Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends

Series: Lunar Chronicles #2

Release Date: February 5th 2013

Pages: 452

Rating: ★★1/2

Synopsis:

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:

I first started reading Cinder (book 1) because of the amazing reviews it got and because I liked the fact that the story was a modern fairytale in a sci-fi world. But I could not seem to get through the book. With the story was nothing wrong and the characters were great. Still, there was something about the book that made me want to quit it. With Scarlet it was exactly the same story.

In the beginning of the book we meet Scarlet. Her grandmother is missing and she tries to find her. This of course should remind you of Red Riding Hood, since these books are modern fairytales (Cinder was Cinderella). She meets Wolf, a street fighter, who wants to help her.

On the other hand we have Cinder aka Lunar Princess Selene, who escapes from the prison she was in for attacking the Lunar Queen Levana, with the help of Captain Thorne.

After this nothing much happens for a long time. Both pairs are travelling and we learn a few things about Scarlet's grandmother. During these chapters I actually wanted to quit the book. It just could not grab my attention and it took me quite long to get through.

Luckily after a big plot twist concerning Wolf (you know what I mean..) I got interested again and I finished the book quite quickly. But this was too far in the book to make it interesting as a whole.

I did not like the very short time all four of them were together. From the synopsis I got the idea this union would happen quite early in the book, so I was a little disappointed. I would have loved to see more interaction between them, but I guess that will come in the next book.

The story as such is really amazing. The whole concept of a modern day fairytale in a sci-fi/fantasy world is very original. Everywhere in the books little references to fairytales are hidden. I liked the original confusion about Wolf's character. He should be the bad guy, but he seems to want to help her. Is he good or is he bad?

I liked the new characters of Scarlet, Wolf and Captain Thorne. The females in the book, Cinder and Scarlet, are fierce and strong. Wolf is quite mysterious and a little bit of a bad boy, he has some major developments in the book. Thorne was funny, but his character was not much developed. There were too little chapters wiritten from Kai's POV in my opinion, because he is actually my favourite character. He was just so great in Cinder and now he has become a minor character.

I do not know what it is with these books that makes me so bored with them. The story is original, the characters are interesting and developed.. I guess it is just the writing or maybe the pacing that makes me not want to continue the book. I do not know if I will ever find out. I know many reviewers are crazy enthousiastic about these books, I wish I were too, but I just am not..

I do not think I am going to read the next book, since I did not like the first two. But I would advise everyone to give them a try, since so many did love the books.

Stars: 2.5 out of 5

An audiobook excerpt from Scarlet provided by MacMillan Audio!