Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cinderella as a futuristic cyborg. Pretty cool.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 20 parent reviews
Parents say this book offers an intriguing modern twist on the classic Cinderella story, featuring a strong and independent female protagonist who is a cyborg. While many users praise the engaging storytelling and positive themes suitable for young teens, some critiques note a preference for less science fiction and find parts of the narrative slow-paced.
- strong female lead
- modern adaptation
- engaging story
- positive themes
- mild content
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 166 kid reviews
What's the Story?
While manning her mechanic booth to make money for her lazy stepmother, Cinder is shocked to see Prince Kai approach her. Can she fix his tutor droid for him? A little bit of flirting later, she has the job -- and the hope that he never finds out that under one work glove, a pant leg, and a shoe, her body is melded with metal parts thanks to a horrible accident she doesn't remember. She does remember getting adopted at age 11 and her guardian dying of the dreaded letumosis, leaving her with a stepmother who despises cyborgs and Cinder's two stepsisters. Cinder thinks her stepmother's threat to volunteer her as a letumosis test subject is an empty one until one of her stepsisters gets sick and is sent to die in quarantine, right before the big ball. While Cinder thinks she's being sent to her death as well, she's in for a big surprise. It turns out she's a lot more valuable to the planet than as a simple lab rat.
Is It Any Good?
If you're going to mix a worldwide pandemic with imminent war against a crazed, brainwashing totalitarian leader, adding a fairy-tale mash-up is a grand way to lighten things up. There's political maneuvering and lots of talk of what-ifs that slow CINDER down, but it's easily forgiven as the ball approaches and Prince Kai tries to invite Cinder one more time. Maybe she'll change her mind? Maybe he won't mind that she's one-third machine?
Readers can only hope. Especially if they're savvy enough to guess more of Cinder's secrets. In fact, could they be too obvious? Whether or not there's a surprise ending in Cinder, there's still enough of a cliffhanger to keep readers eager for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fairy tale Cinderella. What's the same here? What's wildly different?
Talk about freedom vs. peace: a core concern for Prince Kai. If you had to give up one for the other, which would it be?
Cinder is another vision of a future society. How does it compare with other books set in the future? Is there a future world in a book that you wouldn't mind living in?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Fairy Tales )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Feiwel and Friends
- Publication date : January 3, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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