Review: Cress

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
by Marissa Meyer
YA Fairy Tale/ Science Fiction
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Review:

What can I say really?  This is another fantastic installment of the series - I liked it more than the second book, because the action, plot and characters just came together so well.  With an ever growing cast of main characters, this story became even more urgent and suspenseful as they all had to deal with different complications.  And the characters are one reason this series is so strong.  They all have such different, vivid personalities, ones that are true to their fairy tale counterparts, but so much more expressive and dimensional in Marissa Meyer's hands.  I couldn't believe how well each character stood on their own (actually except for Wolf, I feel like he's not as well developed as everyone else).  The credibleness and the bravery of these characters is inspiring in many ways - in how inspiring it is to read such fantastic storytelling and in how they take on their challenges despite impossible odds.  There's really a sense of consequence in this book that keeps the story authentic I think.  Because the decisions made by Cinder and others are devastating, but necessary.  And that just kept me completely invested in the story.

With so many amazing characters, it would make this review way longer than it should to point out what was great about each one, but let me just focus on Cress who is the new addition to the group and who is so engaging and adorable - with a few flaws, but still desperate to live up to expectations and overcome her past.  She's so quirky and enthusiastic about many things, and I think the author should be applauded for creating such a memorable, spirited third female heroine to add to this world.

In this book I think we got to learn more about every character - they all took on more definition and shade, and I was just so impressed by how believable they are.  Kai, who was a little insipid in the second book for me, became a much stronger character in this, in a very understated way I think.  He's so selfless, and yet hopeful that reading how he was forcing himself to do what he thought was right was so heartbreaking for me.  And talk about heartbreaking - I was not expecting my emotions over Dr. Erland.  Who seemed like he would not be very significant after the first book, but I was completely wrong.  This book is just filled with fantastic, realistic characters.

But don't forget the storytelling is amazing too!  With stakes being raised higher and higher as Cinder tries to find a way to take power from Queen Levana, the suspense of the story built excruciatingly til the end.  I so wish I could read faster, because my nerves were shot with all the twists and turns, the betrayals and revelations that are made in this book.  But this book and the whole series are an amazing read.  With just one more book to go, the story has taken on such epic proportions.  The last line was chilling, satisfying and aggravating because I can't wait to know what happens next!