[ Scarlet is a continuation of Cinder, the 1st book of The Lunar Chronicles. ]
In the beginning, we meet Scarlet Benoit, whose grandmother has gone missing, and Wolf, a street fighter with information that could serve as tools to knowing the grandmother’s whereabouts.
Despite her lack of trust with the stranger, she agrees to let him help in searching for her grandmother, and together they meet Cinder and Thorne, who broke out of prison and is on the run as wanted fugitives.
The four band together to put an end to Levana's rule and to try to put a stop to a wedding that could potentially ruin both the lives of Earthen citizens and Lunars.
Scarlet is a fast-paced book with more adventures than Cinder, and although I didn’t like it more than the previous installment, it was a very enjoyable read.
1+ Did the story develop well? [ 8 / 10 ]
Like Cinder, Scarlet is fast-paced.
When we got introduced to Scarlet, the building of the story was slow and steady. Nothing much was happening, and we were learning about her grandmother’s disappearance through her narrative.
It perhaps has something to do with Scarlet having a longer length than Cinder, but everything was going at a slower rate, and that’s not a bad thing, since we can really have the chance to see the story unfold.
The middle part of the book, from what I can recall, is when things really started to pick up.
Cinder and Thorne discovered and was, at that point, also looking for Michelle Benoit (the grandmother), Kai is firm in going through with the marriage alliance even though he can’t help but think of Cinder ALL the time, and Scarlet and Wolf finally getting some lead on the grandmother’s location.
It was from that point on that I literally couldn’t put the book down.
The climax was great too, and like Cinder, it ended in an absolute cliffhanger.
I remembered being so hurried in getting my hands on the next book, Cress (which I’ve finished reading by the time I wrote this review), just because I couldn’t get over Kai and that ending. (Also mentioning that IF you’re wondering whether Cress is any different in its ending, I’ll tell you now, it’s not. You’ll be surprised at how much of a cliffhanger the book ended.)
Overall, the story developed well, and the new information about the Lunar world given was enough to satisfy me.
There were some parts that were predictable and easy to guess was headed onto that path, but it was enjoyable reading until the end.
I loved how the story lines came together by the time the story concluded, and for that reason, I give the story development a rating of 8/10, despite its predictability.
2+ Were the characters developed well? [ 7 / 10 ]
In terms of character development, I’d say it wasn’t as neatly done, but it was, for the most part, okay.
Cinder, Kai, and Iko remained as main characters, but we didn’t really see much of them in the book, what with its multiple POVs and all, but I loved the moments they had.
The characters of Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf were done well, and I had a fun time reading about them, however, I fear that there just isn’t a lot to say about their (especially Scarlet’s) personality.
Thorne, with his funny banters and quirky character, served as a comic relief in the midst of all seriousness in the book, and because of that, he became one of my FAVORITES in the series.
Wolf was good too. He was shy and quiet, which was perfect to go along with Scarlet’s toughness, but when speaking of their romance as a whole, it didn’t feel as complete as Cinder and Kai’s crush-love.
Their romance was more of an insta-love. I’m not one to hate on that trope, and I think that if it’s done well, it is just as good as other romances. However, for Scarlet and Wolf, that wasn’t the case.
Their relationship didn’t seem realistic and felt forced, but they did have their own cute moments, so I won’t complain too much.
As for Cinder and Kai, they didn’t appear a lot, but in the scenes they did appear, nothing much was done in terms of their character development.
And unfortunately, unlike what I had hoped, Cinder and Kai didn’t interact (at all) in the book. That doesn’t mean I shipped them any less though. They WERE and still IS my No. 1 ship, and I can’t wait for the day Levana goes out of the picture and they finally get their happily ever after.
3+ Was the setting and world(s) well-built? [ 10 / 10 ]
Just like in the previous installment, the Lunar world still was as magical as ever, and I can’t help but wish I was in their world instead. (Maybe not in Luna, but somewhere in New Beijing.)
Some pointed out that the writing on the wolves wasn’t researched enough and the information given out was not accurate, but as I am not an expert in that, I wasn’t bothered at all.
For those who fancy the subject though, do be aware as you read through.
Anyway, there’s nothing much to say and my rating on the worldbuilding will still be 10/10.
4+ Did it give so many feels? Did you think about it all the time? [ 8 / 10 ]
I can’t begin to describe my emotions as I read through the book.
Excitement, happiness, angriness, a little bit of boredom, but complete enjoyment all the way to the end.
I lived for Cinder and Thorne’s cute interactions, and (apologies to Kai in advance) I couldn’t help but imagine if they were the ones that ended up together instead.
Cinder’s determination and fierce personality + Thorne’s quirkiness and flirty ways could blend together so perfectly and their ship would be so cute, however, my heart will be for #KaiDer forever.
Nonetheless, they make such an adorable side ship.
Scarlet and Wolf’s romance was heart-fluttering in some parts too, but as I said above, it just felt so insta-lovey that I couldn’t ship them as much as I wanted to.
The action-filled scenes were so exciting and so fast and it gave me so much adrenaline, which was the same for Cinder too. Those parts were probably one of the reasons I loved Marissa’s writing so much.
5+ Was it enjoyable enough to want to read again? [ 6 / 10 ]
Not as much as Cinder, but it definitely has the capability to entertain a reader all the way to the end.
But when the time comes for me to reread the series, I’d probably choose to skip this one, and read the other installments instead.
It’s enjoyable though, and I feel like this sequel was the perfect sequel to Cinder.
snowghoul
theartofmadeline