ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STUFF 'N' STUFF on 1/25/13, moved on 3/30/13
Never have I been so happy to sign up for a giveaway. For Cinder/Scarlet, no less! :)
Never Ending Stories has had a giveaway running for some time, and I just stumbled across it today! Basically, its where you read Cinder along with a bunch of other bloggers, and comment on it and stuff. So as soon as I can get my hands on a copy of Cinder, I'll be up-and-running!
And I can probably shoot up to chapter 24 by tomorrow, as soon as I get that copy from the library! Reading challenges have never been so exciting! >:)
The schedule that I just missed about half of:
2/5-Done (Last day to tweet) Scarlet by Marissa Meyer Released!
2/6-Winner's Announced!
And I'll post the comments on the chapters as soon as possible!
EDIT 1/31: FINALLY caught up! Good job, me! :D Will be going back and adding onto the comments--I'm updating at practically midnight, so I need some sleep before any of them become legible-er.
EDIT 2/1: Catching up on revisions. Have finished the comments, but will make visible per day assigned. If you wanna just read them, go ahead.
BTW, here's the official summary as from Goodreads:
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. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
EDIT 1/27: Ended up buying my own copy (yaaaaay, B&N! :D) and will be posting the comments ASAP!
And here's where I'll be postin':
CHAPTER#. QUOTE ~POV COMMENT<--the format for my commenting
If there is a suspiciously empty part of the post, highlight it! It may contain spoilers&such.
- Iko rolled to her side, clasping her metal grippers over her chest. 'Prince Kai! Check my fan, I think I'm overheating.' ~Iko, speaking to Cinder
- And so Iko makes herself loveable at the start by being our go-to fangirl (along with Peony!). ^^ I think that one of the first things I noticed, picking up Cinder about a year ago, was the font--I dunno who made it, but it's absolutely gorgeous! Fits the story very well, and pleasing to the eye as well. :)
- Cinder bit the inside corner of her cheek. Neither of them had ever sampled the acclaimed sweets of the market bakery. Iko didn't have taste buds, and Chang Sacha didn't serve cyborgs. ~Cinder
- Okay, can we just stop and acknowledge the fact that Cinder just acknowledged her metal/cyber persona? It's just deadpanned so well, like, yeah, my friend doesn't have taste buds. Problem? I mean, come on! Meyer just summed up Cinder's terrible life--she can't have any sweets b/c people hate who she is! Is this not a dilemma we should devote our time to?
- She would just end up sitting off the dance floor and making fun of the girls who were swooned to get Prince Kai's attention, pretending she wasn't jealous. Pretending it didn't bother her. Although she was curious about the food. ~Cinder
- Do you not understand? Her sweet-deprivation has led to this! (puts on fake Russian accent) VE MUST FIX DEES PROBLEM EEMEEDIATLEEEEEEEE! But all craziness/sugar-deprivation aside, it's really nice to sit back and see the romance unfold...although it feels more like a crush at this point.
- "I want to go to the ball," said Iko, gazing up at the horizon. "It's prejudice not to let androids attend."
- I dunno if it's just me, but every time I read "android" in this book, I automatically got to "phone!" before realizing that they mean the general robot-thingy. I hope Iko doesn't mind. ^^'
- "Peony--" She tentatively reached forward, but Peony stumbled back, swiping at her wet cheeks and nose. "Don't come near me! You'll get it. You'll all get it." ~Cinder
- ...And this is the chapter where Peony gets letumosis, the dreaded blue fever. ;________; God dangit, she's so selfless! Figures that the nice stepsister's the one to get the disease...Why do stories need these tragedies to keep the plot going? Whyyyyyy..... *goes to corner and sobs*
- Her interface did that sometimes--recording moments of strong emotion and replaying them over and over. Like déjà vu or when the last words of a conversation linger in the air long after silence has settled in.
- And you can totally tell that every time she does this, there'd have been an important plot point or sumthin'.
- Dr. Erland glared into the quarantine room, a growl humming in the back of his throat. Pulling his shoulders back, he tugged down on his lab coat. "Placebo him." ~Dr. Erland
- I honestly had no idea what a placebo was when I first read this, and it sounded vaguely threatening. But then I had this hazy memory of experiments from some science course I took a looong while ago, and realized that it meant the stuff they give to the control...oh, heck. Anyways, its harmless. Literally. Its just for show.
- Cinder hated it. Hated Adri. Hated the mad voice behind voice behind the mirror. Hated the nameless people who had turned her into this. ~Cinder
- Just wanna say at this point: the scanner, the med-droids, all that science-y stuff? That is so cool. Just...amazing. It's so cool, getting into her perspective, as a shunned part of society and everything.
- Green fireflies~ :D
- Why give her stuff back if they were going to kill her? ~Cinder
- Why indeed? Maybe its because she's immune to letumosis! :D
- "I don't know. I don't actually remember anything from before the surgery." His eyebrows rose, his blue eyes sucking in all the light of the room. "The cybernectic operation?" "No, the sex change." The doctor's smile faltered. ~Cinder
- Loving the total deadpan Cinder--she's hilarious! I mean, come on! Twilight ain't got nuthin' on this girl!
- "I have a plan. My plan is to not marry her. Diplomacy be damned." ~Prince Kai
- Aaaand the love interest, who is not interested in marrying someone. He's a very interesting character--he can sort of defend against the brain-washing voodoo of the Lunars. And Cinder is slated to fall in love with this dude! Their interactions are still quite awkward at this stage...but kind of adorable, as well.
- "I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on." ~Cinder
- Perhaps this is when I really started to love Cinder as a character. She's just been given this huge blow, and what she does is sarcastically blows past her insecurites with witty comments and stuff (and stuff). This is who I wanna be, guys! (Although I would never be able to do it...Dunno if that's good or bad...)
- He was the fantasy of every girl in the country. He was so far out of her realm, her world, that she should have stopped thinking about him the second the door had closed. Should stop thinking about him immediately. Should never think about him again, except maybe as a client--and her prince. ...And yet, the memory of his fingers against her skin refused to fade. ~Cinder
- Hopeless love is a given in any YA novel now...but this is just so sweet! <3 Dunno who the third wheel is, but hope there isn't one. Third wheels just make a story sad...That girl/guy who ends up with a secondary character...
- But from here, atop the cliff and three stories up, the city was beautiful. The sun was high, and its light sang off of glass skyscrapers and gold-tinted roofs. ~Cinder
- Another point for Cinder is imagery. I just love the way this is all made, y'know? It's like, the light doesn't just shine, it sings off of all these buildings. Mental image of New Beijing becomes all the clearer.
- Nuthin' really of interest...
- Mirrors play a part in here. It's like they're tying in a bit of Snow White lore in here...'specially since she'll be in Winter, the last book in the Cinder quartet. It's just, mirrors! >.< Have no idea why I'm so obsessed with this tiny detail...
- Nuthin' here that's really quotable...
- Lots & lots of death-y stuff in this chapter...It makes me depressed... ;____;
- "Right. In that case, I'll leave you be and hope to see a report cross my desk any day now." "That could be difficult, Your Highness, considering you do not have a desk." ~Kai and Dr. Erland
- Kai, the royal prince, does not have a desk. Obviously because he's secretly not wanting to study b/c he's an undercover revolutionary, right? WRONG.
- "It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth." ~Dr. Erland
- Easily one of my favorite quotes. Mirrors are always a cool subject in fiction, because so much can be derived from the lore of mirrors.
- Her lips curled. A sweetness lit up her face--an innocence to match a child's. It unsettled him. ~Kai
- This is one of my least fave chapters...no idea why. Brainwashing stuff, perhaps?
- "One suspect is an ex-military pilot from the European Federation, Wing Commander Michelle Benoit, who--" ~Nainsi, Kai's android
- And the suspense builds! BTW, the commander turns out to be Scarlet's grandma in book two. Meyer keeps on slipping in little hints and peeks of the next books--it's practically a treasure hunt! Very amusing, re-reading it, and seeing all the easter eggs she hid.
- Nainsi, Kai, Cinder, Iko...All these names are so pretty~^^
- So this was the effect of the Lunar glamour, the spell to enchant, to deceive, to turn one's heart toward you and against your enemies.
- Argh! These quotes are so melodic in nature, I'm jealous just typing them out! Meyer really has a great fairy-tale-telling persona for these books. It's so haaard...waiting for Scarlet.... ;___;
- "Proper is such a subjective word. This solution is effective, and that can hardly be argued with." ~Sybil, to Prince Kai
- Again, great quotes! And if you aren't dying to read this book yet, I'm so disappointedyouhavenoideahowmuchIfrickin'lovethisbook!
- I kinda wonder what it'd be like to pick at Levana's brain, though. How does she think, and where does her cunningness spring up from? Just the usual evil-queen spout, or from the evil-Lunar spout, or both? Somethin' to ponder.... :/
- "I think you should go to the ball with me." "Stars, didn't you already ask me that?" "I'm hoping for a more favorable answer this time. And I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute...Please?" ..."Why me?" "So if my escape hover breaks down, I'll have someone to fix it?" ~Cinder and Kai (edited conversation)
- And so it seems that Cinder is asked to the ball~but out of desperation, it seems! Fancy that. :/
- I think that one of my favorite things about CinderXKai is that they're not falling over themselves to fufill the crazy irrational love cliché of traditional YA romance. I mean, come on! People can take only so many love-at-first-sights. It gets too boring. Here, Kai's just asking a girl he's comfortable with to the ball so he doesn't get mobbed by thousands of single girls. Isn't that just so sweet? He even has a witty comeback for it! ...Ah, yeah. Fangirl moment. :D
- But seriously! I'm sick of YA paranormal/dystopian romance b/c of that! The world deserves more Cinder.
- Squinting, she jutted a finger at the doctor. "You did use your mind control on me. When we met. You...you brainwashed me. Just like the queen. You made me trust you." "Be fair. You were attacking me with a wrench." ~Cinder and mystery person
- This person really isn't a mystery person, but just in case you don't like mild spoilers, I hid it. Just highlight to un-spoilerfy it.
- And so Cinder learns about more Lunars than just the ambassador and the queen! Very suspense-y...no? No. But it was cute anyways.
- "They are Lunar. If they are not dead, then they possess magic." ~Queen Camilla
- I kinda liked this chapter for two reasons. First, WORLD LEADER MEETING! :D 'cause we never see the real ones. And second, it really shows the various predjudices that Earthlings have against the Lunar people. It's racism in the future, guys! Love and tolerance will always prosper! And that's the rest of the quartet for you, peeps: love and tolerance among Lunars/humans. It's practically guaranteed. ^^
- The pain was coming from the top of her spine again, but it did not overwhelm her like before. Just uncomfortable heat, like a sunburn on the inside. ~Cinder
- And even though you're not a cyborg, the whole sunburn analogy seems to make sense. A good, unused analogy is hard to find nowadays; they're all cliches.
- "I hope you noticed that I am capable of choosing my battles. If that's what it takes to win the war." ~Queen Levana
- I'm so glad that Levana is all evil-y. If I see one more "bad guy" switch sides, I swear, I am going to scream. Not from this book, but from others.
- And come on! Queen Levana has an awesome evil! With all the good lines. This isn't the best one; that, in my opinion, comes in CH 35's quote.
- "You aren't even human any more." "I am human." "No, Cinder. Humans cry." ~Adri and Cinder
- EVIL STEPMOTHER ALERT! EVIL STEPMOTHER ALERT! Adri is pretty cool, with awesome quotes as well. I could just see Cinder at this point--her only sister (who liked her) has died, her pseudo-mother blames her, and she feels awful b/c of all this streeessssss.... :(
- Pearl tilted the box so Cinder could see. Inside was the finest pair of gloves she could have imagined. Pure silk and shining silver-white. ~Cinder
- Aaaand they prepare for the ball! Indirectly, of course. 'Cause Pearl hates Cinder's guts. BTW, these are actually from Kai, making the pair that much adorabl-er.
- Cinder's heart strangled her as the screen allowed another glimpse of the Lunars in the front row. The veil may have hidden the queen's conceit, but the smug grins on her two attendants could not be mistaken. They believed they had won. ~Cinder, watching television
- And evil people take over the world.
- I think its really cool how they only have three Lunars, but it's all so forbidding anyways. You have an entire planet, but you're scared of three
peopleLunars.... - Eh, that is kinda a good point. Never mind.
- Both Iko's personality chip and Peony's ID chip were tucked safely in her calf compartment, where they would stay until she found a more permanent home for them. ~Cinder
- People, read that again. She has a calf department! For storing stuff! Is that not a high-tech Cinderella or not?
- "Please welcome to the 126th Annual Ball of the Eastern Commonwealth, a personal guest of His Imperial Majesty: Linh Cinder of New Beijing." ~Announcer
- The ball! :D
- She's so embarassed at this point, you have no idea. Its really sweet, really.
- Also, spoiler-y stuff happens. And Kai still hasn't figured out that she's a cyborg.
- "You have no idea how to dance, do you?" "I'm a mechanic." ~Kai/Cinder at the ball
- And that is a very good reason. A very, very good reason.
- More bonding for the lovebirds! Seriously, their interactions just make me wanna *squee!* with adorableness.
- "Cinder." A condescending laugh. "How fitting. Ashes. Dirt. Filth." ~Queen Levana
- QUEEEEEEN LEEEVAAAANAAAA EEES EEEEEVIIIIIILLLLLL. Just an FYI. She's all mean and stuff! :(
- And I think she's one of my favorite characters--up there with Cinder and Kai and Adri. Currently topping my villain's list is Adri, though. She's really humanized, given reasons for hating Cinder, but she's still evil! I just love that. ^^
- The hollow echo of the stone patio. A puddle splashing onto her legs. The fresh, cool smell of rain that had turned to a drizzle. ~Cinder's flight from the ball
- And thus Cinder is escaping the ball! Why? WE MAY NEVER KNOW (unless you've read the book.)
- I absolutely adore the way Meyer takes Cinderella and re-edits it. You get some of the original storyline, but also get a variation on it. For instance, in this scene, it's nowhere near midnight. But she still is running away from the ball. For reasons unknown.
- The original fairy tale was very plain in the fact that it was originally a cautionary tale--you're supposed to learn that being kind and good will always be rewarded. But Meyer takes this cautionary tale and BLOWS IT UP. With cyborgs and stuff. And awesomeness rains from the sky like chocolate donuts and we all revel in its sugary goodness.
- "You've lost your foot." "Yeah, I noticed. How's Kai?" "What? Aren't you going to ask how I am?" ~Dr. Erland and Cinder
- Still deadpanning, I see. Y'know, one of the things I like the most about Dr. Erland being the "fairy godmother" is that he's still a little baffled by Cinder and her quirks, and he's not some all-knowing omnipotent being (although he gets a little Dumbledore-ish sometimes with the smartness and background knowledge of Cinder). This revamp is one of the most funnest ones I've read so far. Not too fairy-tale-esque, but not all out modern punk, either. More like an epic fantasy, except with a quarter of the characters (and subsequent places, subcharacters, and deaths).
- Her writing style reminds me kinda of Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey), in that dramatic operatic stuff. Rich plot, sensible plot twists, but still so much fun to read.
- "That isn't fair! You can't just throw this on me and expect me to do anything about it!" "I don't, Miss Linh. All I expect is for you to find a way out of this prison and come meet me in Africa." ~Dr. Erland/Cinder
- Nothing too much, Cinder. Just, y'know, try to break outta prison, 'kay?
And Erland was supposed to be the fairy godmother fill-in. Fat help he's been.- I take that back. He did give her those awesomely awesome replacements for her arm/leg. Which will probably be broken by Winter. Because that's just how magical weapons work.
- The hand reminds me of Inspector Gadget. With his random rubber ducky and all. Chock-full of little blades and other hazardous materials.
- Now all she needs is a lighter. To blow up stuff Cinder style.
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