Scarlet

Title: Scarlet

Author: A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Rating: 4 Stars

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.-Goodreads

If you like Robin Hood, broody thieves with hearts of gold, or guys who can shoot a bows and arrows you'll love this book. Krazy Elf described it as a 'fangirl' book, I didn't fully understand what she meant until I read the book. It's not the greatest book in the whole wide world but it is FUN. It really is a fun read.

I didn't always like the characters but the characters actions never once seemed out of place so I didn't really mind. Scarlet is the type of MC that I love reading, not only does she have a bad attitude but she can kick butt! I loved it when she punched that guy in the face! Little John was a fun character, he provided most of the humor in the book. Rob is how you would expect, brooding and has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Surprisingly, my favorite character was the one mostly unseen. I really liked Much, he may have seemed like the weak link in the group but he was a great friend to Scarlet and he's such a sweetie.

One thing this book sometimes lacked was believability. The fighting in this book seemed unreal, especially given some of the injuries, although since it can be compared to the unreal fighting in the BBC Robin Hood it is another thing that did not bother me much.

Overall this was a loveable book, I read it all in one day. You may not think it's the best book or whatever but it is very likely you will have a blast reading it. So give it a chance.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Rating: 4 Stars

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.-GoodReads

The best thing about Cinder is that even though it's a retelling of a well known fairytale it is so original. It's more of a Sci-fi book with bits of classic Cinderella details thrown in. I'm still blown away, Cinderella as a cyborg?! Hah! That's awesome!

Cinder was a great protagonist, she was strong, likeable, and you couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Kai was the same, I couldn't help but like him because of his willingness to do all that he could for his people. My favorite character by far was Iko, she brought a light heartedness to the book. I loved how a simple ribbon made her feel like she was dressing up and how she dreamed of going to the ball.

I really liked this book, it was well written, with good characters, and a strong plot. There were a few things that were predictable but I didn't really care, I'm not picky especially since this book threw enough curveballs at me that even though I guessed a few things there was always something else to throw me off. The ball was one of those scenes where you're going "what the heck!" The fact that they were still recovering from a war and that there was a plague added to the believability of the world. No matter how high advanced a world gets, the problems will change right along with it.

I wondered when I started Cinder if it was a series, when I reached the last page there was no doubt in my mind that it was. Even though the book is almost 400 pages it feels like it only scratched the surface. I am eager to see what Meyer does with the rest of the series.