Scarlet - Marissa Meyer

[This is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles. If you haven't started the series yet, you can check out my review of Cinder (Book 1) instead!]

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles #2

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Source: Borrowed from Magan (Thanks!) || ARC

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 a GENIUS. My review could just simply consist of this statement, because it’s the truth. I felt this way after reading Cinder, but the feeling has intensified after being given the opportunity to read Scarlet. There is so much goodness in this book, that I don’t even know how to coherently discuss my feelings for it in this review – but I’m going to try.

After I had finished Cinder a little while back, I felt satisfied with the book, but of course, I wanted to find out more. And Scarlet certainly gives us more – adding new characters, revealing more about the plotting and scheming that Queen Levana is up to and even a completely different setting.

It was easier for me to get into the story (since I had recently finished Cinder). The pace of the story picked up very quickly, and I can’t complain – it made things that much more exciting to read about! So much happens in this book, both good and bad, but I don’t think it was too much going on at all. The reason why I feel that way is because everything ties together quite neatly; everything (every situation, every person) is connected to a larger picture. Sure, it’s a lot of information to put together. But it’s also spectacular how everything ends up intertwined – and how there’s still more left to come.

There are a few new characters in this book – Scarlet and Wolf and Thorne are my favorites. I think it was great to see a different cast in this one, along with the characters from Cinder, and these three I mentioned are great additions.

I loved Scarlet, and not just because she’s French. She’s a pretty strong-willed young woman, and I love her utter devotion to her grandmother. I can appreciate the fact that though she doesn’t know what she has to face, she will go after her grandmother no matter what – that type of loyalty to family is amazing to me. I also like how she appears to see the good in just about every other person (and actually speculates about their actions before deciding things).

I have a soft spot for both Wolf and Thorne. Wolf, because his character is completely intriguing and charming and frustrating – and elicited a lot of emotion from me; Thorne, because he was sarcastic and funny and added a lot of charm and humor to the story.

There are so many revelations and big moments in this book. I really don’t want to spoil anything for future readers, but just be warned that so many monumental things occur in the pages of this book. My jaw dropped quite a lot as I read, and there were times when I wanted to scream and cry and hit the book while I was reading. (I will even go so far as to say there was a part where I just kept saying no for a good five minutes, lost in my disbelief but unable to tear my eyes away from the page.) Scarlet is EPIC, you guys, and it’s just as awesome as Cinder was.

There’s only one problem with Scarlet, as far as I can tell. After reading it, I wanted to jump into Cress straight away – and I realized how long a wait I would have and wanted to cry.

So yes, this book is perfection to me. If you’ve read Cinder already and loved it, you must read Scarlet. If you haven’t read Cinder yet, you must. I fully endorse this series (and the fact that Marissa Meyer is absolutely brilliant), and will absolutely recommend it to interested parties. It’s just seriously that awesome.