You’ll have to forgive me; I read Cinder like a mechanized America rather than an Asian province. Lot better than reading The Selection like it’s medieval times and getting confused when the girl wants jeans, but still. Flipping my brain back and forth, I discerned what Marissa Meyer wanted to convey and inevitably fell in love with the futuristic New Beijing. Which is odd to say the least; I’m more low-tech than high-tech.
I fully believe a robot/AI apocalypse is on the horizon, though it might not look like I, Robot or Eagle Eye. The moment pristine skyscrapers with harsh angles and metallic streets come off the page for TV screen, I have an eerie feeling. Somewhere there will be a robot, and he will be evil.
Cinder takes a different approach. As mentioned in the history breakdown couple weeks ago, people are wary of cyborgs and in some cases technology. Rather than the flat and stale depiction we’re accustomed to for futuristic worlds, we’re given something that’s perhaps a little more realistic.
The Slums of New Beijing
We spend most of our story in the underbelly of New Beijing. A bazaar like market with vendors selling their wares. Dirty streets and dank smells unless your fortunate enough to pass the bakery. From mechanics like Cinder to fabric merchants, everyone’s seeking to make a penny to help their families. The passing of a cyborg shatters the will of some while others resort to complaints or shunning. But nothing frightens the people more than the cry of the plague. A normal day becomes terror the moment someone shows symptoms. And as of now, it’s a death sentence.
When not in the market, people hunker in their homes, watching reports and avoiding all areas that experience an outbreak. Perhaps there are normal houses on the outskirts of the city, but within people are crammed in small apartments along dangerous streets. Garages hold hover crafts or a tradesmen’s goods while they reside above with views of the city skyline. Depending on where you live, death and decay may follow.
I’m having fun writing description in this fashion, but I need to stop a second and say something about this font. Whoever formatted the book and picked the body type, good job. My edition has this beautiful, futuristic font with slight serifs and distinct letters that sets the tone as much as the words. All books should have a fancy font that makes the words pop off the page; it just makes it a little more grand.
The Pleasures of the Palace
Speaking of grand, we should talk about the palace. New Beijing is a monarchy run currently by Prince Kaito. Where downtown is disease-ridden and dank, the palace is pristine and expansive. Large windows look out over the city and cast light across the pale walls. Several rooms compose the palace including dining and offices, but as of now, they all hold the same dread of the city. Illness isn’t the culprit (mostly), but rather the presence of cunning diplomats from the moon. Unease as to the best course of action stalls most.
The lower levels hold laboratories, the royal doctors working tirelessly to discover a cure to the blue fever. State of the art machinery, glass enclosures, and minimalist fixtures provide a stale work environment. And in some cases, the final resting place of cyborgs. Completely underground, the only access to the world above is an elevator leading to the garages and palace. Here, there is nothing but research and facts. Death nor life matter, only the solving of problems.
Part of me wants to go deeper, but you really have to read this book. In some cases the description lacks because it’s built by the characters’ interactions and events of the moment. All of which would be spoiling a truely wonderful story. However, one thing is abundantly clear through each setting: everyone’s got a problem.
Struggle Strikes All
While written in a world where people on the moon terrorize those below, there’s a lot to be said about the setting. Specifically the people in those settings. Whether in the slums or in the palace, disease and hardship struck all. The comforts varied, the procedures differed. But no one was immune.
My pastor recently spoke about how hardships are mandatory. No one can escape loss or discomfort. We can try to outrun consequences for our bad decisions or hide away from a world we fear, but we will eventually confront something that makes us question our path.
That’s why the goal isn’t to avoid hardship but to overcome. We see this in Cinder with the main character clawing her way through a world that despises her in order to save it and the prince holding himself together to make decisions despite heartache. Difficult times are coming; how will you react?