Cinder by Marissa Meyer — 400 pgs

Linh Cinder is a teenage girl living in the city of New Beijing and working as a mechanic to pay the debts of her awful stepmother Adri. But Cinder is more than your typical teenager living among the masses of the city, because she is, in fact, a cyborg. After a terrible accident when she was just a child left her body irreparably broken, Cinder has been rebuilt into the ultimate mix of human and machine. With the help of her android partner, Cinder runs a fix-it shop in a hut located in the city’s crowded marketplace. When Prince Kai unexpectedly visits her shop in order to have her repair his tutor android, he’s instantly smitten with the her, not realizing that she’s half machine. But Cinder’s love life is only half the story, for a powerful plague is sweeping the planet and there seems to be no cure. With Prince Kai next in line for the throne and an evil contingent of malicious outsiders visiting the palace eager to secure a marriage alliance with the prince, New Beijing isn’t the safest place to be at the moment. As Cinder endlessly toils at the behest of her cruel stepmother, she unwittingly exposes one of her step-sisters to a danger that alters the landscape of her world. Now Cinder is in a world of trouble, and though she feels an attraction to the prince, everything changes for her when the authorities take her into custody and they begin to find out the real secrets of this cyborg. In this fast paced and highly original retelling of the Cinderella story, the shape of the fable is altered dramatically into a dystopian love story unlike any you have ever seen.

I’ve been really excited about reading this book from the moment I saw its cover. Cinderella as a cyborg, you say? Why, yes, I think I will! I haven’t read very many fairytale retellings, but there was just so much of interest to me about this book, and the buzz has been pretty good too. When I read Jill’s review, I knew I needed to move this book up on the stack and give it a go, and what I found was not only original but full of the kind of intrigue and conspiracy that is easy to relish. It was a fun book to say the least, and my only real complaint is that I have to wait so long to find out where this series is headed.

Though this story keeps the bones of the fairytale intact, its innards and skin are of a very different construction. There are several elements going on throughout the novel, and even the less urgent story lines are worked with fluidity and a cohesiveness that I can see will set the stage for books to come. The main difference between this tale and the original is that the love story, as it were, isn’t the main plot element vying for the reader’s attention. In Cinder, the love story takes a back seat to political and social intrigue, guaranteeing that readers are kept dancing to Meyer’s delicious tune of discord, disease and redemption. There’s no page space wasted in this tale, and though the book is long, it blows by in a whirlwind of secrets, intrigue and plot twists. I also liked that the writing was fast paced and graceful without being overly embellished, which worked well for this type of story.

Some of the twists were not all that hard to figure out and I deciphered one of them very early on, but such was the creativity and ingenuity of this book that I wasn’t displeased by this at all. In fact, as I raced through the pages, I was waiting for the big reveal in order to see how it would be shaped and twisted to fit the narrative. The worldbuilding was done on a small scale, and I’m eager to see how this is amplified in the next installment and the repercussions it will have on all the major players. The idea that this series will be a quartet doesn’t really bother me because there’s a lot about Cinder and her cohorts that remains shrouded and unclear to me, and I would relish the chance to see a more advanced look into the world they populate. With each thread of this story, I can see infinite possibilities for drama and pathos on a large scale, and it’s plain to see that several interesting developments are in the process of being uncovered.

I also liked the cleverness and insatiable evilness of the antagonists in this tale. As outsiders to the planet, they are focused on total domination, and their particular brand of magic is not only enticing, but devious. Queen Levana, the leader of this nefarious race called the Lunars, has the ability to wield superior mind control skills and can keep even her own subjects from seeing her true appearance, which she masks with a powerful glamour that none can deny. She also has the ability to make people do whatever she wills them to do, which in this situation is a rather terrifying prospect. It’s not only these character embellishments that make for intriguing reading, but her total lack of compassion or decency that make her the baddest of the bad. Cinder certainly has her work cut out for her with this evil witch! As the story closes, Queen Levana has yet to be fully dealt with but there are signs that this problem will be solved in future installments, though there is slight closure to this book in terms of a few plot lines.

If you’re looking for a fairytale retelling that’s markedly different from anything that has yet been published, this is the one to go for. It’s perfect for teens and adults alike and has the added benefit of packing a powerful punch of a main character who is spunky, clever and has a lot of heart. It was a great read for me and I'm eager to discover what’s in store for this cyber-Cinderella. Recommended!

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear — 320 pgs

Maisie Dobbs is just beginning to organize her own private investigation service in the city when she receives her first client. This distinguished gentleman requests that Maisie tail his wife, who he thinks may be deceiving and cuckolding him. What Maisie discovers will involve a group of seriously injured soldiers from the Great War and a secret facility designed to hide these men from the world. But this isn't just a straightforward mystery, for as Maisie reaches back into the past for the answers to her investigation, she also reflects upon the singular circumstances that have brought her to this time and place in her life. When Maisie was only fourteen, her mother took seriously ill and died, leaving her coaster-monger father to raise her alone with only a pittance to feed and clothe her. Maisie's father, Frank, seeks to rectify this situation by engaging Maisie as a housemaid in the the estate of Lady Compton, a well do to woman who feels the tug of social reform in her blood. When Maisie is discovered using the library in the middle of the night, Lady Compton gets an inkling that this girl may not be the typical run of the mill housemaid. She immediately sets up a situation whereby Maisie can be instructed and mentored, eventually earning herself a place at Cambridge University. Though Maisie longs for the intellectual life, her conscience eventually leads her to the front lines of the Great War as a combat nurse. Working tirelessly to save the lives of the young men she is faced with, Maisie finds herself in the arms of the handsome and intelligent Simon, a privileged and skilled doctor. But Maisie and Simon's future is far from assured, and as they struggle forward together into the present, Maisie must face one of the most difficult choices of her life. Working backwards from the past, this first book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series weaves the aspects of a mystery novel and a historical fiction novel seamlessly together to form this singularly unique tale of one young woman's ambition and her desire to fly in the face of expectations.

I'm not normally a reader of mysteries, so when my book club chose this book, I felt a few minutes of panic. Would I be able to get into the story and characters? What if the mystery was too cheesy and didn't hold my attention? What if I figured out the crux of the mystery too early and the book began to drag? I was so worked up about the fact that this might not be a good read for me that I kept putting it off and shoving it down in the pile for weeks and weeks. When I did finally get to it I was really surprised to discover that this wasn't your typical mystery, and the fact that it had a lot of historical elements made it a really good choice for me.

Though this book ostensibly starts with a mystery, very early on the story takes a turn into historical fiction. I learned where Maisie came from and how she became a scholar, nurse, lover and detective. These sections of the story were very well written. It wasn't hard for me to empathize with Maisie, and it was interesting to see the proverbial rags to riches story told in a very different way. Though Maisie doesn't become rich, she becomes accomplished, respected and very comfortable in her chosen profession, though she does have to inch her way through some very difficult and demanding situations. I think one of the reasons I liked her so much was because she seemed at times vulnerable but never powerless. I liked that she demonstrated such fortitude and that she never let anything stop her from accomplishing her goals. Though I probably wouldn't have made the same choices that she did, I respected her value system. She changed a lot throughout the book, but her changes never felt forced and the fact that she remained steadfast to her beliefs really made me cheer for her. As the historical section winds down, another mystery is added to the mix, and this time it's a mystery of Maisie's past.

Though I really liked the book, I felt that the mystery aspects of the story were a little less than impressive. I'm not sure if this is because I sometimes quickly lose interest in mysteries or if the mystery in this story was somewhat simple and less nuanced. It seemed that the mystery aspects were a little forced at times and I wasn't really convinced that I should care all that much about it. Also, as Nymeth mentions in her wonderful review of this book, some of Maisie's crime solving behavior seemed a little disingenuous. By this I mean that she often mimicked people's postures and inflections, and by doing this, she was immediately struck with revelations about the criminal and crime. I just didn't buy this at all. It was just too easy and lacked the creative flair that I had been expecting. I also thought that the denouement of the mystery wasn't all that satisfying. It all seemed very simple, and I had been hoping for something a little more sophisticated.

One of the things that made this book so interesting was the sections that dealt with the Great War. The war affected not only Maisie and her contemporaries but all of the general population. Many men were killed, injured and disfigured. Mothers lost both sons and daughters as they were either shipped out to become soldiers or medics, and there was a huge gap left in society that was unable to be filled. One of the things that this book addresses is the injuries, both spiritual and physical, that some of these young men suffered. It wasn't enough for them to have given their capabilities in battle, for more often than not, these same men came home utterly changed in so many ways that society couldn't deal with. The basis for the main mystery of this book focuses on this subject in great detail and paints a picture of a generation of men who came home to a family that couldn't recognize or cope with them. I found all this rather sad, and because it was based on historical fact, it spurred me on to search out more information regarding the war and it's effects.

Though this book was met with mixed success, I did really enjoy various parts of it. I think if the book had been infused with a little more historical flashback, it probably would have been a better read for me. I also think that if the mystery was a little more involved and complex it might have been more of a hit. I think the main problem was that this book combined two very different types of storytelling and the effect for me was that of a little lopsidedness. I'm not sure if I will be continuing on with this series, but I am glad that I gave this book a chance.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta — Audiobook Review

Unabridged audiobook production recorded by Macmillan Audio.
Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
Run Length: 10 hours 18 minutes

The Rapture has come and gone, and for the town of Mapleton, things just haven’t bounced back in the way that one would expect. After what becomes known as The Sudden Departure, many are disillusioned and confused, and strange cult-like groups have formed in the town, making the more normal residents wary and hostile. For a handful of people, that fateful day remains haunting and sorrowful; but for others it marks the beginning of a change in their circumstances that can’t be evaluated or measured. From the Mayor who has lost his wife to one of the cults and his eldest son to an enigmatic man who fancies himself the risen Messiah, to a lonely woman named Nora who’s whole family disappeared on that strange day, the people of Mapleton can’t help but feel like this was either some colossal mistake or a very bad joke. Each of them lives life in the hollow spaces left behind by their recently departed. As the members of the Guilty Remnant excise themselves from their families and take to communal living, a vow of silence and a religious compunction to use tobacco, they come to believe that their efforts will make it impossible for them to be left behind again. Meanwhile a group of adolescents try to make sense of this strange new world where they’ve been left behind to roam in the absence of close friends and family. In this deeply human and provocative look into the aftermath of a calamitous event, Tom Perrotta gives us a slice-of-life novel that explores the myriad of ways that people fall apart and how they hold it all together in the light of a mystifying and frightening tragedy.

I’ve been pretty excited about this book since a few months before its debut, and had hoped to read it a lot sooner than I did. The always generous and wonderful Heather over at Book Addiction kindly lent me the audio version, and though I had a copy of the book in print, I decided audio was the way to go with this one. The audiobook was expertly narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, a voice that I haven’t heard before but that was very well suited to the story. His vocal inflections held just the right note of hope interspersed with sadness that I think Perrotta was going for in his work. I was pleased with the audio performance of this novel and would be happy to hear Boutsikaris read again.

I was really glad to have read so many reviews of this book before attempting it, because, in a stunning reversal, hearing about the nuts and bolts of this story enabled me to be realistic about what to expect from Perrotta’s book about the Rapture. Namely that there was no real examination of how or why it took place and there was no final revelation in the conclusion as to what would happen next. Many people felt disappointed by this, but I felt that knowing that there would be no answers on this front moved narrative obstacles out of my way and let me see the story for what it truly was: an examination of a town that was dealing with the aftermath of a shocking and bizarre situation. At its core, this is a story about people: their sadness, their joys and their ultimate reliance on each other. In this way, it was a lot like Perrotta’s other novels, showcasing the human plight of a group of people who were tenuously connected.

There were some really interesting plot elements here, and one of my favorites was the path taken by the Guilty Remnant. Though it was made clear that these people weren’t forced to be part of this movement, there did seem to be an element of brainwashing that took place among the members. In later developments, the GR, as they are known in the story, do some terrible things to garnish themselves with a certain elite status among the remaining citizens, and I felt some of this was also done to draw others in. I also found their reasoning for using tobacco as a religious statement to be pretty interesting as well as very personally counter-intuitive. The GR seemed like a pretty scary organization, but it begged the question: what lengths will people go to when the unexpected and untenable happen and their world and sense of personal and familial safety are severely compromised? The book also made me question what reaction I would have if an event of that magnitude took place. How would I deal with it?

Overall, this was a rather melancholy book, but once again, that’s something that I’ve come to expect with Perrotta, and I didn’t mind the solemness because it was not only well deserved but carried merit and deep emotional resonance. There were some  snicker-worthy moments, but all in all, this was a book that reflected the more serious emotions of grief, loss and a sort of emotional stagnancy that each of the characters embodied in their own way. It was about the choices that people make and go on making after the unthinkable happens and they realize that life continues to go on whether they like it or not. It was about the frailty underlying the power of our emotional exchanges and it examined the separate paths that each person travels on the road of grief.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with this book and the imagination and heart that Perrotta displayed in his rendering of this story. Is this book about the whys and hows of the Rapture? Not really. It’s more an examination of life and the emotional  inconsistencies that we all face on a day to day basis. It’s about the human condition, and that’s one of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much. Perrotta is a master who excels at painting the infinitesimal with discrete intimacy, and if that’s the kind of thing that you appreciate, you will love this book. Recommended.

Click the player below to check out a sample of the audiobook and to hear Dennis Boutsikaris’ engaging and lively rendering of the tale.