Audiobook Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Well, no doubt about it. Ms. Meyer has done it again! As with her previous installments, she skillfully combines great characters, fascinating storylines, and fun world-building. I don't think it's possible for anyone to read this series and not get swept up in delight! Because that's the word that always comes to mind once I'm finished reading one of her books, delightful. And I'm constantly intrigued with how she has this ability to take a fairytale that we all know well, and twist and turn it until it's recognizable, yet all her own creation.

Poor Cinder never seems to catch a break! I confess I am so ready for things to actually go her way for once. (Although, there are a few sweet moments for her this go round. So yay for that!) As for Cress, it took a little for me to warm up to her. While she was by herself at the beginning I enjoyed her conversations with Little Cress a lot, but once she connected up with everyone else, her naiveté frustrated me. Granted, it did make sense when you consider that she'd spent the last several years alone. (But this is a fairytale! Anything's possible in a fairytale, right?) I guess I just wanted her to be a little bit more smarter in a few situations. (I got spoiled with Scarlet's awesomeness!) Regardless, she and Thorne had such cute interactions and by the end I was happily enthralled with their story.

This installment does not scrimp on the action scenes let me tell you! From attempted rescues, to several kidnappings, to the final climactic fight with the Thaumaturge, Ms. Meyer keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. And you love it! ;)

Action, adventure, romance, this series is wonderful. But for all the goodness that lies therein, I do have to admit that I felt the cast of characters (while I love them all!) was getting a little large. There were so many different things going on and I felt some of the storylines didn't get as much attention as they needed, simply because there wasn't the time. I'd've loved to get a few more details on certain scenes, but the action just flew on. So while I loved the story, Scarlet still remains my favorite of the series so far. Perhaps Winter will change that though. (Although the excruciating wait we have until it comes out is so not cool!) Also, the narrator of the audiobook, Rebecca Soler, is amazing! I've said that with every book so far, but she has yet to disappoint me with her skill with accents and voices. I'd highly recommend it just for her alone.

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He leaned forward to inspect her closer. "Is that all hair?"

Sudden, overwhelming panic clawed up Cress' throat. With a squeak, she ducked out of view of the camera and scrambled beneath the desk. Her back struck the wall with a thud that rattled her teeth. She crouched there, skin burning hot and pulse thundering as she took in the room before her— the room that he was now seeing too, with the rumpled bedcovers and the mustached man on all the screens telling her to grab her imaginary partner and swing them around.

"Wha—where'd she go?" Thorne's voice came to her through the screen.

"Honestly, Thorne." A girl. Linh Cinder? "Do you ever think before you speak?"

"What? What did I say?"

" 'Is that all hair?' "

"Did you see it? It was like a cross between a magpie nest and ball of yarn after it's been mauled by a cheetah."

A beat. Then, "A cheetah?"

"It was the first big cat that came to mind."