Cinder is inspired by the story of Cinderella. In Meyer's version, Cinder is a cyborg - part girl, part metal and silicon. She lives in New Beijing, a part of the Eastern Commonwealth, the prince of which is our other main character, Prince Kai.
What I know of Cinderella is from the Disney movie, I haven't read any classic versions of it, so I may or may not have missed out on some nuances from that angle. I can't say.
Now, that having been said, I enjoyed Cinder for the most part. The plot was interesting enough and quick moving. I liked the characters, especially Kai, who was adorably sweet and polite. But, on the whole, I found it to be kind of average. It was technically good but it didn't have that spark that'll incite a fire in its reader. At least, it didn't for me anyway.
That shouldn't stop you from reading it, however. It was well worth the time. I did get lost in the story and I'll probably even read the sequels to see what happens next. It's only downfall is that it's missing something that I can't even name.
My final thoughts? While I really loved reading this book, it struck me as being a bit rushed and forgettable. But if you're looking for an interesting distraction about cyborgs, a new world and a little bit of romance, you may want to give it a shot. And who knows? Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.
