Scarlet
(Lunar Chronicles #2)

Grades 7-10. Cinder, the beautiful lunar cyborg mechanic, is back, this time in what initially appears to be parallel story lines with Scarlet, the granddaughter of a former military pilot turned farmer in the small town of Rieux, France. After her midnight fall down the palace steps and her imprisonment, Cinder is a media sensation, escaping the New Beijing prison with Captain Carswell Thorne, a handsome if rather clueless petty thief. Scarlet, on the other hand, is trying desperately to gain the police’s attention. Her grandmother has disappeared and is surely in danger; the officers speculate that the eccentric old woman has wandered off. Only when Scarlet meets the violent yet attractive Wolf, an alpha human with animal instincts, is she on the trail of her beloved grand-mère, and a trajectory that intersects with Cinder’s attempt to save the earth by foiling Lunar Queen Levana’s marriage to Emperor Kai. It’s another Marissa Meyer roller-coaster ride, part science fiction/fantasy, part political machinations with a hint of romance. Readers will be pushed into a horrific alternate universe where violence, especially mind manipulation and control, create ethical and life-threatening situations for both teens. With at least one more Lunar Chronicle to come, the suspense continues. And which fairy tale will Meyer morph next? HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Cinder (2012), the first title in the Lunar Chronicles, was a New York Times best-seller. Even without the major promotional campaign, teens will be waiting for this follow-up.

Meyer returns with the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles for a futuristic spin on "Little Red Riding Hood." Feisty, red-hoodie--wearing Scarlet is beside herself; her beloved grand-mre has been missing from the family farm in the French countryside for two weeks. A mysterious, tattooed street fighter named Wolf may be able to help her--and he has these awesome green eyes. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Commonwealth, cyborg Cinder--who learned she was the long-lost Lunar princess, Selene, in the eponymous first book (2012)--escapes from jail with the roguish Thorne, a charming petty crook cast in the Han Solo mold. Cinder has a new, jacked-up cyborg hand and her Lunar powers of mental manipulation to help her in her quest to find...Scarlet's grandmother, who may hold the key to her past. Meyer's story ticks along smartly, showing no sign of second-volume sag. Both fairy-tale and romance elements are blended in to pleasing if predictable effect. Less successful from a plausibility standpoint is a bloody new Lunar plot to take over the world, though it does contribute to tension. Also troubling is Meyer's tendency toward peculiar word usage that in a more stylistically distinguished work would seem fresh but here seems just, well, peculiar and may haul readers out of an otherwise effective story. Readers who can ignore the flaws will find the book goes down easy, and they will be happy to wait in line for the third installment. (Science fiction/fairy tale. 12 & up)

Fiercely independent but naive Scarlet Benoit would do anything to find her missing grandmother. When a mysterious street fighter named Wolf offers to help Scarlet, the two travel to Paris, where Scarlet risks her life trying to save her grand-mère, uncovering shocking truths about Wolf, her grandmother, and her own past along the way. This engrossing sci-fi adaptation of the Little Red Riding Hood story (complete with Scarlet's red hoodie) takes inspiration from the original folktale but adds its own unique twists, including romance. Meanwhile, and picking up where Cinder (rev. 1/12) left off, cyborg Cinder escapes prison in the Eastern Commonwealth (via spaceship) with fellow inmate Carswell Thorne. Cinder has discovered she is the missing heir to the Lunar throne, and even though a world-wide manhunt is underway, she and Thorne follow a lead that eventually brings them to Scarlet and Wolf. By the end of this second series installment, the two pairs have joined forces to stop evil Lunar Queen Levana. Meyer exhibits impressive growth as a writer, seamlessly weaving the multiple story lines together throughout the novel. She introduces a new heroine in Scarlet -- as strong, yet vulnerable, a character as Cinder -- and Meyer doesn't allow Cinder's continuing story to detract from maintaining primary focus on Scarlet's tale. Further development of this futuristic world plus plenty of action, surprises, and a fast pace will keep readers invested in their journey.

When the mysterious Wolf offers to help Scarlet find her missing grandmother, the two travel to Paris, where Scarlet risks her life trying to save Grand-mhre. Meanwhile, picking up where Cinder left off, cyborg Cinder escapes prison (via spaceship) with fellow inmate Carswell Thorne. Further development of this futuristic world plus plenty of action, surprises, and a fast pace will keep readers invested.

Returning fans of Meyer's Cinder will gladly sink their teeth into this ambitious, wholly satisfying sequel. Linh Cinder has learned that she is Princess Selene, a Lunar who was supposedly murdered by her treacherous and powerful aunt, Queen Levana, but in fact survived. Meanwhile on Earth, Scarlet Benoit and her former military pilot grandmother, now smalltown farmers in France, have recently become the target of a ruthless pack of wolflike humans who, if they don't get the information they want, will probably kill them. Meyer's plot is intricate and elaborate as she leaps between Cinder's and Scarlet's narratives, leaving readers anticipating their eventual intersection. Scarlet is a headstrong and loyal heroine, determined to save her grandmother (who has gone missing) while reluctantly falling for the protective but bloodthirsty Wolf, who might have been hired to kill her--or might be in love with her. Meyer portrays each scene with precision and rising tension, leaving readers with another mesmerizing journey. The third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cress, is scheduled for 2014. Ages 12-up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. 

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 7 Up-- Scarlet picks up immediately where Cinder (Feiwel & Friends, 2012) ended. Cinder Linh is in prison, armed with the secret knowledge that she is the long-lost Lunar Princess Selene, and that Lunar Queen Levana will do anything to get rid of her and her claim to the throne. She breaks out with a fellow prisoner, and they use his hidden spaceship to escape and figure out their next move. Meanwhile, Scarlet Benoit is barely holding on. Her grandmother has disappeared, the police are no help, and she is trying to run her grandmother's farm and figure out how to find her. Enter Wolf, a street fighter who has a distinctive tattoo and might know more than he's saying. And Emperor Kai is still busy trying to make Queen Levana happy without sacrificing his people's freedom. Meyer does an excellent job of subtly using the tale of Red Riding Hood to move the plot along and even gives readers some things to contemplate. Wolf is big, and bad, but does he mean to be? Can he overcome his past? There are plenty of viewpoints in the book, but transitions are seamless and the plot elements meld together well. This novel has enough backstory to stand on its own, but is much better after reading Cinder. The author has stepped up the intrigue and plot from the first novel, and readers will be eagerly awaiting the next.--Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.