Currently Reading: Cress by Marissa Meyer (of Foreshadowing and Plot Developments, Oh My!)

Soooooo I kind of stayed awake until 7am for the past couple of days, reading Cress in the wee hours of the morning whilst struggling to put the damn book down and go to sleep, like a normal human being. This means that, for the past few days (even when reading Scarlet) I have been waking up in the afternoon. Oh dear...

Yeah, I ain't no good role model for my little niece right now!

Throws on some tunes, stops watching Buffy and actually continues writing this piece.

I'm not even kidding, I have been hooked on Cress since I started reading it. Already I'm up to Chapter 41, and with only 60 or so chapters in this book, I've pretty much sped through this in just two days. Two. Days. I'm beyond halfway through, and if I'm not careful with how much I read tonight, I could have it finished by dawn, because I literally can't put this bloody thing down. I really like it.

I really enjoy where Cress is going and with how the plot is developing thus far. I find that some of the developments have happened at a pace that was achingly slow for me, however no matter what, this book has had me on edge since I began it. It's taken a different turn to both Cinder and Scarlet, and whilst a romance does indeed blossom here (which I had hoped would not happen, I do admit) the focus is more-so on the characters coming together, their growth as people, and discoveries as well as the rise of a war.

It's gripping, there have been unexpected advancements in the novel and, clearly, maturity - you can sense Meyer's maturity as a writer in Cress, and how we have almost broken away from the Fairy Tales, but not completely. There was one especially shocking plot point in the book that really set me on edge as a reader that I had in no way anticipated, but found me in a fit of discomfort and rage for one of the characters. It was a powerful and rather emotional point in the book, reading the turmoil of this character. I was a tad distraught.

There are still elements of it that can be seen as a little clichéd or obvious in ways, and as I read Cress in the early hours of the morrow, I definitely picked up on the inspiration from Sailor Moon - I've noticed it in smatterings between all three books, actually, however it's most prevalent here, almost glaringly obvious (especially Artemisia; I snorted at that, I won't lie) but it's elements like this, the familiarity of something like Sailor Moon, which I watched during my own childhood, that is nice about the book. It does not borrow from this so heavily however, that it loses its true identity. Throughout, the Lunar World is still the Lunar World, and it is completely its own - Meyer doesn't engulf it in fanfiction fantasies or pre-existing characters. Really, there are only small parallels between the Lunar World and Sailor Moon that I can see in the books, but not so many that it becomes a problem or a headache as a reader.

Also, when reading Cress - and this is no issue, more a discovery - I finally seemed to latch on to some foreshadowing that, stupidly so, I did not see in Scarlet, where said foreshadowing began. The Rampion. For crying out loud, the bloody ship Carswell Thorne loves so damn much is a bloody foreshadowing device for the character Cress and himself, and how they are tied together in a way.
 Took me long enough, aye?

Getting back on track...

Cress is, by far, the best of the three books that have come out already - Cinder of course started it all, and Scarlet continued with the threat and beginnings of a war, however Cress is the story that brings forth the edge and emotion, I believe. It doesn't follow a similar pattern to its predecessors at all, and whilst it does hold that familiar romantic story we've come to know in the past two books, Cress truly comes into its own as a novel. It's gripping, leaves you on edge and begs that you read more. It's a book that I have had a difficult time putting down, and you can be sure that tonight, when I get ready for bed and sit down to read, I will have a hard time falling asleep once again.

I may rub my eyes as the light of a new morning drizzles through my curtains, and I may ache with want of sleep, but I know that no matter what, I won't put this story down until I am satisfied, and honestly? I won't be completely sated until it has all finished, and even then, I will be left wanting more.

Really, I worry for those long months when I have to wait for Winter to come out. That will truly ache...

Until next time, Happy Reading and Writing!

Be sure to sleep, because I won't with all this anticipation building up...
~ Kelly

Read & Reviewed: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

mrow mrow mrow mrow

This is not the Fairy Tale You Remember.
But it's one You won't Forget.

Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case.
The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive - when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner...

Marissa Meyer's Scarlet took me back a bit - as a child, I would actively read books until the break of dawn, sitting by my bedroom door with only a small filter of light that poured through my barely-open door, pretending that I was asleep, when really, I was flying through the pages of the book I was reading at the time. Now though, whilst I was instead sitting in bed, my light fully blaring above me as I read on and on, I was much like that little girl who read her books until she heard the birds chirping outside, 6am already and the sun coming up.

I haven't read for so long in a while, I thought to myself. I felt happy to realise that my love for reading could still take me away from the night, and escape me to the morning.

I finished Scarlet in about three to four days I believe, and I only really read when I went off to bed - this is mostly because, during the day, I try and write and interact with friends online, and also because I spend a good chunk of my time with my niece. I barely get peace during the day, so reading is best done during the evening or at bed time.

Since finishing Scarlet, I have already moved on to Cress and have already flown through Part One of the book, but that isn't the book we're talking about today, is it? So before I go off on a tangent, let's talk about the book I'm supposed to be focusing on, rather than the one I'm currently delving into, shall we?

Now I did enjoy Scarlet when reading, though not as much as I had enjoyed Cinder or as much as I am Cress right now, I admit - it's a well written book, and I am pleased to see that Meyer's passion never once leaves, nor does the progression of the characters and their development, or the world that she has created. I enjoy that each person or creature she creates is full of personality and flaws, and that none suffer from perfection in any way possible. I especially loved the addition of Carswlel Thorne, who has quickly become one of my favourite characters, thanks to his comical but friendly approach. Certainly, he is the comic relief character, but he does it so well, and it suits him.
 Actually, I laughed quite a bit with this novel, and it is this humor that endeared Carswell to me, I admit.

The story for me, however, felt a little more obvious than what Cinder did. With the character Wolf especially, I felt as if who he truly was was not as masked as it could have been. I knew right away who and what he was from the get-go, after what you find out in the first novel, and when the big reveal came, it didn't come as much of a shock - of course, it still hurt, because the character hurts too and Meyer really brought those feelings across, but even then... well, it feels very romance-movie in how some of the dialogue goes. Generic, a little embarrassing to read, and all too fabricated.
 Still, at that moment I did feel for Scarlet and just wanted to hold her.

The one thing that disappointed me the most with this book, however, was the direction that it chose to take. When reading, I couldn't help but feel like the narrative had the exact same pace and tone as Cinder did, with a similar romance storyline, but instead with the roles reversed in who was the one hiding their true identity. Essentially, Scarlet's plot was more of a role-reversal, but with different characters and vastly different personalities.
 It was a big disappointment for me as a reader, and I'm still quite sad that the book was as disappointing as it was, but I do still think it's a good read, no matter what.

Though I do find that this book, of the three, is currently the weakest because of the repetitive feel it has (and I'm saying this only thirteen chapters in with Cress) I do like what Scarlet provides in further continuing the story, and further developing and introducing the characters of the Lunar World. It's not a bad book by any means, in fact it does have its share of surprises and some great anticipatory moments, but the real greatness of this book lies at Part Four of the book - the end almost, if you will. At this point, everything becomes exciting, and you're left wanting more, and I appreciated how great the ending was as it makes up for how similar the first three parts of the book are to the original, Cinder.

It has its flaws, but overall, Scarlet is a good book and provides us with the continuation we all needed. It's not the best of the bunch, but it introduces to us all key characters and progresses what we already know, as well as begins the war we had been waiting to begin, and certainly sets the tone for Book Three, Cress. No, Scarlet is not a favourite, but what it provides is invaluable to the central story.

If you still have not read either Cinder or Scarlet, then be sure to find a copy when you can and indulge in the world of Lunar. It is a great series to get invested in, and it doesn't take too long to read, either, so be sure to check the books out when you have time, and if you have interest.

Until we meet again, Happy Reading and Writing!
~ Kelly

Bake the Day Away ~ A Day's Ramblin'

Listening to: LOVE by MACO

Aside from living my life as a bit of a hermit, with reading or writing being the sole activities I seem to do most (oh, and video editing!), I do actually spend a bit of time with other people on the odd occasion, and when at home, I spend a great deal of time with the light of my life, my three year old niece.

I adore my niece, and whilst she can be a pain in the backside some days, always vying for attention (mostly from me) and asking if I can help her conquer the next level of Spyro the Dragon, I do like playing with and teaching her things. Today though, aside from playing hide & seek and Spyro, I thought it would be fun to do something completely different, a pass time that even I haven't done since I was a kiddy myself.

We baked. And I didn't burn the house down or kill myself, SUCCESS!!!!

Granted, I used a packet mix for this, so I only needed an egg and water to create these diddy treats, however I'm not really someone who cooks - I like things to be conveniently done already, like microwave meals. The only times I do dare to cook is when I crave something, and even then it's simple; rice or pasta, sausage or eggs - food that doesn't take too long, basically.

I'm lazy, what an I say?

So I was scared that I would either burn these cupcakes, or not cook them right when they were done, but I was rather lucky on my first go, it seems - my niece and I were successful in baking our first ever batch of cakes! My niece had a hard time waiting for the cakes to cool, as she wanted to put all the pretty sprinkles on them and make the icing, but she was a gem throughout... well, aside from the part where she tried licking the icing off the spoon before it went on the cakes, but that's by the by.

I mostly left my niece to stirring, because this was only her first time making a cake after all, plus, that's really all there was to this recipe; add an egg, water and mix. It was easy for the both of us, but nonetheless, she did enjoy it, only getting annoyed with me when I had to mix everything together to make sure it was done properly.

I think, aside from putting sprinkles on, my niece really loved watching the icing mix turn from cream to yellow - she was really amazed by how icing was made, it was magical for her. So cute!

Then the fun part; decorating! I think this was the part my niece enjoyed the most, because it meant she could stick whatever sprinkles she wanted on, and she could get a bit messy with it. Sadly I am a bit of a clean freak in that I like the icing to cover the whole top of the cake, but my niece had fun putting the icing on and then covering it in whatever sprinkles she so desired. It was fun watching her, and I enjoyed decorating the cakes as well.

And the verdict? Well, the cakes are good! I didn't kill the cake itself, so that's a plus, and my mum really liked them, dad too apparently, however myself and my niece? We're actually not big cake eaters, surprise, but I finished mine off and did enjoy it (getting older, I seem to prefer less sugar on a cake, haha!) whilst my niece ate mostly the icing, and left a good chunk of her cake. Again, not a cake eater - she'd prefer carrots, if given the choice between cake or veggies.

So, aside from running about and entertaining the niece, this is what we accomplished today, and honestly? I feel like I've been productive, and I do feel proud of the both of us, because it's something neither of us have really done before. My niece has helped to make biscuits before, but a cake? This was a first, but it was fun, and we're most likely going to do it again!

Next time though, I want blue icing!

Happy baking and reading! Take care~

~ Kelly

Currently Reading: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Listening to: Beauty and the Beast by Q; indivi


Around 5:00pm today:

I'm currently going through a bout of not wanting to see people, to just sit all on my own doing nothing. So I thought, as I'm not really doing anything of worth, why not finally get to doing that Currently Reading post I was meant to start writing a few days ago? You know, just to seem productive and to show that I am still interested in this blog, and that, HEY! I'm reading as well? So yeah, we're gonna get into it, and I'm going to finally get this post rollin'!

12:07am:

... And yet, many hours later, I have only the opening title, and the rest is blank... -sigh-

I'm a terrible blogger, just sayin' XD

After finishing Marissa Meyer's Cinder some days ago, it was of course inevitable that I would eventually begin to read its sequel, titled Scarlet, and return to the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Since beginning the book, which I am trying to read every night right now, I have reached Part Two of the book, which begins with Chapter 11. So far, I am really enjoying Scarlet, though I do admit that I am not flying through it like I did Cinder as of yet.

The beginning of Scarlet feels a little slower than Cinder did in its beginning, though I don't mind that so much; it's setting the tone of the story more than anything, plus, this book is a little bigger, so I anticipate the middle and end to be a lot more thrilling - still, the opening chapters are anything but boring, allowing us to see just who the character of Scarlet is and just what makes her tick.
 It's an enjoyable opening, and Part One is a great opener for introducing our titular character as well as her companion, the mysterious and handsome Wolf.

Much like Cinder before this, the chapters will often switch between characters and continue the story from their perspectives, though with Scarlet, we read from the perspectives of Scarlet herself, Cinder from where she left off in the first book, Prince Kai from the first book, as well as a new character. By doing this, Meyer offers the readers a broader look into the characters of The Lunar Chronicles, creating eyes and ears almost everywhere, and allowing us to delve into various thoughts and feelings. It is this aspect that I am enjoying greatly from Scarlet, as I am able to see the story from all sides, and to see various events develop. It's actually quite exciting!

I'm looking forward to what both Part Two and Part Three have in store for me in this book, because whilst Part One has been more about setting the scene for Scarlet and continuing from where Cinder was left in the first book, I really look forward to how Meyer will develop the story further and how she will create even more chaos for these characters, as well as the possibility of eventually bringing them together. It's turning out to be a great book, one that is extremely atmospheric, and I do anticipate how the story will unfold.

Until next time, when I will have hopefully finished the book and reviewed it, take care!

Happy reading and writing!
~ Kelly

Read & Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A Forbidden Romance.
A Deadly Plague.

Earth's Fate Hinges On One Girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the Fairy Tale You Remember.

But it's one You won't Forget.

As a lover of all things fairy tale, I of course have a deep love for the many adaptations that we have of these childhood stories too. So of course, upon finding out one day that a new adaptation of Cinderella had come out in the form of a book, I had to read it! It didn't matter when, it didn't matter how, but by Joe, I would have this book and see how it fared to my tastes!

I eventually bought Marissa Meyer's Cinder on Amazon, and soon after, I added Scarlett, Cress and then Fairest to my collection so that I could one day read them all when I had the time. Sadly, it took me a few months to finally open up Cinder and invest myself in its story, but once I started reading... well, I was there.

Cinder is, first and foremost, a wonderfully original adaptation of the classic Cinderella tale - there have been many versions of Cinderella before this one in film, book and song; Disney's Cinderella (1950), Ever After (Flower Films, 1998), Rags (Nickelodeon, 2012), Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Harper Collins, 1998), Ash by Malinda Lo (Little Brown and company, 2009) and even a manga adaptation titled Cinderalla by Junko Mizuno (Viz Media, 2000) where the characters are, in fact, zombies... well, except for Cinderalla herself, of course.

 Anyway, you get the gist; there are plenty of adaptations out there, more than I've given, and all are different and unique in their own way, but we're here to talk about Cinder, not the other millions of Cinderella adaptations.

So let's get crackin'!

In total, this book took me four days to complete I'd say - it would have been four days straight of worthy reading, if it hadn't been for the fact that for a week, I didn't open the book and finish off the last four chapters because I was a tad busy. Still... I should have finished it earlier! What is life?

Regardless, when I did eventually get around to finishing Cinder, I was left a very happy camper. I mean, it's not everyday that I actually thoroughly enjoy something to the point where I find the parts that I did nit-pick at irrelevant, so for that, I give it props.

Also, Marissa Meyer is a fantastic writer. Just throwin' that out there!

I love everything about Cinder; it's written incredibly well, and Meyer's way of writing completely drags you in as a reader. Not only is she creating a piece that is easy to read, but a piece that is also incredibly easy to fall into and feel like you are there. She knows how to create atmosphere, her characters are balanced, and in the form of Cinder and Prince Kai, complex at times, and she knows how to make you thoroughly hate someone, too - that's true writing talent, right there. Meyer engrosses the reader, and she brings you into this incredible world that she has created. She pours her heart into it, she creates History, brings us grief and humor, joy and heartache... she does so much, but never does the novel read like its trying too hard.

Not like one novel I know HelloCityofBonesofwhichIwillneverfinish

Though Cinder does suffer from a few predictable moments at times, it doesn't overwhelm the reader, nor are there too many clichéd or predictable points within the storyline. In fact, I feel like the book is well-balanced in its predictable moments and the unforeseen circumstances that happen. There were a lot of times where I was shocked by what happened in the story, things that I did not expect to happen at all if you will, and that allowed me to forgive the little cliché's and predictable plot points that I felt were far too obvious when I was reading Cinder.

 That said, all books with have a cliché or two in it, especially fairy tales. Still, I'm fussy, but at least Meyer didn't abuse it like other writers do.

Aside from the great writing, I do love this world that Cinder is set in; I loved the world of Ash a great deal when I read it, but what I enjoy most about Cinder is that it's set in the future during a time where Cyborgs are a reality, where androids roam and where a race beyond our own is alive and thriving. It's more of a dystopian setting, if anything, with the world hurt by a terrible plague. There is more to like beyond its setting or how our main character, Cinder, is a cyborg though, because though Meyer has created a new world, she's still created a world that is lead by hostility, prejudice and discrimination in humans towards the Cyborgs and Lunar race from the Moon. Here, Meyer keeps the deeper evil of the human heart in tact. She keeps it real and true, and it is this bitter emotion of dislike that really creates the emotion of the novel and makes it so wholesome.

It's not all about love and acceptance - it's about how people can perceive others, and how others treat someone different to them, based on their race or how they were created.

Cinder is a wonderful debut novel for Marissa Meyer, and a wonderful adaptation of the classic tale Cinderella. She is truly wonderful at writing and creating a world that is not only a fantasy in its scientific theme, but also scary in its setting and how certain characters are driven by their desires or dislike of the cyborgs in this world. Cinder is, to me, fantastic, and I honestly can't wait to read Scarlett when I can!

If you have yet to read Cinder by Marissa Meyer, be sure to pick up a copy when you can! Amazon tend to do good deals, so grab it, especially all you lovers of Fairy Tales and adaptations alike!

Happy Reading and Merry days!

T'rah!

~ Kelly

In for the Haul: Because Clothes are Needed (Originally posted on 5/62015)

I originally created this post on my original blog, Shambles to Rambles in WonderLAND, which is now defunct. I am posting it here because I like it. HAULS!

I really should update with better posts, but until I actually get around to doing a review, like I eventually plan to, I'll have to settle for dull ol' Hauls that everybody else within the blogging community does. Because buying stuff is, apparently, of keen interest. Hm...

About a Fiver, Amazon

I am a spender, I admit this to you all, and I like buying my random little luxuries in life - make-up, skirts, headbands meant for kids, sweets, bottles of Lucozade... things that are maybe not so necessary in life, but also things that seem to keep me smiling. I like these things, and sadly, they cost money. Then again, what doesn't these days? Air. dear readers. Air.

In general, however, I am not a big clothes buyer. I mean, I buy them, yes, but not as much as I do other things. Clothes are necessary, otherwise I would be breaking the law, but I also find them to be frivolous in comparison to sweet treats or food of some kind. Yes, I buy clothes, mostly when something is coming up (an interview, or possibly a nice event) or when I actually need new clothes, or in this case, because I needed another pair of suitable shoes for the summer, and a suitable dress and shirt, too. It's hot outside, and by lordeh, I don't want to walk around wearing tights and a rather thick dress like I did the day before whilst the sun is beating down on me with its lovely glare of rays and light.

It was unbearable, actually, and I just wanted to strip in the middle of town. Not that I did, because again, kind of illegal and also rather rude. So, yeah.

Oh, and a few days before I bought all these clothes, I actually received Fairest from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer in the mail. So I'm randomly adding that to my haul. Cause BOOKS!

Maxi Dress from Primark, £10

 Anywhoo, moving on, I bought what will be my first-ever Maxi dress! And honestly, it reminds me of the blue willow patterned plates and teapots my mother collects. I like the pattern, and it's because it reminded me of the blue willow design that I actually bought it. It's pretty, it looks like a bloody teacup, and clearly, I want to look like a teacup.
I'm British, what else would I want to be, other than a cuppa? Actually, I hate tea, so...


Anywhoo, I wore the dress already, possibly dropped my red-tinged lip brush on it about two hours after purchasing the damned thing, stained it a tad with red and cried about it for a good while before bunging it in the wash and getting said lipstick stain out. Thank you, washing machine!

The face of a make-up-less Brit...

 Argh, my face! Ah, whatever. Needless to say, I really like this dress. It's a bit long for me, but I'm a short-arse and besides, that doesn't matter; I feel like a princess, and that's what matters! Also, it matches my flower crown, and it is this lovely thin, floaty fabric that dries so damn quickly. The only problem is that it's see-through, so gonna need to wear shorts under the blasted thing...

Did I mention that it makes me feel like a teacup?

Butterfly cami, Primarni, £4

 I also bought this pretty shirt - both the dress and top are from Primark, if you must know - and it's really floaty and light, too, and much like my teacup dress, rather darned see-through, so I need to either wear something under it, or not give two shits. Possibly the latter will happen, along with some glares from the locals, because village folk aren't too well-receiving at the showing of skin or your bra showing through a top that's see-through.
 Is the village/country life, folks.

It's pretty though, and nice and floaty meaning it keeps me cool during this heatwave we had for one day. I likey!

Gladiators from Primark, a Tenner

And lastly, I bought me some GLADIATORS!!!!! No no, not the hunky kind we see on TV that we drool over, but the shoe kind. I know, I know, I bought some flat shoes about a week ago - well, the coral ones are good for summer, the lace ones aren't, and also...

I haven't seen these bloody things for YONKS at a cheap price. I'm buying these little fudgers, and I'm wearing them! I LOVE GLADIATORS!!!!

...*ahem* Well, I actually haven't seen Gladiators in shops for a while, and I haven't had a pair since I was, what, 16? I think my older sister nicked stole me last pair, so I've been searching for some more, because during the summer I like my feet to breathe and not be cramped up in dolly shoes. I also wear wedges, but currently, Primark seem to only stock the UGLY kind, and Jelly Shoes (why the f*#$ are they back in fashion? Please, enlighten me?) so, when I saw these in Primarni, I all but bowed to them. I mean, I actually didn't bow to them, I'm not that nuts, but you get what I mean.
To thing, I nearly didn't buy these, because I'm a stingy bugger, and they were a tenner, and even at £10 I squirm and think 'too expensive' - in the end, though, I gave in, and now they are paired with whatever summery garb I choose to wear this season. Mostly the Maxi dress, I think, it will make me feel festival-y!

Okay, so, that's all I actually bought, and this is all I'm writing. For someone who should be asleep, I've written a grand amount, and it's colloquial, too. Hrm...
  I need to go to bed, so for now, this will be all! Have a grand week, and hopefully, I will write something that is not Haul related next time! That said, this has been fun to write.

T'rah, ducks!
~ Kelly

Currently Reading: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Originally posted on 5/25/2015)

This post was originally on the Wordpress version of my blog, Shambles to Rambles in Wonderland, however that blog is no longer active. I have migrated the post here because I did not want to lose it. Thank you.

Sometimes reading for pleasure can be a struggle, especially when you've become a tad too judgmental for your own liking. I admit, I've been this way for a few years now when it comes to the books that I read, so finding a disappointing book is nothing new to me now. It's when I find a genuinely good book, one that makes me feel excited and gives me that much desired rush of adrenaline, that I am reminded of how amazing these little gems can be.

For the past two days I've been reading Cinder, the first in a series of four from the Lunar Chronicle series by Marissa Meyer, and though I am only just a quarter of a way through it, I'm really enjoying what has happened thus far. It has a great storyline from what I have read so far, and already I am absolutely in love and engrossed in the futuristic setting of this modern Cinderella adaptation. It's fun to imagine, but the story already seems quite dark and is filled with anticipation and keeps me on edge.

When I stop reading it, I want to continue the story because I'm already anticipating what happens next. I really haven't felt such a strong desire to read since I started reading the earlier books in The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, or The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, and those were read quite a while back. So yes, I rather like this book.

Does it matter that I have about five other books on the go right now, as well as this one? Oops!

It's honestly nice to finally be reading a book that I am actually invested in, I have to say; I have always loved fairy tales and their adaptations, whether it is a book or film variant of the tale, and I'm glad that I finally decided to open Cinder and delve into this new world, to take me away and allow my imagination to fly.

I'm only on Chapter Fifteen right now, but hopefully by the end of the night I will be halfway through the book, because I really do like it. It's gripping, the writing is well done, and I am completely in love with the characters and the plot line. Yes, some things were extremely obvious after reading a few chapters, however I do look forward to where this story will go, and how the characters will develop.

... That is, if they develop at all. Here's to hoping they do!

Happy reading!
~ Kelly