Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

I, like many other Marissa Meyer fans, have waited longingly for over a year to read Scarlet . I did not even request an ARC of the novel because it came out a day before my birthday, and it made the perfect gift. (There is no denying that the temptation to get my hands on an ARC was strong.) When the book came in the mail, I petted it - LITERALLY petted it! It has ridden in my purse for a week, just so I can snatch moments to devour the pages. It was a whirlwind romance. Sadly though, it did not sweep me off my feet. I'm so sorry, Scarlet - it's not you, it's me.

No, I mean it, it really must be me. Scarlet had all of the fantastic qualities that Cinder had: strong heroine; Iko; fantastic mix of sci-fi and fairy tale (Meyer is beyond genius in her execution of this); Iko; deliciously evil villainess; Iko (you see where I'm going with this). Little Red Riding Hood is even one of my favorite fairy tales! Scarlet and Wolf had all of the makings of interesting literary characters, but I found myself resenting the time given to their story. The banter between Cinder, Captain Thorne, and Iko (and all combinations thereof) was delightful. Maybe it was just me wanting more of Cinder and her story that disrupted my enjoyment of the novel. Scarlet wasn't a bad character - she was just as strong and determined as Cinder. I just had trouble connecting with her after I spent so long waiting to rejoin Cinder on her journey. I can say that Wolf is far too broken of a bad boy for my taste, and maybe it was the mom in me that wanted to smack Scarlet for taking him along.

All griping aside, Meyer's world-weaving is genius. The most fun part of reading Meyer's works are figuring out where her storytelling intersects with the original fairy tales. I started reading the novel asking myself questions like, "Does Wolf want to eat grandmother?" and "Where is the huntsman?" I did not find all of my answers, but I can tell you without giving anything away that Little Red Riding Hood lives on grandmother's farm, and the Big Bad Wolf is a street-fighter with a Big Bad Secret that could potentially affect the entire world. Grandmother is also in possession of some secrets of her own, which wove the story in Scarlet well into The Lunar Chronicles. I loved being introduced to more of this futuristic Earth, and I honestly cannot wait to read
Winter , which is supposed to be set on the moon.

The fact that Scarlet did not completely work for me makes me no less a fan of The Lunar Chronicles, and I can still happily say it is the one of the most imaginative series currently being published. I'm dying to give Marissa Meyer another chance to make me swoon with Cress . Scarlet is an important building block for the series as a whole, and I will definitely reread it at a later date to see if my bad-naturedness truly played a part in my feelings about this book. I encourage you to check out these two blogs that gave Scarlet very high ratings: A Reader of Fictions and The Starry-Eyed Review .

3.5/5 Stars

Why I Loved It: After reading Cinder *which I did pretty recently because I was putting it off for fear of hating it due to the whole cyborg-cinderella idea* and loving it, I knew that I would have to buy Scarlet. Which is probably why it was on pre-order. My sister, once again, claimed it first. Because I am a wonderful sister who lets her read the books first even though she reads so much slower than me, I allowed this. But I almost killed her after she took THREE WHOLE DAYS! I mean that's just awful when you have already waited so long. I only gave in because she technically read Cinder way before I did. So now that I have gotten way off topic...

Scarlet was like the coolest twist off of Red Riding Hood ever. The whole idea behind it with the sci-fi steampunk kinda of feel to it made me all kinds of ooey gooey good inside. The book is a sequel to Cinder, but I would say it's also a bit companion-ish. Most of the story is told from Scarlet's perspective with flashes showing what Cinder is up to throughout the book with all coming together in the end. That's the biggest spoiler you shall receive from me.

As a character, Scarlet was like this awesome take-charge, have no fear kinda girl. I mean she kicked butt. Run into a den full of "wolves"? Sure no problem, if it means helping Grand-mere. I loved that about her. She was so protective and loving. And the tension between Scarlet and Wolf. Yes. That is all. Just... yes.

Scarlet is free of many of the insecurities that Cinder faced, and in this book Cinder has moved past quite a few of those to become a much fiercer side of herself. I absolutely adored the characters in this book, but Scarlet really made the book awesome.

Ms. Meyer is incredible with the way she works her magic with these fairy tales as old as time. I love her style, her plots, and her characters. I'm so excited to see how the story pulls together in the next story. It should be epic.

Who Should Read It: Fans of Cinder, amazingly redone fairy tales, and fans of steam punk type stories.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
ARC received from Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan)
Release Date: 2-5-2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Shocking, Salacious, and Seriously Awesome!

So, I read Cinder and Scarlet in the last few weeks, and while Cinder was good, it didn’t blow me away. BUT Scarlet did! It more than blew me away—It smacked me in the face with its awesomeness!!! From Chapter 1, I was reeled into this futuristic world, and for the entire 450 pages, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. Scarlet is mesmerizing—be prepared to enter a world dripping with malice, encounter characters laced with deceit, and discover love breaking its bonds.

Like I said in my Cinder review, I really like the world that Marissa has created. It’s futuristic, yet it retains many similarities to our own world, so it’s easy to relate. But the technology is what sets us apart—and this future is intricate and captivating. I love seeing the different advances that have taken place and how they have affect society as a whole. The androids and cyborgs create a different dimension that separates Marissa’s world from other dystopian novels. I look forward to the next two books in the series, as they take place in separate parts of this new world.

I really liked that this book focused on Scarlet. At first, I was kind of wary because she was completely new character, and I didn’t know how it was going to fit in with Cinder’s story, but the two plot lines merged fantastically. The story is told in alternating perspectives, so we get to see Scarlet as she travels down her road in search for her grandmother, and on the other end, we also get to watch as Cinder travels down her own road of self-discovery. I will admit, I enjoyed Scarlet’s story much better. Scarlet was strong-willed and determined, but still all too human. She falls prey to human vulnerabilities, and I liked seeing how others had to come to her aid. She was strong, but needed help at times, and that made her open herself up to new relationships.

I absolutely loved Wolf because he’s my YA type! Troubled and broken, broody with secrets. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—that’s the best YA guy in my opinion. I love knowing there are secrets behind their actions because I love mystery in a guy, and there is definitely mystery surrounding Wolf. He’s strong and over-protective, domineering and a jerk-face at times, but that just adds to the tension that he creates with Scarlet.

In Cinder, I though the plot twists were extremely obvious, and while I still saw most of the twists in Scarlet coming, they weren’t laid out as openly. You kind of had to stretch to see them. Still, I’m hoping for a little less predictability in the future.

If you’re a fan of Kai (which I’m not a huge fan of), then you might be disappointed in this book. He only shows up a handful of times, and those times are really not very lengthy. I was perfectly fine with this because he is a bit too goody-goody, nice guy for me.

Lastly, I will say that the blurb isn’t written the best. It makes it sound like Scarlet and Wolf are meeting up with Cinder and that most of the book will follow them together. This wasn’t even close to the case. They run into each other very late in the book—the rest of the time they are on their own.
Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I would highly recommend it to fans of dystopian worlds.

Scarlet + Wolf = Jaw-dropping, edge of your seat fun!

Though it's just come out I have no doubt you've already seen countless raving reviews for Scarlet.
And this one will be no different.

I must say that I feel like all the hype spoiled it just a little, but I still loved Scarlet. It's just that true awesomeness is better appreciated when you're least expecting it, you know?
Moving on to the review.

First of all, I love the way Meyer weaved together all the different POVs. It didn't feel jarring or awkward. It was natural and one flowed into the next easily. Normally a ton of POVs throws me off, but I loved that Scarlet, Cinder, Kai, and then some were all included. Although, it does help when you love all the characters ;]

Speaking of characters.
Cinder: Definitely my favorite. Gosh, I just love her and don't even know where to start! She's stubborn, but she's also vulnerable and confused. I appreciated that she was confused by all the new craziness in her life instead of just marching forward without thinking (which seems to happen with a lot of YA heroines.)
Scarlet: Now, I liked Scarlet, but she's not my favorite heroine ever. There's nothing wrong with her character, but I'm not quite as drawn to the “punch now, think later” kind of gal. I did like how wary she was of Wolf and how reluctant she was to start anything with him. Woo for non-insta-love!
Wolf: I loved how gentle he was with Scarlet. I could tell how much he liked her, but instead of being all “you're cool, let's makeout” he was actually a little scared to get too close to her. I liked being able to see them grow and bring out the good in each other.
Captain Thorne: Okay. So, there's absolutely nothing wrong with him (once you get to know him,) and I've actually grown quite attached along the way. But. For most of the story I couldn't stop picturing him as Zapp Brannigan of Futurama. It was a little disconcerting :P

Now about fairytale bits.
Meyer is officially my favorite reteller. You wouldn't think cyborg Cinderella could work, but it did. You wouldn't really think scifi Red Riding Hood would work either, but it SO DOES. You can certainly read the story and probably not pick up on the fairy-tale bits (without the red hoodie mentions, because those are a little obvious :P) and yet, they're there and they're great. The grandmother isn't eaten, but she is captured. The wolf aspect fits in so well with the overall story that it just feels natural instead of stuck in for the sake of the retelling. And of course, Scarlet isn't walking to her grandmother's house to deliver cookies, but spaceships and being on the run is really the way the story ought to be told anyway.

The Nutshell: Basically, the characters are great, Meyer is a master storyteller, and you need to read this book now. Also, I really need Cress. And Winter.

Direct Hit

Guys, I don't even know where to start. This book was absolutely amazing. Like mind blowing amazing. Every question I had from Cinder was answered in this book and it opened up so many more questions that I'm sure will be answered in Cress. I know I was saying for the longest how bad I wanted this book, but I should have waited. There is NO possible way I'll be able to wait until 2014 for Cress. I need to know what happens now!
In this book we see that Cinder has escaped prison and continued on her journey. And in doing so, she has defied everyone, from Prince Kai to The Lunar Queen. Across the waters, we meet Scarlet who is desperately looking for her grandmother who has disapperaed without a trace. She meets Wolf, a very very HOT stranger who's a street fighter (I CALL DIBS ON HIM! HE IS MINEEEEEE!) who knows more than what he originally says about her grandmother's disappearance. Together they work to put the pieces of Scarlet's life together as it unravels, as she finds out that her grandmother had more secrets than she ever knew. But then, they cross paths with Cinder and realize that the mystery is way bigger than they ever thought.
Everything about this book makes it a bad ass sequel. Although there was a cliff hanger in Cinder and I hated it, every question I had about it was answered in this book. There was nothing that I felt was unanswered. Then towards the end, the ending wasn't a cliff hanger, but it did leave me with more questions and wanting more than ever to finish reading the series. I love that Meyer was able to set us up for the next book without making it awkward and still keeping us interested.
Now the characters in this book are amazing! Cinder is still super strong and a great heroine. But I must say, I enjoyed Scarlet just a little more. Only because she was so strong and stubborn. She reminded me of me lol And then I was soooo happy to see Iko again! I was a little worried after Cinder, I wasn't sure if we would see her again. Then, although he was annoying, I was happy that Cadet *ahem* Captain Thorne was around. He seemed to mainly be there for the comic relief and I was thankful for it, because trust me, there is A LOT going on. Lastly, I LOVED Wolf. He was everything you would want in a book boyfriend. Sexy, edgy, and full of secrets. The usual bad boy. I loved learning more about him. I was also thankful for the pre-quel that Meyer wrote that explained his beginning. His tale alone is an emotional one.
What made this story for me, was the truly remarkable world building. I was blown away by the way Meyer was able to tell the story of two different heroines at the same time without confusing her readers and then having them collide as if they were together all along. To make it even better, we are able to read it from everyone's point of view which makes us able to know more details about each character and what is going on in their world.
Scarlet picks up right where Cinder left off and definitely sets the stage for the brewing war in the future books. This book easily became one of my favorite books and The Lunar Chronicles becoming one of my favorite series. Scarlet was an amazing sequel that will leave you waiting, wanting, and wishing for more!

I was absolutely stunned when I finished this book. Somehow, Marissa Meyer has got me to love this book even more than Cinder, and that is saying alot. Cinder was probably within my top 5 books of 2012, and man, Scarlet is probably going to BE the top pick of 2013, unless some other book SOMEHOW manages to blow be away even more than Scarlet did.

It starts off right after Cinder ended, except you have a different main character: Scarlet. Now, Cinder is still pretty important( I mean, of course she is, since she's the freakin' key to EVERYTHING!), but you only get to see her viewpoint about 40%. There are also different characters viewpoint's thrown in there, pretty much at random, like Thorne, Wolf, and EVEN Queen Levena! Yes, that was a pretty interesting chapter. I really liked being able to see in different people view's, since it let me inside their heads and undertand their feelings and emotions. So, that was just ONE small detail that I loved. Unfortunately for you, my dear readers, I still have many other things to talk about and fangirl over!

Back to the story, so Cinder is on the run and Scarlet( your new main character, hence the name of the book!) is trying to find her grandmother, since the police decided to stop looking due to the lack of evidence and because her grandmother left without a trace. Scarlet runs into a person at a bar/restaraunt with a tattoo on his elbow. She later realizes that that tattoo happens to be the key to finding her grandmother. So, of course she asks for his help( ERM...not exactly ASKED for helped, but you get the point) and she goes on her journey with Wolf to find her grandmother.
Yeah, that is a very shortened up version, and it sounds much lamer than it actually is. Trust me though when I type this! IT BLEW MY MIND AWAY! There was so many surprises and the plot and characters were all amazing! And now I will continue on to tell about the new and old characters.

Cinder-She was as awesome as ever, except she is now on the run and desperately trying to get her powers under control. I seriously, love Cinder. How could you not? She is a kick-ass heroine and is a cyborg! So, don't worry people! Just because there is another heroine in the book doesn't mean that Cinder doesn't have her fair share of time in the book!

Scarlet-Ahh, the other kick-ass heroine in the book. I really loved her from start to finish. She was strong, intelligent, and had red hair! I did think that she may have been a little too impulsive, but her other characteristics made up for it. Overall, I thought she was a great new addition in this series, and hope to see her in the next two books!

Wolf-He was a very quiet and mysterious person at first. He was big and dangerous looking, but shy all the same. I'm not quite sure what to say about him. I liked him alot, but I guess I didn't love him in the beginning. I just thought he was an important character in the story. Later though, I started understanding him and ended up LOVING him for who he truly was.

Kai-What dissapointed me most about this book was that you don't get to see alot of Kai. I seriously loved Kai in Cinder, and it saddened me to find out that there couldn't be any romance between Cinder and Kai, because they are supposed to appear as rivals to the people. Kai is supposed to care about his country more than Cinder, and I do understand that, but it doesn't make me any less sadder.

Thorne- My first thought about him was that he was a moron, and I still think that. All the same, he was a hilarious new addition in the book! He always made horrible circumstances funny, and just had a fun vibe to him.

Ok, I know there are MANY other characters in the book, but it would take me forever to put my emotions for them into words, so without further ado I will talk about the plot.
Wow, Marissa Meyer did it again with her magical writing powers. The plot was intense, fast-paced, and kept me reading until the very last page. There were so many unanswered questions from the previous book and I was reading furiously to find them out! The plot was probably my most favorite thing about this story!

The ending, THANK GOD, was not a cliffhanger. At least, not in my opinion.
There are still many unanswered questions, but it isn't what you would call a cliffhanger. Nonetheless, I will be watching like a hawk for the third book! And there was still a thrill of excitement left in my veins that had me acting all gushy inside...even though I should be sad, since I WON'T get to read Cress, for more than a year!