Cinder, Take a Bow, and Delirium

These three reviews are going to be a little more brief in nature

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is a science fiction retelling of the story Cinderella.  Some parts were enjoyable to read, others a deal more frustrating.  This thing with this story, the main "plot twist" was obvious before page 50, and I know that I'm not alone in discovering it.  The premise itself was interesting: Cinder is in fact a cyborg mechanic, a rather good one in fact.  But in a society where cyborg are heavily looked down upon, she has a hard time finding her true place.  A little bit of romance and lots of intrigue round out the picture, especially when the Lunar Queen visits the empire.

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg 3.5 out of 5 stars

Follows the narration of four characters attending a performing arts school.  I love the musical aspect of this book!  I found Emme's character adorable.  I can't say the same for some of the other characters in the book.  Most of the minor characters come across one dimensional (even the narrating ones at times), but I didn't find that it detracted too much from enjoying the story.  This one was quick, breezy read that was in one word: fun.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver 2 out of 5 stars

I didn't like this one too much.  One reason is a few out-of-place strong language instances.  There a couple of moments where I just wondered, "what was the point of this?"  But even saying that, the premise really intrigued me.   This dystopian novel centers around the idea of love.  Love is actually a disease: Amor Deliria Nervosa.  Lena just wants to make it to her 18th birthday where she can be cured and never have to worry about it.  But then she meets Alex, and now Lena is afraid that she might be infected.  What if love, this disease, is worth it?

I have no plans on reading the sequels, but I'll admit that I liked the overall idea.  Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea?