This book is a retelling of Cinderella set in the future. For the most part the characters and elements of the story we know and love are included, those that are not are not missed. In addition to Cinder, the Prince, the Stepmother and two Stepsisters, there are androids and cyborgs, hover craft, prejudice, a plague, the threat of an unwinnable war, and an Evil queen and her court. While Cinder remain the downtrodden and overworked protagonist, she has a new role in this retelling... the heroine who must overcome all number of obstacles, including a jail break, to save Earth. 
 I have to admit when this story was chosen as a group read, I had my doubts. However, armed with my new attitude of, I'll try it and see, when I started reading I could not put this book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and anyone who likes science fiction. It seems surreal to me that a book is capable of fitting into those two genres but the crafting of this story not only allows for it, it works... seamlessly.