Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Author: Marissa Meyer Website|Twitter
Published: 7 February 2013 (Puffin)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback
Source: Borrowed from library
Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.
Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.
As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner .
My Review:
I really enjoyed Cinder and I'd been constantly checking my library's catalogue to see when they would have this book available! Scarlet introduces us to a new character and a new twist on a fairy tale.
I was interested to see how this book worked because I was expecting it to largely be about Scarlet, the new character we're introduced to. What you actually get is a book that's 50% Cinder's story and 50% Scarlet's story and I really liked that. I was eager to find out what had happened with Cinder since the end of the last book and yet my curiosity was definitely peaked by Scarlet. I thought the two stories fitted together nicely with interweaving plotlines and chapters flicking between the two of them.
Scarlet's sections of the books take place in France and I loved seeing more of the futuristic world we were introduced to in Cinder. I really enjoyed the relationship between Scarlet and the street fighter Wolf who ends up joining in on her rescue mission. They were both so mysterious and I liked how they were trying to figure each other out and the way they bounced off each other. There was definitely a bit of chemistry there too! It was interesting to see how Scarlet reacted to Cinder (who is all over the news where she lives and works) because she showed a lot of sympathy towards her. I think that helped tie the two stories together even more and really helped endear me to Scarlet.
Cinder also ends up in a bit of a double act with a prisoner she encounters along her journey - Captain Thorne. They're kind of stuck with each other and it made for some absolutely hilarious moments. Cinder makes me laugh anyway but the two of them together were so funny. I loved Cinder's part of the story and how she manages to take control of everything and discovers more about her past. You get to keep up with what's happening in New Beijing as well with Kai and Queen Levana. Those characters added some really dramatic twists to everything!
For a lot of the book I was trying to figure out just how the two girls and their plot lines were going to fit together. There were a few mysteries that needed unravelling and I was definitely hooked waiting for those revelations, and when everything started to click into place I just couldn't put the book down. Add in a whole load of action scenes that blew me away and I became totally immersed in it.
The only thing that really let this book down for me was Scarlet and some of the parts of her story. There were a few moments that felt far too convenient (a random memory appearing from nowhere that is, of course, vital to the plot) and her naivete when it came to things about Wolf. I definitely found myself more interested in Cinder's chapters and what happened to her, although I did like Scarlet and I could see a lot of potential for her.
I definitely enjoyed Scarlet as much as Cinder, possibly a teeny bit more! The writing and setting is fantastic and the characters are just awesome. I'm really excited to read more books in this series and if you're still waiting to pick up this one, then I'd highly recommend you do it soon!
Rating: 4*
What to read next: Cress by Marissa Meyer, the 3rd book in the Lunar Chronicles
Books like this: Legend by Marie Lu, My Name is Rapunzel by K. C. Hilton
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