From the publisher: 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.

My review: Based on the classic tale of Cinderella but set in a futuristic new world, “Cinder” is a book about a young cyborg who longs for freedom from her stepmother and step-sisters. But Earth is being overwhelmed by a sickness that’s killing thousands in a matter of days.

Desperation to find a cure leads the palace to start drafting cyborgs for testing, since they’re less than human, and sweeps Cinder in with the rest. But something happens when she’s being poked and prodded and injected with the virus —something Cinder never expected.

Spokane author Marissa Meyer does a superb job crafting everything in her story with amazing detail. The world is rich, the characters deep, and the plot intricate. As soon as you jump into the book, you’re there in New Beijing with Cinder, falling in love with the prince, finding out about her past, and trying to escape to a life of freedom.

“Cinder” has it all — a futuristic world, a moon colony of Lunar people bent on world domination, a classic fairy tale turned modern, love, risk, secrets and action. I loved every single second of this book and I can’t WAIT for the movie.

My rating: Must read.