luckily they were giving them out like candy at ALA so I didn’t have to resort to biting anyone to get a coveted copy; I just had to ask. I love the smoky mystery of the cover and a world where souls sit on shelves like books!

There were so many great aspects to this story! Discovering this world where the archived souls were housed was so interesting and figuring out how order and seniority worked with those who worked at “the library”. And then we get the mystery of the very old apartment building that she just moved into. And then the question of why another Keeper has been assigned to the same territory as Mac and why are there so many Histories running around? So many great questions are explored in this first installment of this very exciting new series!

I really loved the dynamics between the characters and their relationships with each other. Even though Mac is not close with her parents it’s evident that she is devastated by the death of her grandpa who also trainer her. Every time there was a flash back to one of their conversations I found myself getting chocked up and moved by their relationship.

 
Some of my favorite parts of the book were when Mac was doing a little detective work and trying to figure out the mystery of what happened in her apartment building many years ago. I love reading about other times, especially being able to see past memories. 

This is such a great book and I think it will appeal to many readers! It has a great adventure and an exciting mystery that did not disappoint me!