Cress, by Marissa Meyer

 Cress, by Marissa Meyer, 550 pages

This is the 3rd book in the Lunar Chronicles series.  Cinder and the gang are still on the lam, running away from evil Queen Levana.  The new character in this book is Cress, a girl with really long hair who has been isolated in a satellite for years.  So her story is a Rapunzel retelling.  I thought this was pretty good- the action is there, the characters are diversifying so there's less time for angst-y outbreaks and moping, and the story is really coming together.

Off to be the Wizard, by Scott Meyer

Off To be the Wizard, by Scott Meyer, 276 pages

This is only at 3 libraries (according to Worldcat), which is a shame, because I absolutely loved it.  It is a mix of the humor and voice of Terry Pratchett, combined with the technology of Ready Player One (another excellent read).  Martin is just your average, twenty-something year old man who spends more time on computers than with people.  And when Martin stumbles across a file that proves that all of reality is just a computer file, he soon finds himself playing the part of a wizard in medieval England.  This book is funny (the author is the creator of "Basic Instructions," a webcomic that is also hilarious), the characters are relatable, and it was just a surprisingly fulfilling read.  I just hope there's a sequel!

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles 2), by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles 2), by Marissa Meyer, 452 pages

This second book in the Lunar Chronicles picks up right where it left off.  Cinder is in prison, but on the verge of escape, while Kai mopes around the palace, being threatened by the queen of Luna.  We are introduced to a new character, Scarlet, who I assume you can guess which fairytale character she is paralleling.  When the mysterious Wolf enters Scarlet's life, and seems to know where her grandmother has disappeared to, they start on a journey that ultimately crosses paths with that of Cinder and a fellow escaped convict.  The characters can sometimes be annoying, but it's still an alright piece of young adult fiction.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1), by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1), by Marissa Meyer, 387 pages

Cinder is a cyborg- part human, part machine- who works as a mechanic for her hateful stepmother.  The prince's annual ball is coming up, and while her vain mother and stepsister plan to attend, Cinder knows she won't be able to go.  See where this is going?  Well, the story soon veers from the classic Cinderella, with a vicious plague outbreak, a long-thought-dead Moon princess, and an evil queen set to take over Earth with mind-reading powers.  I enjoyed this, and I think teens or those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings would also like this first in what is bound to be a series.