Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

 

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Puffin
Publication date: February 7th, 2013
Number of pages: 452
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...
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.

Just when you didn’t think Marissa Meyer’s “Lunar Chronicles” cannot get any better, well think again boys and girls. This VERY high anticipated sequel to the breath-taking “Cinder” not only lives up to expectations, but exceeds them to the utter most degree.
After the events, realisations and revelations that came about in book 1, Scarlet starts right off the back to where we left off.
While we do get multiple POVS, including what is happening with Cinder and where she is off to know she was told to escape her prison, but this is much more of a Scarlet aka Red Riding Hood story.
There are so many things that happen in such a short amount of time, and I was clued to every single page. I could not flip fast enough it seems.
Cinder, as she tries to fight her way out of her cell, gets introduced to a new character. Captain Thorne. He is someone who helps Cinder on her way, and also finds a way to escape the prison himself since he believes he should not be there to begin with, yes, well.. and off Cinder makes a new friend.
We also get to see what Prince, Emperor Kai is now up to. His decisions, emotions and actions are all boiled down in one. He doesn’t have the easiest time of things. He has no much people expect of him. Things he wants for himself and what is best for the country are two separate things. When everyone is counting on you to do the right thing…. is the right thing something you wouldn’t wish on your greatest enemy?
Queen Levena is out to settle a score. To take over and she doesn’t care who gets in her way. It’s just a matter of if Kai will be her ally or enemy, and at this point, she doesn’t care which.

We quickly meet Scarlet, who is in search of her grandmother, who suddenly went missing out of the blue. After her leads go dead, she meets newcomer, street-fighter ‘Wolf’ who seems like he knows more about things than he should.
After discovering that he might have information on her grandmother’s whereabouts, Scarlet decides she has to trust him because she really doesn’t have much choice at this point. The journey they go on leads them to some interesting discoveries. Not only about why her grandmother was taken, but also about who they are, Scarlet and Wolf included. The stakes are raised in this mind blowing sequel.

I really loved this book. After my stupid hestitation on the first, I got this book as quickly as it came out, and I was not disappointed. We begin to realize that not everything is as it seems. The world that Marissa has created just grows even more so, as you discover so much about the lunars, and how there are more out there, and close to home than you realize.
I love how Scarlet and Cinder find themselves connecting, as their stories bridge together. Each knowing something about the other, searching for the same thing, as their worlds collide.

If you haven’t read this series yet. I suggest you go and pick up Cinder, because this is a story you should not miss.

5 out of 5.