Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publishing Date: February 4, 2014

Pages/Format: 560, ARC

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: EXCELLENT.

First off, I'd like to thank the totally awesome Emily from Falling For YA for letting me borrow her ARC of Cress. EMILY. THANK YOU!

I'll be honest. I thought I was going to love Cinder and Scarlet, the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles, but I didn't. However, I still wanted to read Cress. I found the idea of a Rapunzel-esque character living in a tower to be pretty awesome, and I really wanted more from the characters I fell for in the first two books. And YES. CRESS. THIS is what I thought I'd feel about the previous books, and you guys, it's EXCELLENT.

One of my issues with Scarlet (I don't think it was much of an issue with Cinder) was the multiple POVs. There were so many that I'd get bored with some because I wanted to read from others, and it just didn't work for me (multiple POVs can be tricky). But in Cress it totally worked. I was very rarely bored, and almost every POV (the main ones, at least) had something going on to keep me interested. It just WORKED, and I'm so happy that it did.

Speaking of multiple POVs, lots of things are happening in this exciting third installment. Cinder, Captain Carswell Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf are all on the run together, hiding out in a spaceship...until they make contact with Cress, a Lunar with lots of hair who lives all alone in a satellite. I don't want to say much else because I don't want to spoil the book, but I will say that all sort of THINGS happen, and that they are EXCELLENT. Seriously, there's everything. Romance! Thrills! Action! Swoon! Comedy! Everrryyythaaang. I only shared a few status updates on Goodreads, but I could've done a bajillion.

What may be the best part of this book--and series--is the characters. They. Are. Fantastic. They're all awesome, they're all BA, and they all play key parts. And I love them. Of course there's Cinder, your friendly neighborhood cyborg mechanic...among other things. And Scarlet, who I would not want to mess with, for she's one tough cookie. Then in Cress we meet, well, Cress. She's Lunar, awkward (in a good way), and so totally cool. Seriously, this series is full of strong female leads. (Also, a little spoiler alert, I think, but we get a sneak peek at Winter. Aaand, she's kind of creepy? End spoiler.) And then there are the boys. Le siiiggghhh. Prince Kai, the good one. Wolf, the hot badass. Captain Carswell Thorne, the ruggedly handsome flirt. Do not ask me who's my favorite, because I do not know. I LOVE THEM ALL. Asking me to choose one is like putting me in a candy store and saying I can only have ONE kind of candy. No. I will have ALL THE (man) CANDY.

Oh gosh, what else can I say about Cress? I mean, it was just done SO WELL and it was all SO RIGHT. The writing was great. The plotlines were superb (seriously, I'm pretty sure I could read this book over and over for days), and everything interacted and flowed well. I smiled and giggled and got embarrassed and was shocked and had the feels. This book was EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT.

I'm pretty sure I would have so much more to say if I would've embraced my smart, intelligent self and written this review when I finished the book (instead, I waited a monthish). Cress was over the moon good (see what I did there?), so much fun, and, as I've said and will keep saying, EXCELLENT. This third installment in the Lunar Chronicles is one you DO NOT want to miss. Trust me. The only sucky part is that we have to wait, like, FOREVER, for Winter. I am not patient, and I NEED to know what's happening with the LC Gang. (Pleeease tell me there will be ARCs. Pretty please with the LC boys on top?)

Did I like it? YES.

Did I love it? I'm going to say YES.

Would I reread it? I already wanted to reread it when I finished it.

Would I purchase it? Pre-ordered!

Who would I recommend it to? Whether you loved Cinder and Scarlet or not, read this. Trust me. It's EXCELLENT. Oh, and if you like fantasmical stories. And lots of swoony boys.