I have to say, it really is a mark of Meyer's writing that I actually ended up going with a four-star review with this one, because the plot is extremely easy to predict. As in, telling you that this is (view spoiler)[ Sailor Moon (hide spoiler)] meets Cyborg Cinderella pretty much reveals all of the pertinent plot points. I rolled my eyes when I figured this out about 10% into the book. 
 And yet. And YET. Cinder remained a compelling read. I don't know what it was I stayed for, but I'm glad I did. Was it the really well-developed Cinder, who stomped about with believable teenage rage but was nonetheless kinda awesome? (Even though - honestly woman, please put the pieces together a little quicker next time.) Was it the Blade Runner-esque future world set in nondescript Asia? (Which annoyed me at first, seeing a lot of different Asian cultures mashed together, but then they discussed how this actually happened following WWIV. Er, I guess. Welp, bonus points for Asian culture - not enough of that in YA.) Was it the oodles and oodles of plague going around? (My love for that might stem from my love for a good zombie story. Hearing characters talk about frightening diseases always gets me going.) Was it the actually believable and really quite adorable relationship between Kai and Cinder, who actually talked to each other about things other than how attractive the other one was? 
 My gold standard for Cinderella retellings has been, for a very long time, the very excellent Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. And make no mistake, it still is my gold standard. But Cinder was actually able to introduce the plot elements of an already very familiar story in a refreshingly different way. (view spoiler)[Instead of showing up as a beautiful maiden that no one can keep their eyes off, Cinder makes a splash at the ball because she's actually kinda disgusting looking when she arrives. (Although I'm not sure at what point her mystical moon glamour takes over. Snerk. This book must have been so difficult to pitch.) Her pumpkin coach is a sputtering orange junkyard car she fixed up herself. There is no fairy godmother because this Cinder makes things happen for herself, and I can get behind that. Her glass slipper falling off is actually her whole mechanical foot coming loose. Sorry, but that's AWESOME. (hide spoiler)] 
 Anyway, Cinder doesn't bother to pull any of its emotional punches. My heart actually twisted when (view spoiler)[Peony died, Iko was found as a pile of rubble, and Kai looked at Cinder's cyborg body with disgust (hide spoiler)] ...Ouch. And I'm definitely looking forward to some straight up cruelty from Queen Levana - I love a deliciously evil villain. Not sure how Meyer plans on taking the story from here, now that it'll no longer be a Cinderella retelling, but I'm willing to follow. Hey, a (view spoiler)[mystical moon princess (hide spoiler)] cyborg mechanic, a desperate young newly-minted emperor who has no idea how to rule, an evil moon queen who practically cackles with her evilness, and androids and plague galore. Count me in for the next one. (Africa!)