Cress

Starred review from December 9, 2013
This third of four books in Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles has no shortage of humor, action, or romance, and the author still delivers the clever fairy-tale twists her readers expect. Cress, a self-proclaimed “damsel in distress,” has been imprisoned in an orbiting satellite for more than seven years, and has never been allowed to cut her hair, which has grown to Rapunzel-like lengths. Though Cress—an expert hacker—is supposed to be tracking down the fugitive Linh Cinder for Lunar Queen Levana, Cress has been secretly aiding her. When Cinder and her crew try to rescue Cress, the plan goes awry, leaving Cinder’s group scattered and fighting for survival. Meyer continues to show off her storytelling prowess, keeping readers engaged in a wide cast of characters while unfolding a layered plot that involves warring governments and a fast-spreading plague. The momentum Meyer built in the first two books continues to accelerate as the stakes grow higher for Cinder and her friends. The next installment cannot come fast enough. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

April 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Cress is locked away in a floating satellite. She dreams of visiting Earth, the planet she has been forced to spy on, and meeting Carswell Thorne, the handsome ship captain who teamed up with Cinder in Scarlet (Feiwel & Friends, 2013). Her wish comes true after an attempted rescue from Cinder and her crew is intercepted, leaving Cress and Thorne stranded on Earth. At the same time, Scarlet is kidnapped, and Queen Levana, frustrated with Cinder's escape, begins to attack Earth. Cinder has her hands full with finding her missing comrades, dealing with an out-of-control Wolf, preventing Levana and Kai's marriage, and accepting her own royal heritage. At the end of the book, Cinder realizes that she can no longer hide from her destiny and begins preparations to head to Luna for a revolution. Cress fills in more historical details about Earth and Luna's relationship-most of which will be of no surprise to the reader-and Cinder's rebirth as a cyborg. Fans of Scarlet and Wolf may be disappointed that their relationship takes a backseat to the newly introduced pairing. As always, Meyer excels at interweaving new characters that extend beyond the archetypes of their fairy tale into the main story. Readers will eagerly await the final installment of this highly appealing and well-constructed series.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 As the Lunar Chronicles continue, we meet Cress, with Rapunzel-like hair, who is trapped in an orbiting satellite. For seven long years, she has provided intelligence and security for the Lunar Queen, Lavana. Her latest assignment is to search for Cinder, the escaped cyborg mechanic who crashed Emperor Kai's ball and won his heart in spite of his announced betrothal to Lavana. Emperor Kai hopes his ultimate sacrificethe marriagewill ensure peace between Earth and Luna. In this third book in Meyer's fractured fairy tale series, Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, and Cress team up to stop the emperor's wedding, preventing Lavana from becoming Earth's queen and thus destroying it. Once again, Meyer offers up a science fiction fantasy page-turner that salutes women's intelligence and empowerment, with a subtle warning of the perils of misusing that power. Old and new romances, unfinished story lines, and the prognostication of wartime horrors all pave the way for Meyer's much anticipated next installment, Winter, expected in 2015. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The previous titles in the Lunar Chronicles series were both New York Times best-sellers; with a major marketing campaign pushing Cress, expect similar results here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Meyer's fairy tale/sci-fi hybrid series (Cinder; Scarlet) continues with a "Rapunzel"-inspired story. Cress was taken from her Lunar parents as a baby and forced to live alone on a satellite. But her real loyalty lies with cyborg Cinder, who plans to protect Earth by dethroning Levana. Balanced nicely with Cress's story is Cinder's continuing journey. This multilayered, action-packed page-turner is sure to please series fans.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2014
Meyer's fairy tale/sci-fi hybrid series (Cinder, rev. 1/12; Scarlet, rev. 3/13) continues with a "Rapunzel"-inspired story. Cress, taken from her Lunar parents as a baby, is forced to live alone on a satellite, spying on the Earthens for Queen Levana. But her real loyalty lies with cyborg Cinder's plan to protect Earth by dethroning Levana. After a rescue attempt of Cress goes awry, Cinder and an injured Wolf head to Africa in search of Dr. Erland; Scarlet becomes Levana's prisoner on Luna; and Cress and a temporarily blinded Thorne survive a crash landing on Earth and subsequent desert trek. Eventually everyone but Scarlet reunites, and they return to New Beijing to stop Emperor Kai's wedding to Levana. This multilayered, action-packed page-turner is sure to please series fans. Cress is a sympathetic protagonist, socially awkward due to her isolated youth but highly skilled in technology, and her teenage crush on Thorne evolves into a believable romance. And balanced nicely with Cress's story is Cinder's continuing journey -- she accepts her new identity as Princess Selene, the long-lost Lunar heir, but must find the inner strength she'll need in order to lead a revolution in the upcoming final installment, Winter. cynthia k. ritter

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)