Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2013 - (Page 38)

off the shelf Cinder by Marissa Meyer review by rashika Verma following World War iV, the world as we know it has ceased to exist. War has scarred the land, disease and pollution have decimated the population, and a mysterious and powerful queen on the moon gazes at the earth with a thirst for possession. Linh Cinder is a cyborg mechanic living in new Beijing. Considered an abomination by her stepmother, adri, and one stepsister, Pearl, Cinder spends most of her time in her repair shop with the family android, iko, away from the eyes of the public. Cinder’s only friend is her other stepsister, Peony, with whom she shares a close bond. But Cinder’s world begins to change when the emperor rikan falls ill with letumosis, a fatal disease with no cure, and when his son, Prince Kai, walks into her shop. the Prince suspects a conspiracy within the palace walls, but the only one who may hold answers is his android, nainsi, who has been suspiciously damaged. one night, after a trip to the junkyard for parts with Cinder and iko, Peony is infected with letumosis. adri, convinced that Cinder brought the deadly plague from the street where she works, enlists Cinder in research trials for letumosis treatments. Certain that she is being taken to her death, as no one survives the medical trials, Cinder struggles to escape. But when she arrives at the research facilities, Cinder learns that there is more to her than meets the eye. she also discovers that the secrets held by Prince Kai’s android, nainsi, could portend an attack from the lunar Queen Levana. as Cinder and Kai delve deeper into the secrets that their world holds, Cinder realizes that she is not who she thinks she is, and they both sense that the fate of new Beijing—and earth—hangs in the balance as the manipulative Lunar Queen Levana arrives on earth for the first time in over a century. While new Beijing braces for extraterrestrial visitors, Cinder races to discover the truth about Queen Levana and the mysterious deaths of her own family years ago. Prince Kai, still distraught over his father’s worsening condition, struggles to come to terms with his future, his heart, his duty, and the reality that should Queen Levana wish, new Beijing could be hers to command. Cinder is a refreshing and novel take on the classic Cinderella fairytale. however, with her strong attitude and stubborn determination, Cinder is a heroine who far surpasses her namesake. 38 imagine marissa meyer has crafted an intricate tale of identity that underscores the importance of always being true to oneself. as Cinder progresses from a lowly mechanic to a pawn in a deadly game of thrones, the development of her character reveals a Cinderella who is ingenious, brave, loyal, and determined. Cinder is the first book of a series that will chronicle Cinder’s, and earth’s, fight against Queen Levana and her army of Lunars. to be told through the voices of several other familiar fairytale characters, the sequels will continue a story of one girl’s journey to discover the truth about herself and to save the people she loves from an evil queen who hungers for power and revenge. Rashika Verma is a junior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School north in new Jersey, where she is the president of a community service club, an editor on the yearbook staﬀ, and a member of the school book club. In her free time, Rashika enjoys discovering new worlds in books, collecting interesting quotes, learning new languages, and volunteering in her community. Also recommended Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store by robin sloan an out-of-work web designer takes a job in a bookstore. it sounds simple but it’s not, because the book store isn’t just any book store, and its customers really frequent the place because they’re trying to decipher a centuries-old code. the story weaves cryptology, secret societies, and even google into a whirlwind adventure that both technophiles and bibliophiles will love. —devin Hu, 15, CA The Looking Glass Wars by frank beddor as a child i was always fascinated with fairy tales, but it bothered me that in the majority of these stories, the female protagonist was portrayed as weak. even the titular character of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is portrayed as a senseless young girl. But in frank Beddor’s take on the story, the young, misguided alyss grows into a warrior as she finds the strength to push past the obstacles thrown her way and ultimately overcomes the biggest obstacle of all, herself. —samantha Chiang, 14, taiwan mar/apr 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2013

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2013
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Music to My Ears
Together as One
Circle of Inspiration
Six Strings and a Dream
In Pursuit of Joy
Jazz Studies, Improvised
Music in College
From the Great Wall to the Golden Gate
Sines and Wonders
Selected Opportunities & Resources
My Journey Through the College Admissions Process
How It Feels to Run
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2013