To my very surprise, this book turned out even better than the first one, CINDER. The first book had be truly captivated and I could not put the book down until it was finished. After finishing the first book, I was very excited for the second one. However, when I learned the second book would follow a completely different character and occasionally go back to Cinder, I was very disappointed. But despite the odds, this book threw my expectations away! Meyer has a talent: with the second book focusing on Scarlet, I found myself more drawn to Scarlet than Cinder in the second book. I've read other book series that switch protagonists between the books, and I have ALWAYS found myself liking the protagonist from the first book the best. Meyer made me like Scarlet so much, I didn't care that there were not as many chapters with Cinder's perspective! What blows my mind away about THE LUNAR CHRONICLES is the intertextuality with the original fairy tale. In CINDER, it was Cinderella; in SCARLET, it is Little Red Riding Hood. Just like I said about the first book, I expected this modern adaptation to follow the original fairy tale exactly, only changing the time setting and the characters. But the result is so much different from the original fairy tale. What I especially loved in both the first and second book (but this one does a better job at it), is that the story develops in a way that makes you forget about the original fairy tale. Meyer makes it seem like what is supposed to happen in the original fairy tale won't happen, or you feel a different way about the characters that are supposed to mirror their roles in the original fairy tale. And just when you think Meyer strays herself away from those roles and plots, BAM! It hits right back at you! I loved it! Again, this series reminds me of the HUSH, HUSH series by Becca Fitzpatrick. In CINDER, it was through the romantic tension. In SCARLET, it was through Wolf. Wolf reminded me a lot of Patch in HUSH, HUSH in many instances. His character (as Wolf develops, not at the very beginning) and actions consistently draw me back to Patch. I'm finding myself really drawn into the new characters Meyer presented in this book. There are two more books in this series, and I am now trying to figure out which fairy tales those will follow, simply based off the name of the next books. My only guess is that WINTER will be about Snow White. I don't even know if my guess is close! I never seem to figure it out until the blurb comes out, and then it smacks me like it was the most obvious thing in the world!

The story begins the day after Cinder’s attendance at Prince Kai’s ball, and the news footage of her fall down the palace steps has been broadcast over the entire globe. Scarlet Benoit is an 18 year-old young woman, who lives with her grandmother in Rieux, France. Her grandmother has been missing for the past two weeks, and the only clue is her identification chip which has been left behind. The police have written off the disappearance as a likely suicide, since most people who want to disappear will cut out their ID chip. Scarlet doesn’t buy it. She knows her grandmother would never abandon her, and she is determined to find her. Scarlet meets a hungry young man named “Wolf,” who has a penchant for Scarlet’s homegrown tomatoes. He asks for a job as a farmhand, but Scarlet doesn’t really need one. Scarlet returns home one day to a ransacked house, and she finds her father searching for something. His arms have scars all over them, and he is utterly hysterical. Wolf happens to be with Scarlet and, when her father sees the tattoo on Wolf’s arm, he freaks out and tells Scarlet that Wolf is “one of them”- one of the men who abducted her grandmother and are holding her hostage for something they think she has. Wolf insists that he is no longer a part of the gang and that joining it was the biggest mistake of his life, but he offers to take Scarlet to the gang’s headquarters where he believes they would be holding her grandmother. Meanwhile, back in the Eastern Commonwealth, Cinder is trying to find a way to escape from her cell before Queen Levana can take her back to Luna. I absolutely loved Cinder when I listened to it last year and couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. I was curious how Meyer would tie the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood to Cinder’s, and she did it brilliantly! I do not want to give away any spoilers, so I will just say that I was really impressed how Cinder’s path and Scarlet’s path become tangled together. I really enjoyed Scarlet, though not as much as Cinder. Still, it was a solid book in the series. One big disappointment for me was the absence of Dr. Erland, who I adored in Cinder. I really missed his presence, and I hope that Cinder will be reunited with him in Cress which is expected to be published in 2014. On the plus side, I thought the budding romance between Scarlet and Wolf had more chemistry than Cinder’s relationship with Prince Kai. Meyer kept me on my toes, wondering whether Wolf was good or bad! Narrator Rebecca Soler is so good! I love her French accent, and she has the right amount of sass to bring attitude to Cinder’s and Scarlet’s characters without coming across as annoying. Her vocalizations make all the characters easily distinguishable, and her exuberance brings excitement to the story. I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

you know how sequels are always the weakest link....YAH NOT this one. another wicked exciting and intense ride for scarlet (2nd novel in series). we are introduced to a new narrator scarlet- who is linked to cinder and her journey as an outlaw and her quest to find out the truth. i agree with past reviewers that i like cinder more than scarlet. there's something about cinder that clicks with me, or maybe it's because she the main character and the entire series evolves around her. scarlet was ok but she didn't have the same charisma as cinder. an old character returns but in another form. we also are introduced to new characters- wolf, jael, ran, grandmere, emilie and thorne. ok who doesn't love thorne. the relationship between cinder and throne provides the comedic relief- they are funny together. the bro and sister bickering....good touch lot's of fighting and action in this one from both characters' plots. cinder and her newly discovered use of "magic lunar" gift and wolf as a wrestler. this series is getting intense. EXTREMELY interested to see what is coming up next. though i'm sure it will be predictable like most YA series. regardless i'm dying to see what else meyer has in store of her faithful readers. extremely disappointed i have to wait till next yr and 2015 to read the final 2.

I can’t really go into everything I loved about Scarlet because it would be as long as the book. Seriously. All the characters, all the POVs, all the anguish and suspense and utter torment are SO worth it. I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way as I do. I have no idea how I’m going to function for a year as I wait for Cress. Literally. I’m like, listless. I can’t stop thinking about this book. Maybe it was the fact that I read it in half a day, that it was too much all at once? Ya, so don’t overdose on this book. Space it out a little, like give it two days. I’m just going to focus on characters because I don’t want to give too much away about the story for those who haven’t read the first book. Cinder: I missed her. I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much because it wouldn’t just be her and Kai’s POVs anymore, but don’t worry! There’s just enough of her in this. I feel like she’s got a lot of growth ahead of her as she tries to figure out the ethics of using her gift. What she does in this book will be just the tip of the ice berg. Plus she is so friggin awesome. She doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. Prince Kai: I feel SO bad for him in this book as he struggles with his feelings for Cinder, whether it was all a glamour or if he really likes her. I’m not going to go into any more because he only has a few chapters, the last of which will probably kill you. Scarlet: Another character who won’t take sh*t from anyone. She’s a girl on a mission (to find her grandmother) and she’s not going to let anyone stop her. I love her red hoodie, I love her hair, I love her attitude, I love her relationship with Wolf, I just love her. It seems to me like she’s got her priorities straight, and she won’t let anyone dissuade her when she’s got her mind fixed on something. Captain (Cadet) Carswell Thorne: I’m semi-confused about who he’s supposed to be in this fairy-tale adaptation, but he comes across as very Flynn Rider-ish to me, so hopefully I’ve pegged him right. This guy is hilarious, and his relationships with Cinder (him purposefully bugging her, Cinder making scathing remarks back) is spot on and perfect. It doesn’t feel threatening to the feelings that Cinder has for Kai. I’m not sure how that will change in the books ahead. Wolf: I was so confused with his story line because new things were introduced, and he kept adding more information, and Scarlet found out other things about him, so that when there’s this big reveal, it’s like BAM! Death. In a good way. He was the source of mystery in this book. I just want to note that the pacing is very different than Cinder. The first book set everything up: the world, the characters, and the conflict. Scarlet picks it up, has tons of action mixed in with some slower, more reflective moments. It’s the perfect balance, and it’s the perfect second book. It manages to satisfy some elements from the first book while introducing new conflicts and mysteries for the next books. Cinder was to The Fellowship of the Ring as Scarlet is to The Twin Towers. That’s the best analogy I can come up with. The whole time you’ll be leaning into the book, waiting for the moment when the two storylines will collide. And they do, so perfectly. I would give this book a 6/5, but that would screw up my rating system. So 5/5 for my favourite series. I can’t wait for Cress.

Have you read Cinder? If not what the heck are you waiting for because you are going to need to pick this one up as soon as you can. I was hesitant to start Cinder myself but it seriously wow'd me. Now Scarlet was something that I was genuinely excited for and it still had me hooked. With it's new characters and all of the action it was hard to put this one down! This book was so different from the first one. I know it's not the same book but normally they carry a lot of similarities. Though it still has Meyer's clear and expressive writing it also has many different POV's. Have I mentioned that I love books that are written from the views of different characters?! Well I do. You get to hear it from Scarlet, Cinder and Prince Kai. Though Prince Kai is the one you read from the least I still love it. Rather than that you still get the same awesome world (well future world) and riveting writing. Scarlet is the furthest thing from a push over. This girl is all action and after reading the book I'm not sure she really understands the meaning of no. When the police close her Grandmothers case she is determined to prove them wrong. I loved that she was willing to do whatever it took to find out the truth. This meant if she had to go into places that she would have never even considered before than heck ya she was on it. This Red Riding Hood is not the sweet and innocent girl that you would expect. I mean ya red hoodie but the girl packs some heat. I mean a gun in her belt HECK YA! The way in which Cinder was tied into this rocked as well. I'm not really sure if it was Cinder tied into this but more Scarlet tied into Cinder. She also got a little help from the wonderfully entertaining Carswell Thorne. He kind of comes with the escape from jail deal but it works out for the better. With him Cinder gets a cocky and self loving companion. The chapters that these two are featured in have some serious laughs packed in, as well as action because hey, they are both fugitives and are kind of stuck together. I did enjoy the growth and realizations that Cinder had throughout this novel. She is finally starting to see and embrace what she really is and could really become. Everything about this one was wonderful and Meyer made it so easy to just fall back into the world she created and fall in love with the characters that are both new and old. Just like how she tied in Cinderella, Red Riding Hood was tied in with her red hoody and a type of big bad wolf. May I just add that the way the wolf was tied in to the entire story was BRILLIANT! I was upset that Kai kind of gave in when he should have remained strong but the truth is I still love him and will forgive the transgression but only just this once. I was so excited to get this book and get it started that I didn't even factor in my early review copy just made me have to wait longer for the next book!! I'm not even sure how I am going to deal with the wait. Meyer has done some seriously amazing work and done something I never though possible. She made a story with cyborgs and much more that I am completely and utterly in love with! I would recommend this series to everyone but also tell them to prepare to die waiting for each new installment.

Have you read Cinder? If not what the heck are you waiting for because you are going to need to pick this one up as soon as you can. I was hesitant to start Cinder myself but it seriously wow'd me. Now Scarlet was something that I was genuinely excited for and it still had me hooked. With it's new characters and all of the action it was hard to put this one down! This book was so different from the first one. I know it's not the same book but normally they carry a lot of similarities. Though it still has Meyer's clear and expressive writing it also has many different POV's. Have I mentioned that I love books that are written from the views of different characters?! Well I do. You get to hear it from Scarlet, Cinder and Prince Kai. Though Prince Kai is the one you read from the least I still love it. Rather than that you still get the same awesome world (well future world) and riveting writing. Scarlet is the furthest thing from a push over. This girl is all action and after reading the book I'm not sure she really understands the meaning of no. When the police close her Grandmothers case she is determined to prove them wrong. I loved that she was willing to do whatever it took to find out the truth. This meant if she had to go into places that she would have never even considered before than heck ya she was on it. This Red Riding Hood is not the sweet and innocent girl that you would expect. I mean ya red hoodie but the girl packs some heat. I mean a gun in her belt HECK YA! The way in which Cinder was tied into this rocked as well. I'm not really sure if it was Cinder tied into this but more Scarlet tied into Cinder. She also got a little help from the wonderfully entertaining Carswell Thorne. He kind of comes with the escape from jail deal but it works out for the better. With him Cinder gets a cocky and self loving companion. The chapters that these two are featured in have some serious laughs packed in, as well as action because hey, they are both fugitives and are kind of stuck together. I did enjoy the growth and realizations that Cinder had throughout this novel. She is finally starting to see and embrace what she really is and could really become. Everything about this one was wonderful and Meyer made it so easy to just fall back into the world she created and fall in love with the characters that are both new and old. Just like how she tied in Cinderella, Red Riding Hood was tied in with her red hoody and a type of big bad wolf. May I just add that the way the wolf was tied in to the entire story was BRILLIANT! I was upset that Kai kind of gave in when he should have remained strong but the truth is I still love him and will forgive the transgression but only just this once. I was so excited to get this book and get it started that I didn't even factor in my early review copy just made me have to wait longer for the next book!! I'm not even sure how I am going to deal with the wait. Meyer has done some seriously amazing work and done something I never though possible. She made a story with cyborgs and much more that I am completely and utterly in love with! I would recommend this series to everyone but also tell them to prepare to die waiting for each new installment.

While I thought Scarlet was an excellent story I still couldn't give it the full 5 stars because I just didn't click with the character of Scarlet. She came across as somewhat sterotypical in that she is a firey redhead who kept popping off at others. The character of Wolf is intriguing but he still had that whole McBroody pants thing going on. On the whole I enjoyed Cinder's continuing adventures a bit more than the Scarlet storyline in that Cinder's "on page" chemistry with Iko and the Cadet/Captain introduces moments of levity into the story.

I really quite liked this. As a sequel to "Cinder," there were two parts to this tale going at the same time - the first introduces the next character, Scarlet, and re-tells and updates the Little Red Riding Hood myth to this Lunar mythology. The second part to the story continues from the first, telling of what happens to Cinder next after her incarceration post-ball. The two threads stay apart for most of the book - Scarlet is unsure whether she should trust a streetfighter who might help her find her missing Grandmere, Cinder is on the run with a new companion - but coalesce near t.he end for a satisfying progression of the plot without overwhelming the Scarlet storyline. Often, book two in a series suffers from fatigue. It's a bridge-book, the character grows but the main conflict doesn't really impact much and it's a "set-up" more than anything else. By weaving in the fresh story of Scarlet among the continuance of Cinder's story, I think "Scarlet" succeeded more than most second books in keeping the pace going and feeling fresh. I look forward to the next installment.

Last year when Cinder came out I was blown away by it’s originality. Fairy tales and science fiction – why have these two genres not be combined in such a way before? I didn’t think it could be any better but then came Scarlet. Scarlet brings the Lunar Chronicles to a whole new level. Cinder was an enjoyable story with an interesting plot but all in all it was pretty straight forward. Scarlet’s plot is more layered, more complex. The characters are even more fleshed out. The whole book seems smarter and masterfully told. You always hope the sequel will be better than the original. That it will be a strong next step in the series. And Scarlet most certainly delivers. Marissa Meyer is a master story teller. Hints of what’s to comes and inter-weaving plot lines. I’m so impressed with the way she can keep everything straight. This story has expanded so much from that of Cinder and Kai. Now Thorne, Wolf and Scarlet are wrapped up in it as well. There was so much planning and forethought put into this story I couldn’t help but think of J K Rowling and Harry Potter while reading. Like I mentioned there are a few new characters, the most important of which is Scarlet (of course). I adored Scarlet. She is everything I love in a character. Attitude, dedication to her family, brave, takes charge of the situation and doesn’t take no for an answer. And she wears hoodies. I think it would be pretty hard not to like her. I’m interested to see where her head-strong personality takes her next and how Marissa will tie her into the following two books. At the end of 2012 I awarded Kai the award for “Best Love Interest” ad while he still plays an important role in this book and is still sweet and adorable he has some competition now. Captain Thorne and Wolf are sure to win you over. Wolf is your dark and dangerous type but he has a heart of gold underneath his tough exterior. But personally, it was Thorne was his swashbuckling ways and fantastic sense of humour that stole my heart. I’m really anxious to get my hands on Cress and see what shenanigans are sure to follow him. Recommendation: Scarlet is a fantastic sequel and one that takes The Lunar Chronicles to a whole new level of story telling. Highly recommended. This and other reviews at More Than Just Magic (http://morethanjustmagic.org)

Wow, just wow. Honestly I don't even know where to start with this review. I guess I will just pick my jaw up from the ground to begin with. So Scarlet, the second instalment of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, I might have liked it even more than Cinder. Crazy I know, since I loved Cinder. But I'm not really sure what happened when I started reading this one. I just couldn't stop. I dragged this book around until it was done. First of all, just look at that cover! I love how it's so similar to Cinder's cover and not at the same time. All you get to see is Little Red's cape and hair. In case you are wondering, no Scarlet doesn't run around in a cape being all super hero-y. She has a red hoodie, much more tactful for fitting in in the future. So, there are multiple points of view in this one, which made me a very happy person because I quite enjoy the multiple PoV's. Especially, as in Scarlet there is a lot going on and you really need everyone's PoV. It starts off with Scarlet, so we get to meet our new favourite, ass kicking, ginger, farmer girl. All Scarlet wants is to find her grandmother, who has disappeared. She is sure that she was kidnapped but everyone else, including the police, think her grandmother is crazy and ran away. Scarlet is thinking about trying to find her gran herself when Wolf shows up. He is new to town and asks Scarlet for a job on her farm, she doesn't trust him and turns him away (good girl! You can't trust a Wolf!). Unfortunately, she finds out that she needs his help and falls for him hard (Bad girl!). There is huge betrayal, I don't know if it can be forgiven, but that's all I'm going to say on that matter. I really like Scarlet, even with her judgement lapses. I hope there is a bit more with her in the next books! Cinder is fleeing, with the help of a fellow inmate, she manages to get a hold of a ship and evade capture, for the time being. They realize that they need to find someone from Cinder's past (although she doesn't let "Captain" Thorne in on this). There isn't really a whole lot of character building with Cinder this time since she is mostly trying to not be sent back to prison so her evil aunt won't get a hold of her and try to kill her, again. But she is still awesome! Also, IKO IS BACK!!! I'm not going to tell you how, but Iko is so not impressed right away. The third point of view is Prince Kai! There's not really a lot from his PoV, since most of it is him trying to track down Cinder so Queen Levana doesn't start a war over all of this. We all know she's just using it as an excuse though. Kai make a very bad decision in this book :( Kai, you make us all sad! Wolf. I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him, I love him. Seriously. He really needs to stop being so nice and then an ass. You can't trust him at all. You want to like him, but he's the big bad wolf, so clearly he's bad, right? Bad and yummy. *sigh* Yes, I liked Scarlet possibly more than Cinder. I can't get over how Marissa Meyer just writes in a way that I can't physically put a book down. It's crazy. She has an amazing way with words. There was so much going on but it isn't at all confusing. I cannot wait for Cress to come out. Really, I can't. It's going to be a LONG year. In case you haven't figured out if I recommend this or not yet, yes, yes, YES! You have to read this series, it is an amazing retelling! All science fiction-y and such. I loved it! See, there's five owls down there! *Review was originally posted on Owl Read It* *A review copy was provided by the publisher.*