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Keith's Reviews > Scarlet
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
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I was wrong.
After feeling disappointed by Cinder 's conventional plot and sluggish pace, I went into Scarlet expecting that it would be another tedious chore. I was not too particularly eager about the sequel, but I was already too emotionally invested to not finish the series. After the first couple chapters, I quickly came to the conclusion that I. WAS. WRONG.
The second installment to The Lunar Chronicles features an action-packed joyride of twists and turns, right from the very beginning. We are introduced to a completely new protagonist, Scarlet, who is just, for a lack of a better term, as badass as Cinder. As we follow Scarlet's gripping race against time of finding her abducted grandmother and Cinder's thrilling escaping from the ceaseless pursuit of the Eastern Commonwealth military after her prison break, our two heroines' journeys collide and the mystery shrouding Cinder's past begins to unravel.
The biggest change that makes Scarlet a much more compelling read for me is the introduction of new characters and new narratives. I absolutely adore Scarlet as the protagonist. She is assertive, determined and derived her unwavering strength from a place of fierce familial love and protection. Her relationship with Wolf, although intense and rapid, is not thoughtless and irrational. There was no should-I-shouldn't-I dilly-dallying. No offense to everyone's favorite half-cyborg-half-lunar girl, but I think Scarlet and her storyline provide a refreshing departure from the typical heroic angst and romantic trope that plague typical YA novels.
In addition to Scarlet, Marissa Meyer also gave us two new voices that added a new layer of depth to the book. Wolf's complex past and conflicting identities grounded the book with a serious tone of moral ambiguity and personal struggles. And on the opposing spectrum, the flirtatious and occasionally self-absorbed Thorne provided a much appreciated comic relief to the dark fairytale.
Another well-received change that Meyer made is her delicate attention to building Scarlet's world in relation to the Little Red Riding Hood. Unlike the bombardment of cultural terms in Cinder that ended up feeling awkward and contrived, the references feel a lot more natural and ultimately made for a much more effective storytelling. The allusion to the original fairytale was subtle at first but ingeniously unforgettable once it hits you.
A undoubtedly solid 4/5 Stars.
After feeling disappointed by Cinder 's conventional plot and sluggish pace, I went into Scarlet expecting that it would be another tedious chore. I was not too particularly eager about the sequel, but I was already too emotionally invested to not finish the series. After the first couple chapters, I quickly came to the conclusion that I. WAS. WRONG.
The second installment to The Lunar Chronicles features an action-packed joyride of twists and turns, right from the very beginning. We are introduced to a completely new protagonist, Scarlet, who is just, for a lack of a better term, as badass as Cinder. As we follow Scarlet's gripping race against time of finding her abducted grandmother and Cinder's thrilling escaping from the ceaseless pursuit of the Eastern Commonwealth military after her prison break, our two heroines' journeys collide and the mystery shrouding Cinder's past begins to unravel.
The biggest change that makes Scarlet a much more compelling read for me is the introduction of new characters and new narratives. I absolutely adore Scarlet as the protagonist. She is assertive, determined and derived her unwavering strength from a place of fierce familial love and protection. Her relationship with Wolf, although intense and rapid, is not thoughtless and irrational. There was no should-I-shouldn't-I dilly-dallying. No offense to everyone's favorite half-cyborg-half-lunar girl, but I think Scarlet and her storyline provide a refreshing departure from the typical heroic angst and romantic trope that plague typical YA novels.
In addition to Scarlet, Marissa Meyer also gave us two new voices that added a new layer of depth to the book. Wolf's complex past and conflicting identities grounded the book with a serious tone of moral ambiguity and personal struggles. And on the opposing spectrum, the flirtatious and occasionally self-absorbed Thorne provided a much appreciated comic relief to the dark fairytale.
Another well-received change that Meyer made is her delicate attention to building Scarlet's world in relation to the Little Red Riding Hood. Unlike the bombardment of cultural terms in Cinder that ended up feeling awkward and contrived, the references feel a lot more natural and ultimately made for a much more effective storytelling. The allusion to the original fairytale was subtle at first but ingeniously unforgettable once it hits you.
A undoubtedly solid 4/5 Stars.
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