Cinder by Marissa Meyer

     I put off reading this book for quite a while because I just couldn't see myself getting into a book about cyborgs.  It sounded a little too Star Trekish for me.  However, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down!
     The story is set in the future and revolves around Cinder, a cyborg who lives in New Beijing.  In this futuristic society, cyborgs are considered to be second class citizens.  They have very few rights and are treated as slaves.  Cinder lives with her stepmother and stepsisters, and, like in the story of Cinderella, she is abused and mistreated by her family. Early on in the novel, Cinder and Prince Kai meet, and their lives become intertwined.
     It isn't long before readers learn that Cinder has a mysterious past.  She was involved in a terrible accident that required much of her body to be replaced with mechanical parts.  This is how she became a cyborg.  In addition to her mysterious past, readers also learn of a dangerous species called Lunars who appear to be human but who have powers that could destroy all humanity and earth as we know it.  The leader of the Lunars,  Queen Levana, plans to force Prince Kai into marrying her.  If he refuses, the Lunars will attack earth and kill millions.
     The twists and revelations that pop up at the end of the novel are great, and the subtle parallels to the story of Cinderella are intriguing.  Cinder is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series.  The story of Cinder and the Lunars continues in the sequels. The second book in the series is Scarlet (a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood), followed by Cress ( a retelling of Rapunzel), and Winter (a retelling of Snow White).