Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) by Marissa Meyer
Genres: Fantasy (YA), Fairy Tale Retelling
Pages: 550
Goodreads
Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...
In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.
Before I even jump into this review I should give a disclaimer/back story. I absolutely loved Cinder and Scarlet so I was obviously looking forward to this book. I started it in April of 2015, wasn’t getting into it, put it down, then picked it up again in the fall of 2015. Again, I wasn’t getting into it, so I put it back down and finally picked it up again this month and FINISHED IT. However, because it’s been over a year since I read the first 200 pages of this book, I barely remember it. So, this review will consist of my thoughts from page 200 and on. I know, weird, but I wasn’t going to reread the first 200 pages. ;P
Within 3 pages back into this story, I remembered why I disliked it so much the first two times I tried.
Cress.
She is just a terrible character. Cinder was an independent girl who also had a fierce loyalty to those she loved. She was also someone you could root for because even though she wasn’t perfect, she was tough and likable. Then Scarlet was kind of similar to Cinder with fierce loyalty going for her as well. Both Cinder and Scarlet were just great characters you could cheer for.
Cress isn’t that. She is such a stark contrast to Cinder and Scarlet and that difference did not resonate with me. It’s understandable that she will be a little naïve and smitten with Earth and anyone she encounters, but her character develops so little throughout the story that it’s hard to continuously stay on board with her. I really was hoping for her character to eventually go through some great change, but really, her entire motivation is Thorne and Thorne alone. It got so redundant and ridiculous, I almost gave up a third time with this one.
As for the plot, this entire book just felt like a filler. There wasn’t anything really profound that was discovered or revealed to the reader. Every “big reveal” moment was only a reveal for other characters, not for the reader, since we already know some of the major secrets. Anything that was a big moment in this book could have been included in either Scarlet or possibly Winter.
Also, some of the plot just doesn’t make sense or is too convenient. View Spoiler »
With that said, I do enjoy the overall story of this entire series. It does capture me and I want to know what happens, this book just should not have been part of it.
The only saving grace was Iko. Although, I would have been okay with way more of her.
This is such a short review, but it gets my feelings across. What did you think of this one? Have you read Winter? Since that one is even longer, should I be weary of it having a lot of “filler” scenes?
The rating below is going to be based off ONLY this book & the new characters introduced. So, when I give a low rating to characters, it only includes Cress and her development (since it’s focused on her). For plot, it’s for the plot of this book only, not for the series as a whole. And so on and so forth.
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| Overall: | 2 / 5 |
18 Comments
Although I did really love this series as a whole, I agree that Cress was the weakest link. I also felt that it was at least partly filler. I did like Cress as a character though! I think it’s important that the characters not all be the typical strong female and I don’t think it would make sense for Cress to be that person considering her background. I can definitely see why you would dislike her though! I do hope you’ll continue with Winter! 😀
Tracy @ Cornerfolds
I totally get that! I mean, I wasn’t expecting her to kick ass considering where she came from. It makes sense to me that she’s not all confident and tough — but SOME character development outside of her relationship with Thorne would have been nice. I just didn’t feel like she changed as an individual all that much. I will read Winter 🙂 I HAVE to finish the series now haha
I still haven’t read this series, although I own Winter and Fairest (cause didn’t wanna wait for paperbacks, but now I need to order Cinder Scarlet and Cress in hardcover… lol… so maybe it wasn’t the best idea.) BUT I’m at least glad to know that the first two books are really good. It sucks when there’s filler books, and good/big series always have them. Most series with 4 books could easily be a trilogy, and most trilogies could be a duology(?) is that a word?? But whatever. Hopefully you still pick up the next one and it’s back to being good like the first two!
I own Fairest in HC and just traded for a HC of Winter — which is funny, because Cinder, Scarlet and Cress are all paperback haha xD I don’t really worry about that kind of thing, though. I do REALLY like the first two. A lot of people said Cress was their favorite one, so you may like it! It might just be me because Cress is just so annoying xD I definitely agree that MOST trilogies could be a duology. Just make the books like 100 pages longer and it would work because most of the time the second book is just bullshit lol
We tend to find the same characters annoying, lol, so idk man. Either way, once you’re that invested in a series it’s hard to back out in the middle. I’ll wait till you read Winter to see what you say and hopefully if nothing else, it has a strong start and finish to make up for a weak middle.
I agree.. And I get that authors want to expand their story (or make more money) but quality over quantity right? It totally takes away from a story when there’s too much filler and unnecessary stuff added in.
Winter is actually introduced in Cress and she seems a little nutty but interesting. So, I’m looking forward to the last one. BUT OMG ITS SO LONG IT BETTER BE GOOD hahaha
Hahahaha isn’t that the struggle tho? Omg it’s so long, it better be good. Then you get into it, and you’re like, meh, but there’s still a couple hundred pages yet and then it’s, do I finish it or do I leave it. WHEN IS THE COMMITMENT FULFILLED? Hahaha like Lady Midnight, for example. Not that I’ve even thought about starting it yet. But like it’s huge. I think it’s the biggest book I own. I’m not ready to make that kind of commitment. I also think I’m rambling now.
hahaha that’s exactly how I’m feeling about ACOMAF. It’s just been sitting on my shelf because OMG ITS LIKE 600 PAGES xD
Lol so this was FOREVER ago but I am now reading this book! Only like 50 pages in, but so far I still prefer Cinder and Scarlet to Cress. We shall see how it goes XD
I’m just not a fan of Cress (the character). Like, I love the overall plot of the series, but she is so annoying >.<
It’s been a while since I last read Cress, so I can only remember a few things from that book. But I do recall being a bit annoyed at the conveniency of the gang “coincidentally” meeting up in the same place at the same time. :/ It was just too good to be true.
And yes! Iko is my most favorite character in the series. <3 Wait 'till you read Winter. I think you'll love Winter (the girl, not the book lol) a lot too. 😉
Great review, Molly!
Yeah, I mean, they had to come together eventually, but it was just the way it happened & with so LITTLE that happened to them before they got back together. If that makes sense….. hahah
AND YAY. Iko is wonderful. Winter is an interesting character from what I can tell from the little we get of her in Cress. I’m intrigued, for sure 🙂
Thank you 🙂
I might be a black sheep… I didn’t enjoy this series as much as other people did! *hides* I don’t know, it took me so long to read Cinder and Scarlet, which is why I haven’t read Cress until now… And now I just more recluctant to read it xD I feel like there’s just something missing from the series, but I can’t quite put my finger on it…
Oh, that’s interesting! I do like the overall plot of the series. It is a little different to have each book be about a different character. Which for me, sometimes makes it hard for me to connect. It helps that I enjoyed Scarlet as a character, but I definitely wanted to just focus on Cinder. Then I hated Cress. So, for me, that’s what sometimes throws me off on this series.
If you continue, I hope you enjoy it a bit more. Or, don’t continue! You don’t have to 🙂
Cress is my least favorite of the group of characters also… but I guess that’s a pretty unpopular opinion bc people get all ragey when I tell them I don’t like her. LOL. I know she’s hasn’t had social contact with the outside world, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t annoy me. I hate the school girl crush crap. I just hate it. And I really like Thorne… but not w/ her! Anyway, I think it’s lazy that everyone has to couple up in that series (I still really really like the series, just not all the coupling). I haven’t read Winter yet. I did the same thing you did w/ Cress– read a hundred pages and put it down last fall 🙁
Ah, I’m so glad someone doesn’t like her either! I thought I was alone hahah I understand that she would be a bit socially awkward and latch on to the first person around her given her circumstances. In the beginning of the book, that totally made sense. But 500 pages later and I felt like she didn’t change AT ALL. I can’t get on board with that. I also really like Thorne! He was one of my favorite characters until this book, because I just don’t like them together.
Also, you’re right. Why does everyone have to couple up? I guess it is a retelling of fairy tales that all have some sort of prince in it, but still….they could, I don’t know, be just friends? Or allies?
Honestly, nothing huge happens in Cress until the end. you could probably just read the last few chapters and be good hahah
Ahhh, I actually feel differently about this. Personally, Cress is my favorite of the series. I could relate to her as a fellow naive person smitten with Thorne. Cress was really, really good for me.
That’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it more than I did 🙂