I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
"Glitches"
by
Marissa Meyer
steampunk in eBook edition that was published by Tor Books on December 5, 2011 and has 32 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter, Heartless
A prequel short story, 0.5, in the steampunk series, The Lunar Chronicles, and revolving around Cinder who is being taken to New Beijing in the Eastern Commonwealth. You can read it for free on Wattpad.
My Take
It’s a cyborg Cinderella story with a very unhappy Cinder welcomed by half the family and hated by the other half. Meyer does weave a two-pronged tease into the story: why Garan would want Cinder so badly, especially when he’s already having a difficult time taking care of his current family.
I rather envy her brain tossing out information on anything that’s unfamiliar to this young girl, and her skill does come in very handy. But “Glitches” will make you cry.
Thank goodness I’ve got Cinder sitting on my table right now…waiting.
The Story
The eleven-year-old Cinder is an orphan in Europe who is in need of a family. A hard task as Cinder is a cyborg and not many aspire to take her in, except Garan. Unfortunately for Cinder she’s not welcome by half the family.
And it only gets worse.
The Characters
Cinder is an orphan, originally from Europe, whose parents died in the crash that resulted in the many necessary surgeries.
Linh Garan is her new stepfather who loves to tinker, even if it doesn’t help much with the bills; Linh Adri is the unwelcoming stepmother. Pearl is the eldest daughter, a twelve-year-old, who hates Cinder, and Peony, at nine, is the youngest who is very excited about her new sister. Iko is a mechanical maid with glitches.
Suki-jiĕ is their landlord, threatening to auction off their things. Prince Kai is the dreamboat for whom Peony pines.
The Peace Festival is an annual event with a ball at the palace. Letumosis, a.k.a., the Blue Fever, the Plague, has killed thousands with no known survivors.
The Cover and Title
The cover is filled with pastels in an Oriental style with a spare branch thrusting out from the right side with a few pale orange cherry blossoms. There are more branches fading off into the warm creamy beige background. Cinder has her dark brown hair up and is wearing a short sleeved, green kimono with a black obi. Her true arm is in the background while her cyborg arm is in the forefront and holding out another cherry blossom — I suspect it’s meant to represent hope. A deep, grayed-out purple forms a wide border at the top for the title and author’s name.
The title is what Cinder and Iko experience, “Glitches”.
