Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):  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.

And here's what I thought:   I enjoyed this book.  I thought the author did a really neat trick with the story, using some of the elements of the traditional Cinderella story, and then turning things around and giving them a futuristic, sci-fi setting and main character.   It makes for an interesting book --- just when you think you might know where the story is going, or what's going to happen next, there's a twist.   I felt that Cinder Linh, our main character, was realistically written (personality-wise, although the cyborg elements also were well-written and made sense), and the story progressed along with an even pace.   She's not the only well-written character, however --- even the supporting characters, like Prince Kai and Cinder's sisters, are well-rounded.  

If you're not someone who reads a lot of science fiction, don't let that scare you away from this book.   The science fiction elements of it are just part of the story, and while they do drive the story, and some of the decisions that Cinder makes, there's a lot to enjoy in this story: adventure, a bit of romance, a bit of mystery --- and an overall good story. 

First sentences:  The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle.  Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another.  By the time it was extracted far enough for her to wrench free with her prosthetic steel hand, the hairline threads had been stripped clean.

Thoughts on the cover:   Perfect!  Eye-catching, and gets across the cyborg/mechanical aspect of the story.  And I love the font of the title -- very cool!

Please note:  I read an ARC of this book, so any quotes/page numbers may differ upon final publication -- which is set for January, 2012.