Scarlet Marissa Meyer Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Scarlet Marissa Meyer Book ReviewScarlet by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
Also in this series: Winter
Also by this author: Cress, Winter, Gilded
Published by Macmillan on February 5th 2013
Genres: Young Adult, Fairy Tales & Folklore, General, Science Fiction
Pages: 464
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of Marissa Meyer's 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.
An NPR Best Book of 2013

Obviously there will be spoilers for CINDER ahead. So if you have not read Cinder yet, do me a solid click here and read this instead.

#Thatmomentwhen the second book is even better than the first book. OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS! Okay, so last week I went to a book signing and promised a friend I’d mail her my copy of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer which meant I had to read Scarlet asap. Y’all, I was kind of nervous because what if it was this huge time investment that would take me forever. Clearly, I am an idiot, because legit I pretty much blinked and finished Scarlet and then was super sad that I didn’t have Cress on hand. The Lunar Chronicles is a series that provide a perfect vehicle for Marissa Meyer to deal her word-drugs, because for reals, I could not set this book down and when I did have to go teach and present, Scarlet was in the back of my mind the whole time. Like, I wanted to just say okay let’s put class on hold for 30 minutes while I find out what happens to Scarlet and Wolf, etc.

 

Remember when Cinder ended and there was all that drama at the ball over Kai who might as well be a pawn in Queen Levana’s evil plan to kill him and take over New Beijing? Yes? OKAY WELL! Scarlet starts out with Cinder who is in jail — but she uses her Lunar powers to escape with one of my new favorite characters — Thorne who is a total ladies man and the best ever.  And oh my goodness, there is another layer added, another storyline! Weaving with Cinder’s story is that of Scarlet Benoit, who lives in Rieux, France on a farm. Scarlet’s grandmere has gone missing and she is freaking the hell out about it, like any normal person. A mysterious stranger who goes by Wolf kind of walks into Scarlet’s life and y’all he may have some answers, but still he’s super sketchy. OH OH and Queen Levana is off being a douchebag and decides to give Kai an ultimatum. Awww yeah. SO, action, there is PLENTY of it in Marissa Meyer’s Scarlet.

SO! Characters! I know a lot of you come here to listen to me prattle on and on about the characters of the books I read because they’re kind of the most important part. I’ve decided to give each main character their own paragraph because I have THINGS TO SAY. So Cinder. She’s back but not like the number one main only character. Instead, she shares the spotlight with Scarlet, and oh goodness I love how their stories intertwine. ANYHOO! So, Cinder is all no more Missus Meek! Instead, she learns to use her Lunar powers to get what she wants and comes out a-blazing. Like, girl goes for the gold in this book and the whole time I’m like GET IT. PLUS! She kind of gets a male sidekick and he is the best ever and really highlights how pragmatic Cinder is. OH OH and we get to learn more about how she came to Earth and all of that. It’s totally FASCINATING. None of the bores or the yawns when it comes to Cinder’s character.

Scarlet is the other main female character, right. As you could have probably guessed from the title and the cover and using your brain, because you have one and it is awesome and big. I hope. RIGHT SO. Scarlet mirrors Little Red Riding Hood. Only she’s a total badass. Like, she knows her grandmere has been kidnapped and instead of waiting around for the police, who have decided Grandmere was a crazy old lady, Scarlet is all I SHALL PREVAIL and goes searching for her Grandmere and does all sorts of cool things like jump off trains (she’s a secret Dauntless, holla!). Anyways, Scarlet has this temper and a smart mouth and I am like, perhaps we are sisters from another mother because I also have a temper and a smart mouth and I of course began projecting myself onto Scarlet, because she’s my new favorite of all time. Seriously, I am so glad girl got a book of her own and gets to appear in the next two because she’s the bomb diggety and I know that makes me sound old to say, but OMG I LOVE HER SO MUCH THANK YOU MARISSA MEYER FOR GIVING ME THIS CHARACTER TO HERO WORSHIP AND CAPSLOCK ALL UP IN THIS BLOG.

Of course, Kai the love interest is back and lol you guys the whole time I was like Cinder, you should kiss someone else just for fun and to make Kai mad because I am an awful human being. ANYWAYS Kai is between a rock and a hard place. His lady love is a cyborg and a Lunar, Queen Levana is all GIVE ME CINDER OR DIEEE MWAHAHAHAHA and oh yeah, Kai’s people are dying. So yes, his life sucks a whole lot. In Scarlet, we don’t get to spend as much time with Kai, but okay, he’s kind of hardened his heart towards Cinder and it is sad and emotional. But yes, I didn’t find Kai quite as swoonworthy in Scarlet.

However, I did not find Kai devastatingly swoony because ALL OF THE SWOONS were for Wolf. As much as I say I like a nice guy, sometimes I am secretly lying to myself and pretty much the whole internet because there is just SOMETHING about a dangerous dude and oh my goodness THE INNER TORMENT. I know, I know I am a walking talking cliche in writing this. Seriously though, I loved the character of Wolf and like with every scene with him and Scarlet I wanted to mash their faces together to get them to kiss or something. I know, I know face mashing is awkward but you guys, it’s necessary in this case. Anyways, Wolf has kind of knocked Kai out of my reader’s heart, because he’s all full of dimensions and such.

The world Meyer has built makes my imagination soar — because of how the map has been redrawn. Also because of all of the robots. AND TECHNOLOGY! And space ships. Like you guys, space ships tend to really turn me off as do robots, but some how Marissa Meyer pulls a Tim Gunn and makes it work.I guess a big part of it is that Scarlet doesn’t get so bogged down in the mechanics, like sure we get a page or two of ship operations but it’s nothing where I think to myself oh hey this is just like reading a technical manual. ALSO! Iko is back and that helps because she has this super cool personality and I did not know robots could have personalities.

Of course, Marissa Meyer still has a writing style that I can get behind. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is a quick read and like you would think at over 400 pages it would take FOREVER! Nope, the characters and the plot are so compelling that I’m like omg omg WHAT IS UP WITH GRANDMERE. OMG OMG WILL THEY ESCAPE IN TIME. Pretty much I was using up my ration of OMGs with Scarlet. FURTHER, I thought that Meyer handled the POV shifts quite well. There wasn’t a point where I was all hmmm who am I reading – Scarlet or Cinder? Because both characters have strong and unique voices. Seriously, multiple PoV books can be a crapshoot, but it actually really helped this book out — with pacing and plot.

Y’all, obviously I am just going to wave my arms around and keep yelling until you either preorder or if you are super duper lucky read an ARC of Scarlet. It is SUCH a fantastic read that I think if you’ve already got a copy in your presence there is absolutely zero excuse to be waiting on Scarlet. F’realz, it’s got your favorite characters from Cinder and NEW CHARACTERS WHO ARE EVEN BETTER. And yes, it makes me want to keysmash all kinds of words of love, it is that good.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer:

Anna Reads – “Wolf. Oh, Wolf! I lurve you.

Stacked – “It’s terrifically fun, accessible, well-written science fiction

Cuddlebuggery – “I was bleeding love

Books by Marissa Meyer:
Cinder

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April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. This is the BEST review I’ve ever read. Seriously, all the keyboard smashing and references made me laugh the entire time! I’ve already pre-ordered Scarlet but now I can’t wait to read it even more! <3

  2. *dies* I so want to read this one!! I adored CINDER and raved all over about it — how fabulous that there’s no sophomore slump, no let-up in the action, and fantastic-fabulous characters. Now, I want to read it even MORE!!

  3. I’m the last person on earth who hasn’t read Cinder! Putting it on my 2013 must-do list!

  4. I have an ARC of this, but I’ve been waiting until closer to publication and it’s so damn pretty and I want to read it RIGHT THE HELL NOW. So, obvi I couldn’t read the review, because I want to keep my palette cleansed of too much expectation or whatever, BUT I am so excited that this improved on Cinder and that you liked the new characters even better! 😀

  5. Ackkkk! Your review just made me even more eager for Scarlet. I can’t wait to meet Wolf and Scarlet. Also love how your review makes me feel like you’re talking directly to me. 🙂

  6. YES APRIL!!! I loved this book so much too. And yes, ALL OF THE SWOONS were for Wolf. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Kai, but Wolf was all damaged and dark and I wanted to reach in there and hug him. Why must there be a year in between these books? I don’t know if I can take it. SO GOOD:)

  7. RIGHT?!?!? SO GOOD!

  8. Yesss…. to all of it. Firstly, Wolf and Scarlet ROCK. And total agreement about Thorne. Thorne definitely needs more coverage in future books (and a girl. ) And I was so happy to see Iko again I did a happy dance. And lastly, the final chapter, where Cinder gives her the spiel on how things are going to go down from here on out had me fist pumping as I closed the book:)

    Loved this one more than Cinder too. Can’t wait for Cress because this series just gets better and better!

  9. I loved, loved, LOVED Scarlet. It was a great sequel, a wonderful addition, and these new characters she introduced were all AMAZING! Awesome review 🙂

  10. I loved Cinder so much that while I was reading the ARC I had to stop and buy the finished e-book. I just read the 5 chapter sampler for Scarlet and so far I definitely think I will prefer reading about Wolf over reading about Kai, who I thought was kind of bland. Can’t wait to read Scarlet. It is awesome when book 2 is better than book 1!

  11. So pumped to read Scarlet! I have a feeling that I’ll completely agree with you on Wolf. Kai was a good hero and all, but he wasn’t super exciting. If Wolf is who I think he is, then I’m already expecting to really enjoy reading about him. I like conflicted characters and inner torment! Though because of that, I’m not sure that I’ll love Scarlet’s character more than Cinder. But we shall see. Great review!

  12. Ah!!! I can’t wait to read this one. I really need to re-read Cinder.

    Great review. 😀

  13. That was a very gushy, very awesome review.
    I wasn’t cray-cray over Cinder but there were some parts that I really, really liked, so I’m looking forward to reading this one too.

  14. Okay, I’ve been holding off on reading this because of the crazy number of fall/winter releases, but I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD OFF MUCH LONGER! I peeked at the beginning of your review–so exciting to see you liked it even more than CINDER. 🙂

  15. APRIL. I HAVE NO COHERENT THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS BOOK. Your review is so stellar and perfect and THE LEGIT TRUTH that I can’t even. Scarlet was amazing. It makes me want to jump up and down and spaz out and DIE, it was so good. If I didn’t have the carrot of Cress dangling in front of my face (alas, not literally), I just might actually die from the awesome. I loved Thorne and Wolf. And Scarlet and Cinder. And Levana is a nasty bish, but I’m totally digging on her evilness.
    So, YES. WHAT YOU SAID.

  16. Great review, if you want more background on Wolf you should read Marissa’s prequel to Scarlet – “The queen’s army”. This girl can write.

  17. Aughhhh This book was so fantastic! I think my thoughts about it were totally spastic and I’m seriously going to have to calm them down before I can attempt to write a review of it. Because otherwise it’s basically just going to be epic fangirling over everything. I loved Scarlet… probably more than Cinder – which is pretty hard considering I have great great love for Cinder. She was just so badass but not and I loved her range of emotions! And Wolf! Yes, Kai has taken a backseat I’m afraid to say. Great review! Made me giggle many many times! 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. […] blog tour for the paperback edition of Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Legit, I LOVED both Cinder and Scarlet and let’s be real, I transferred all of my allegiance from Kai to Wolf, who OMG OMG I get […]

  2. […] Scarlet hoodie, bookmarks and lip gloss – from Macmillan as a thank you for being on the Cinder paperback blog tour! Y’all, I am so excited about this, and as I type this I am totally sitting in my new hoodie. I have worn it around work a few times and have to say, this is my favorite kind of swag, PLUS it really does get the Lunar Chronicles out there. […]

  3. […] Reviews: Book Addiction, Good Books & Good Wine, Melissa’s Bookshelf and more at the Book Blogs Search Engine. Have you reviewed this book? […]