4.13.2013

Scarlet


The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a 4 book series that ties science fiction, fairy tales, futuristic politics and war, survival, and intrigue in one. The first two books in the series are available now and I suggest you run out and get them immediately. They're both spectacular. It all started with Cinder, you can check out my review here. The second in the series is Scarlet - a twist on little red riding hood. In Scarlet, things become much more involved and the story takes on a much deeper and darker shade. If you have not yet had the pleasure of diving into Cinder, you may want to stop reading here... or at least following the Scarlet synopsis. This review may give away some key plot points from 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.



Much like Cinder, the second book in the Lunar Chronicles is engaging and fast paced. Scarlet hints at little red riding hood, much like Cinder hinted at Cinderella. Without being overbearing or overtly obvious, both stories weave a little bit of the fairy tale into their stories. With Scarlet, the plot thickens and really takes off from Cinder. We left Cinder in question and Scarlet opens up where she left off. The neat aspect of Scarlet is that now a second person and voice is introduced. Not only are we following Cinder and her escape as she tries to uncover the truth about her past, but we are also following Scarlet as she is searching for her grandmother and the people who kidnapped her. The girls are essentially hunting for the same answers and their paths are intertwined as the story moves forward. Kai and Levana don't play as large a role in Scarlet. We are instead focused on Cinder and Thorne / Scarlet and Wolf. Again, Meyer did a spectacular job with characters. Scarlet and Wolf may be new additions to the series, but they are immediately interesting. The mysteries surrounding Wolf were instantly engaging. Meyer also did a fabulous job describing Wolf and the supernatural powers he is capable of- along with the other members of the Order. Not only are these men intriguing, but they are also a bit scary. I wasn't frightened, but I was definitely on edge when I was reading about the Order. As the story moves along, it continues to get darker and much more twisted. When the stories of Cinder and Scarlet collide, it is like an explosion. I was dreadfully disappointed that the story was over. The next book in the series, Cress, is not slated to come out until 2014. I honestly have no idea how I will wait that long. Meyer ended Scarlet with another great cliffhanger and will keep me waiting on the edge of my seat for Cress to come out.
Again, I highly recommend this series. It may be a "young adult" series but I think every reader would enjoy this. Science fiction, fairy tales, futuristic drama, politics, and even a tiny dash of hope and love... Scarlet (and Cinder) have a bit of everything for everyone.



This book is included in my Color Coded Challenge 2013 for RED




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