Title: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
1st Date of Publication: February 5, 2013
1st Date of Publication: February 5, 2013
ISBN: 9780312642969
# of Pages: 452
# of Pages: 452
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Age Rating: 13 (Death, Violence)
Book Description:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Setting: France and New Beijing in Futuristic Earth
Point of View: 3rd person- Scarlet Benoit and Linh Cinder
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Setting: France and New Beijing in Futuristic Earth
Point of View: 3rd person- Scarlet Benoit and Linh Cinder
Goodreads Rating: 4.31
My Rating: 4.50
Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both
View on the Cover: This cover is a little easier to figure out what fairy tale retelling this is; Little Red Riding Hood. I like how the cover still doesn't reveal a face but shows her scarlet-colored hair and her red hood running. It made me want to read the book. Why is the girl running? And, what is she running to or who is she running from?
View on Title: The script is yet again intriguing and beautiful. Since Cinder was about a girl who is named Cinder, I assumed immediately that the girl is named Scarlet based on the title.
View on Title: The script is yet again intriguing and beautiful. Since Cinder was about a girl who is named Cinder, I assumed immediately that the girl is named Scarlet based on the title.
Pros:
- I liked this book a lot more than the first, but I think that's because the Cinder had to set up a lot of information and kept you in the dark for reasons, which are eventually revealed in this book.
- Scarlet's rendition is different, but it makes the story unique. She's an ex-air force pilot/farmer's granddaughter who works for a restaurant. She desperately searches for her grandmother who has disappeared and she'll do anything to save her.
- I feel that Scarlet's character is much stronger than Cinder, but it could be that Scarlet is 18 and has more of an established identity while Cinder is 16 and figuring out who she really is.
- But not all is lost for Cinder, she begins to know more and more who she is. Unlike Scarlet's search, Cinder searches for her beginning and tries to make sense of how she became a cyborg while not remembering anything before 11 years old.
- The male counterpart characters get even better as the story continues
- Prince Kai becomes emperor in the middle of the first book. His character hasn't disappointed me yet. He is given the tough decision to marry Queen Levana because this marriage means life and death for the entire Earth.
- Carswell Thorne gets introduced at the end of Cinder when Cinder is put into jail. He is pretty cool despite being extremely flirtatious. He reminds me of the adorable guy that knows he's attractive but still can't get a girl. It makes him more lovable.
- Ze'ev Kelsey, or more commonly known as Wolf, is my favorite male character. He has a hidden secret and has to fight the power of doing what his leader tells him to do as he tries to help Scarlet in search of her Grandmére.
Cons:
- It was hard for me to nitpick this one, but I still would have appreciated the book if it was put in the first person. Again, the reason for that is the multiple main characters.
- I felt that there was not enough attention given to Emperor Kai because this series is just enough about him as it is about Cinder. I guess this could be because it is trying to focus more on the female characters rather than the male characters.
- I was a little confused about how Scarlet and Wolf get united with Cinder and Carswell Thorne. It was so sudden and disorienting between the two alternated chapters. I felt that the fight scene was the reason why the meeting became so sudden.
Critics' Reviews:
“The sci-fi elements are stronger than the fairy-tale allusions this time out, but the story remains just as absorbing. . . . Readers will be thrilled to discover that this steampunky fairy-tale/sci-fi mashup promises two more installments.” ―BCCB
“Returning fans of Meyer's Cinder will gladly sink their teeth into this ambitious, wholly satisfying sequel.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Returning fans of Meyer's Cinder will gladly sink their teeth into this ambitious, wholly satisfying sequel.” ―Publishers Weekly
“The author has stepped up the intrigue and plot from the first novel, and readers will be eagerly awaiting the next.” ―School Library Journal
Other Recommendations:
Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
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