Review: Scarlet

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer
Published by Feiwel and Friends on February 5th 2013
Pages: 452
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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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.

Marissa Meyer is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors. Her fusion of Young Adult romance and science fiction with personal touches to well known fairy tales makes for a unique read. I love how she’s also added a few subtle pieces from the wildly popular Sailor Moon anime without really giving it away. I didn’t really pick up on the Sailor Moon influences until I was trying to convince a friend she should read The Lunar Chronicles, but maybe that’s only because I’m not a huge fan of anime..

If you have not read Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, Book 1), I would suggest reading it before Scarlet or this review.

We return to Cinder’s life, watching her flee from the palace, meet up with a handsome prisoner and come to grips with her heritage. Meanwhile, we learn about headstrong Scarlet and mysterious Wolf rushing to rescue Scarlet’s grandmother from the Order of the Pack. We see more of the world, learn more about the political system of Marissa’s Earthen Union and get to see Cinder’s dramatic palace scene through fresh eyes.

Scarlet is particularly tough, loyal and is not afraid to follow her emotions. She often makes terrible decisions based on her emotional state rather than logic. I’ve read reviews where people said this was a bad character trait, but really it made Scarlet a little more human than overly careful Cinder. I cannot wait to see how Scarlet and Cinder offset one another in Cress!

I particularly loved that Marissa added quick banter and sarcasm into the mix of dialogue which is an excellent way to break the tension with such a heavy novel. I definitely loved how Captain Thorne and Cinder seemed to find their center through witty banter and snarky comments. I found myself laughing during Scarlet more than Cinder and I found it endearing.

Scarlet has only intensified my desire to read Cress (which I went out to buy immediately because The Lunar Chronicles are awesome). I still am frustrated I left The Lunar Chronicles so long on my TBR list because this series is well worth the read. Marissa Meyers is developing a tantalizing peek at the future of the Earthen Union as well as slowly ramping up to what is undoubtedly going to be an epic finale!

This book was reviewed for The Lunar Chronicles Read Along hosted by @bookaddictsguide, an event completely devoted to reading (or re-reading) the series in preparation for the much anticipated final installment: Winter. Long live Princess Selene!

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