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“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.��

In this, my third attempt to read Cinder, I finally made it to the end. But I find myself wishing I hadn't bothered. Going into this book, I thought it was fair to expect a light, probably unremarkable, but ultimately entertaining read. I did not come to this book wanting my mind to be blown with science or to be taken to another world by beautiful prose, but I also did not expect it to be so painfully boring. Which it was.

Cinder takes a bold and fascinating premise, sketches out a basic outline of it, and then never fleshes it out with any substance.

Let's look at the wonders we have here. A part-cyborg protagonist, a loose Cinderella retelling in a future/alternate universe, a setting in New Beijing, and a potential war with a kingdom of Lunar people (a race who live on the moon). This sounds like a recipe for a fantastic science-fiction novel, and yet we get very little info beyond what I've provided here.

Who are these Lunar people? What about their history? How did they come to be on the moon? How disappointing it was that we never found out ANYTHING about them beyond the fact that they have an evil ruler - Queen Levana.

And this setting in a future/alternate world. In New Beijing, even! Do we ever get an exciting look into its culture? Any beautiful or ugly visuals? Any insight into its history, customs... anything? Nope.

And even if I forgive that, if I say that maybe all that goodness is being saved for later series installments, I simply cannot forgive the lack of personality in our principle characters. Cinder and Prince Kai are empty, self-sacrificing heroes with little-to-no hopes, fears, desires and thoughts of their own. Adri is the classic evil stepmother. Iko was the not-so-funny sidekick.

I'm also not sure I understand why part-cyborg people are considered second class citizens when they're basically regular humans who've had parts added to save them. But let's imagine I suspend that disbelief for a second - why did Meyer waste this perfect opportunity for Cinder to consider what it means to be human? For example, how much of a person can be replaced before they stop being a person and start being a machine? Are there really any differences between humans and machines beyond the materials they're made from? So many fascinating questions not being asked.

Though really, I could have forgiven many things if only the plot had been compelling, the conflicts engaging, and the characters vaguely interesting. I honestly had to force myself through.

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