Review - Cress by Marissa Meyer

by Marissa Meyer
publisher: Feiwel & Friends
date of publication: February 4, 2014
format: ARC
pages: 550
source: publisher
series: The Lunar Chronicles (#3)
buy it: Cress (Lunar Chronicles)

From Goodreads:

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

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had 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 of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Things in the Lunar Chronicles universe are really starting to get exciting.  After Scarlet and Wolf's narrow escape, Cinder and company were left to orbit earth in order to avoid the authorities.  Enter Cress, computer hacker extraordinaire and prisoner of the Lunar crown.  Her biggest wish is to be released from her exile in space and to experience the planet she sees from her satellite's port window everyday: Earth.  Little does she know, her chance is about to arrive.

Cress was a very surprising character.  Usually when a girl in a story is daydreaming of being rescued, I'm silently yelling, "Save yourself, girl!"  This time, however, I was surprisingly patient about it.  That's probably due to the location of her prison (space) and the fact that she wasn't exclusively waiting on a prince-like figure to come save her.  While she was attracted to Captain Thorne, she was also aware that Cinder and her cohorts would play a large part in her release from the satellite.  When you take her naivete into account, it makes even more sense.  Here is a girl who has been isolated from interactions with all but one living being.  Her only company is a computer generated voice that she programmed to be her friend, after a fashion.  Seeing her learn her way through life outside the satellite is all the more fascinating because of all the aforementioned reasons.

The plot in Cress is really cooking now.  Here is where all planning ceases to be plans and becomes action.  Here is where Cinder and crew prepare to make their move.  Everything is on the line and the tension is just what it should be.  The world at large is nothing short of spectacular.  It takes on a special emphasis when you observe the characters moving about in it.  All in all, Cress absolutely comes alive.  You can't help but jump right in and get lost for a while.

This series continues to amaze me.  Each book is better than the last.  Cress is no exception.  I can only imagine what book 4, Winter, has in store.  If these past 3 books are indication, it's going to be phenomenal.  If you have yet to pick up book 1, Cinder, trust me.  You must read these books, especially if you enjoy science fiction and/or fairy tales.  The nuances the adaptation of each fairy tale lends to the story overall makes it something you won't want to miss.