Cress

Starred review from December 9, 2013
This third of four books in Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles has no shortage of humor, action, or romance, and the author still delivers the clever fairy-tale twists her readers expect. Cress, a self-proclaimed “damsel in distress,” has been imprisoned in an orbiting satellite for more than seven years, and has never been allowed to cut her hair, which has grown to Rapunzel-like lengths. Though Cress—an expert hacker—is supposed to be tracking down the fugitive Linh Cinder for Lunar Queen Levana, Cress has been secretly aiding her. When Cinder and her crew try to rescue Cress, the plan goes awry, leaving Cinder’s group scattered and fighting for survival. Meyer continues to show off her storytelling prowess, keeping readers engaged in a wide cast of characters while unfolding a layered plot that involves warring governments and a fast-spreading plague. The momentum Meyer built in the first two books continues to accelerate as the stakes grow higher for Cinder and her friends. The next installment cannot come fast enough. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In this third series installment (after Cinder and Scarlet), Scarlet and Wolf join Captain Thorne in Cinder's small group of allies determined to fight against Queen Levana. Earth is still reeling from the lunar queen's devastating attacks. Emperor Kai plans to wed Levana in an attempt to avoid war and gain access to an antidote for the deadly plague that has ravaged Earth for the last decade. Cinder enlists the help of Cress, the programmer/hacker who has been kept in a satellite for years to spy on Earth leaders for Levana, but who has also secretly been working against her. The attempt to rescue Cress ends with the group scattered and in peril, with precious little time before the royal wedding that would cement Queen Levana's hold on Earth. Rebecca Soler returns with another skilled performance, navigating multiple story lines in the fast-paced adventure while expertly distinguishing between characters with changes in pitch and accent. For Cress, the teen who has spent the majority of her life in seclusion, Soler injects a naive quality, effectively conveying her awe at new sights and experiences once she is out of her satellite. Her confidence grows throughout the narrative, and that is also reflected in her voice. Cinder continues to be the most compelling of the characters, and listeners will anxiously await the conclusion of this engaging series.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2014
Meyer's Lunar Chronicles continue with Cinder and crew becoming separated after a botched attempt at a satellite rescue of new character Cress, kept prisoner by the villainous Queen Levana. Most of the group eventually reunites in Africa and then returns to New Beijing to stop Emperor Kai's wedding to Levana, leading to a dramatic ending that sets up the final series installment. As she did for Cinder and Scarlet (both rev. 7/13), narrator Soler masterfully captures the pacing and emotion in Meyer's fairy tale/sci-fi hybrid adaptation of "Rapunzel." She smoothly navigates among the ever-expanding cast's different voices -- easily articulating the accents of the wedding planner and caravan traders; adding an appropriate gruffness to guard Jacin or charisma to Cress's love interest Thorne; relaying socially awkward Cress's hesitancy. In introducing Winter, the princess protagonist of the final book, Soler matches the description of Winter's voice: "the way she danced through her sentences like each word had to be coaxed off her tongue." cynthia k. ritter

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)