Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format: Hardcover, 452 pages
Pub. Date: February 5th 2013
Source: AnnaReads.com

★★★★★

4.5 stars, rounded up.

In the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder is on the run. A friend left her with instructions, and she has no choice but to follow them. The only problem is that she's public enemy number one. Prince Kai, betrayed by her heritage, wants her captured. The Lunar Queen wants her dead, and will tear the Earth apart looking for her. Meanwhile, Scarlet Benoit is trying to find her grandmother, who's gone missing. With the help of a surly, quiet hunk fighter named Wolf, she must get her grandmother back, and find out the truth about her past. When the girls' paths cross, it might already be too late. An alliance hangs in the balance between the Commonwealth and Luna, Cinder's powers are unknown, and not every ally is exactly who they claim.....

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4.5 stars, rounded up.

If Little Red Riding Hood, The Hunger Games, and Cinder had a baby, it would be this book, and I loved it.

+As in Cinder, Marissa Meyer vividly describes a very real-feeling future. Though this book is set in the dystopian future, after a fourth world war, each detail of what the world has become is portrayed through her descriptions. I felt like I could walk down some of these streets and get around just fine. I wouldn't want to crawl into this book setting (too much plague and government interference), but I appreciate when authors can create a new world to such an extent.

+Characters, both good and evil, are well developed. There are some characters that I love; Wolf, with his rugged lupine alpha-attitude, Iko and her adorable sass, Kai and his dreamy prince charming-like qualities. Then there are those I'm not too fond of; Thorne, with his air of arrogance and swagger, Levana and her greed. But, unlike some other books I've reviewed in the past, I didn't form negative opinions towards these characters because they were badly written, but because they were written to be bad. There's a huge difference, and the author nails it.

+Fight scenes are something that, as a whole, I don't really enjoy. I often get muddled and confused trying to figure out who is punching who. Though still not my forte, the fights in this book were easy to understand, and extremely intense. Sometimes I didn't even know who to cheer for.

+This book made me feel so many things. I felt betrayed, hopeful, nervous, shocked, angry.... Sometimes all at once. I love when books can get a reaction from me: that's a certain sign of a book I will read again, and will recommend.

+I don't wan't to have any spoilers, but I have to say, I love the pack mentality of a certain group of men. Thanks to my wolf-obsessed girlfriend, I have a bit of a thing for wolves myself. I love this addition to the plot, and I sincerely hope they make an appearance in Cress (in 2014!? Really!?)

+The cover is beautiful. Just look at it!

-My only real flaw with this book is something that appears regularly in fairy tales that just irks me: young characters willing to die in place of seniors. Maybe I'm jaded, or maybe I don't have respect for my elders, but I very much doubt that I would take the place in a torture cell to save my grandmother. Scarlet isn't the only story that has this plot line (Belle, I'm looking at you!), but I often found myself sighing at Scarlet's decisions based on my opinion of this element.

I loved Cinder, but Scarlet definitely doesn't disappoint as a sequel. Filled with equal parts of war, romance, cyborgs, and hiding from authority, Scarlet offers an action packed retelling of Little Red Riding Hood fit for the 21st century. Fans of books such as Beta, The Hunger Games, or Uglies should definitely check out the Lunar Chronicles. If sexy alpha men, kick ass cyborg princesses, and looming war aren't for you, maybe read something else (you crazy person you). I leave you with my favorite quote, said by my new fictional boyfriend, Wolf, "I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you." (Page 444)

Thank you to AnnaReads.com, Marissa Meyer and Feiwel and Friends for my snazzy new copy of this book.