Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

30 October, 2012 Reviews 19 comments

I have to give it to Ms. Meyer for one again combining your favorite fairy tales with sic-fi/fantasy. Seriously, well done! The Lunar Chronicles is quickly becoming one of my new favorite series and for good reason. It has kick-ass protagonists like Cinder and now Scarlet. When we first met Cinder in book one, she was shy and timid, eventually coming into her own strength. And when I heard that we would be introduced to a new main character, I was a little nervous. I was worried that I’d end up comparing the two and dislike Scarlet. But let me tell you! When Cinder was unsure of herself in the beginning, Scarlet is fierce. Who’s afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? Not Scarlet.

I should warn you that this review *will* contain spoilers for Cinder. So, if you haven’t read book one…

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Scarlet picks up directly after Cinder left off. Cinder’s busy breaking out of jail, Kai is trying to placate Levana (the wretch) and we get to meet Scarlet (yay!). And if you can’t remember the finer details about what happened previously, there is a nice little recap.

The biggest difference between this installment and Cinder is the point-of-view flipping. And with that, you have two different main characters with two separate goals. Scarlet’s is to find her missing grandmother, who was abducted and Cinder’s is to escape from the Eastern Commonwealth and… not get caught. Somewhere along the way their paths intertwine and revelations are had. Now, here’s the thing: Though, overall, I did enjoy Scarlet, there are still a few things I really disliked about it too. Don’t give me that look! There is method to my madness.

Things I liked:

1. The new characters – Along with meeting Scarlet, we also are introduced to two other characters, the wolf, who travels to Paris with Scarlet in search of her grandmother and Carswell Thorne, a womanizer and fugitive that escaped prison with Cinder. I thought they were both great characters, especially Thorne, who I happen to love and hate at the same time. Wolf is a bit more complex because of his past (which I can’t talk about due le spoilers), but I like the mystery surrounding his character.

Scarlet is fantastic. I mean, the girl wears a red hoodie and carries a gun in her belt. Sweet and innocent? *pfft* How about sweet and deadly?

She’s all about action and doesn’t take “no” for an answer. She doesn’t sit back and wait for someone else to save her grandmother. And I think the best way to describe her would be to quote Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus: “Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!” So, while she isn’t a perfect character, she certainly is determined to do whatever it takes to reach her goal. I loved that about her and I think other readers will too or at least respect her spirit.

2. I also really enjoyed the plot and back story. We get to find out more about Cinder’s past and how she ended up ended up on earth and who helped her. I really think Meyer did a good job at telling two different stories and later having them weave together. And I really like seeing Scarlet and Cinder together. I only wish that they had teamed up sooner than the ending.

Things I didn’t like:

1. At times it felt like there was too much story to tell. (Maybe this was just me wanting more from Scarlet.) Even though Scarlet is longer than Cinder, I’d even say that I think that there was too much happening in this installment and not enough time spent developing the new characters or the new relationships, which, incidentally, leads to my next con…

2. I’m not sure I liked Scarlet and Wolf’s relationship. Since the novel very frequently flips back and forth from Scarlet to Cinder and even Kai, there wasn’t much page time the reader is left developing some kind of connection with their relationship. Actually, they themselves didn’t even have much time developing anything and by the end, I found it all rather cheesy. And while they do both admit that they’ve developed feelings for one another (in a matter of days), it never felt real because I was too busy keeping up with all the story arcs.

3. I missed Kai and Cinder being together. Kai is in the book, but I missed the chemistry they had in Cinder. I think Wolf and Scarlet’s romance was supposed to fill the void temporarily, but since I didn’t really spend much time with them, the sparks never flew for me. Perhaps in book three, Cress, things will be different. But right now, I have my doubts considering it looks like we will be meeting even more characters. I’m starting to wonder if this world is just too big for this series. Ah, well. We’ll see.

The Ending:

‘Cause, yeah, it needs its own section.

Kai. WHY?! WHY? WHY? WHY?

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Okay. I think I need a moment to process that ending. *breathes in and out*

Did that just make you want to read this book even more than you already did? Oops.

So, in conclusion, even though I liked Cinder more, Scarlet was still a fun and exciting read. Meyer has built an interesting world, making “old faces” from fairy tales new again. And I know you’re probably giving me dagger eyes for the little bit above, but just think how hard it will be for me to wait for Cress. It’s torture, I tell ya.

ARC was provided by Macmillan. Thank you!

19 Responses to “Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer”

  1. heykelley

    I really agree with you about the fact that there is SO much going on and it feels like there’s not enough pages to cover it all. I see this, and I wonder how the heck the next 2 books are going to play out, you know?
     
    Cinder is still my absolute favorite (and she and Thorne make a pretty entertaining duo, I think), but Scarlet is cool, too. I really, really wish The Lunar Chronicles was just an anime series instead of (or maybe in addition to?) books. That way there would be so much more room to get to know everyone and have all of their stories told. *wistful sigh*

    • Stephanie Sinclair

      @heykelley Yup, that is my concern as well. I hope our concerns are proven unnecessary!
       
      I loved Cinder and Thorn together. A book that contains playful banter always makes me laugh. And I completely agree! This series would have made a great anime series.

      • heykelley

        @Stephanie Sinclair  I hope so, too! Interestingly, Cress is supposed to take place entirely on the moon, which should shake things up. I wonder if Scarlet and Wolf will fade more into the background (and subsequently, Cress, in Winter).
         
        Ah, speculation. Like you, I am just itching to read the next two books already. Too bad we still have 3 more months before Scarlet even officially releases! Argh. xD

  2. Joie

    Oh dear lord, now when I finally DO get Scarlet, I’ll be too scared to read the ending!!

  3. sangita

    After this reading this review i’m dying to read it. I’m looking forward to meeting Scarlet and the ending looks like it’s going to be a sad one. Why?! Why?! Why?!
     
    Check out my <a href=”http://whisperofreads.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/waiting-on-wednesday-35.htmll”>WoW</a>.
     
    Sangita @ <a href=”http://whisperofreads.blogspot.co.uk/”>Whisper of Reads</a>.

  4. sangita

    After this reading this review i’m dying to read it. I’m looking forward to meeting Scarlet and the ending looks like it’s going to be a sad one. Why?! Why?! Why?!

  5. AnimeGirlAlex

    Okay, that gift with Jense Ackles left me very intrigued. 
    The story sounds very good and I remember Cinder had some really good points, too. Scarlet sounds interesting, but yeah, I understand what you mean about not enough page-time.

    • Stephanie Sinclair

      @AnimeGirlAlex 😀
      Yeah, I thought the story was excellent. When the ARC came in, I was surprised at how long it was. But I guess it needed to be considering how much needed to be covered.

  7. MusingsinRed

    I read Cinder, but found I figured out the ending only 22 pages into the book. It was extremely predictable. What you mention here as the 3 main problems about Scarlett makes me want to ram my head into the wall. lol  🙂
     
    The only thing I’m curious is to know what Kai does at the end. But I don’t think I’ll be reading the book, so I suppose I shall have to survive without knowing. sigh….

    • Stephanie Sinclair

      @The Hipster Owl’s Bookshelf Yup, Cinder was very predictable and this one wan’t as fun and captivating. But I’m hoping it’s just setting the rest of the series up.

  9. BriceCulhane

    Shit he doesn’t agree to marry Queen Levana does he??!! OMG 5 days are going to be long and torturous