Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles knows how to give me just enough feels while also maintaining a plot that is fascinating. It’s a feat and Scarlet did just that. The introduction of the three main new characters was done really well to the point that feel truly invested in all of them already. While the twists and turns were interesting, I have to admit that the progress in the larger scheme of things didn’t make any great strides. However, the power dynamic did shift, and all of the Eartherns learned more about what the Lunars are capable of.
Scarlet is a firecracker. Actually, I hate when people describe other people like that, but it seems to be fitting for Scarlet. She’s determined eager, and unafraid to take action into her own hands. She’s tough literally. She may not be the strongest out there, but she is not the type who will give up and it makes it hard not to like her.
Along with Scarlet was the introduction of Wolf. His story line and motivations were left a bit unclear. Yes, by the end we have a better understanding about who he is and what it is that drives him, but his motivation doesn’t make sense. It is chocked up to his wolf traits. Wolf is an idea, an obstacle, a tool. Yet, it’s hard to hate him even when he betrays Scarlet. Clearly, Scarlet felt the same way despite her not trusting him in the first place.
Captain Thorne was another great addition. I felt a stronger connection to Thorne than to Wolf. Possibly it was his swagger and positive attitude. He is so out of his element, but the fact that he’s so willing to help Cinder is great. Unfortunately beyond his introduction, we don’t learn a whole lot about his character, just how upstanding he is. He’s a fun character and I’m looking forward to seeing more of his character in the upcoming books.
The one thing that I noticed is that while Cinder and Scarlet are very well conveyed. Their male counterparts aren’t quite as fleshed out. This is upsetting considering how well done Kai was portrayed in the first book. Now the men seem to be given just enough to understand the kind of people they are, but don’t give them much else. (The Queen’s Army, does flesh out Wolf a bit more which isn’t just nice, but necessary).
As I mentioned previously, the plot doesn’t actually move much further in the grand scheme of things. However we did get progress which at the end of the day is what matters. Despite the little progress, the actual journey that we were taken on was extremely interesting. Everything that happened felt earned and logical. There were no major twists, which is something that I can appreciate in a book. It was more than capable of remaining interesting without the need to employ any sort of gimmicks.
Reads & Feels 