Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA Dystopia/Sci-Fi
Paperback: 452 pages
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: February 5th, 2013

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review

WHOA. What an awesome sequel to the much beloved and inventive Cinder!

This enchanting follow-up introduced us to new characters: Scarlet, whose grandmother inexplicably went missing, and a street fighter and mysterious new guy in town, Wolf. The police dismiss the case of Scarlet’s grandmother and announce that the woman has either left of free will or committed suicide. Knowing her grand-mere, Scarlet is convinced that she had been kidnapped, and albeit reluctant to trust Wolf, accepts his help to go on a mission to save grand-mere.

While the story is (very) loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, it is merged with the original and main plot. It picks up shortly after the events in the first book and Cinder is on the run with another escapee named Captain Thorne. 

To be honest, I was worried about starting Scarlet because 1.) I thought there will be little of Cinder and Kai and we will only see them when their story connects with Scarlet and Wolf’s 2.) I’m still not sure about retellings in general, even though Marissa has already established herself in her smashing debut.

What do I know? Being nervous was a waste of energy because I had nothing to be worried about. Cinder and Scarlet both take center stage as the mystery of grand-mere’s abduction and how it links with Princess Selene unfolds. Their sides were told alternatingly along with a few chapters from Kai’s perspective, and I am satisfied with the way Marissa handled this dual perspective. It gave us ample opportunity to get to know the determined and loyal Scarlet and witness the development in Cinder’s character. She has become stronger and even more remarkable in this book. And in some way her reluctance to use her Lunar abilities endears her more to me.

Marissa also created additional new characters which makes Scarlet a grander read. Thorne had been the source of comic relief and numerous snorts from me. He is a kind of character who will charm you with his sense of humor and silly attitude. There was a scene in chapter 10 involving Thorne and his ship talking – that one was EPIC and had me laughing out loud! Let’s also not forget the handsome, brooding and mysterious Wolf. Yep, he is the quintessential bad boy (at least in the look and aura department) who will steal Scarlet’s heart and yours.

Other characters in the previous book were present as well. I was right about Prince Kai though. His time in the limelight was minimal – which does not bother me as I thought it would. But the chapters he appeared in were enough to show the readers how he’s dealing with everything (a.k.a Queen Levana) as the new emperor of Eastern Commonwealth. Poor Kai carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. This alone makes me anxious and excited for when he and Cinder cross paths again.

I can’t believe I ever doubted Marissa Meyer. I loved Cinder but there’s a reason why I didn't give it a perfect rating. Scarlet however, proved to be a solid installment; there’s no sophomore slump here! In fact, I think it’s better than the first one because the setting was expanded and the plot moved along at a much swifter pace. Before I know it, I’m already halfway through with no indication of stopping. It is THAT unputdownable.

Overall, Scarlet is a stunning sequel to what is becoming one of my favorite series! I can’t wait for what Ms. Meyer has in store for us in the third book. It will feature Rapunzel and Cinder in the SAHARA DESERT. How exciting is that?!

  

Author Bio

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg.

CINDER, my debut novel, is a futuristic re-envisioning of Cinderella in which Cinder is a cyborg mechanic. Release date: 3 Jan 2012.

Follow her on these sites: Website||Twitter|| Goodreads