Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2), by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet's grandmother has been missing for over two weeks and she is willing to do anything to bring her back alive. After her alcoholic father gives her a clue to her grandmother's kidnappers that leads to a street fighter named Wolf, Scarlet sets off on a journey to Paris with Wolf as her guide. Scarlet knows Wolf is hiding things from her, and as his secrets start to unfold Scarlet learns that she and her grandmother are in a lot more danger than they ever would have imagined. Meanwhile, in Asia, Cinder is planning her escape from prison and has found a partner in crime who happens to have a ship. Cinder wants to find out what happened to her during the missing years before her adoption and how she got her magnificently wired brain. Her journey takes her to France, where she and Scarlet cross paths on quests with seemingly different yet similar goals.

As is the case with many second books (I think I've used that line before) this book did not live up to the first one. With that said, I will remind you, if you've read my review of Cinder, that the only reason Cinder got a five-star rating was because the plot shone through the mediocre prose. Unfortunately for Scarlet, the plot took a long time to get good and even once it did it was only for a few short pages before the story returned to the unexciting once more. However, I will admit that despite my dislike for Scarlet's point of view, the connection to the first book was very good and it continued the story well while still retaining its independence as its own book and not merely a continuation of the first one.

4.2 stars.

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.