Title: After Sunshine Passes By
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.25
In: Stars Above (Marissa Meyer)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: State-of-the-art.

In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

The idea of shells is introduced in Cinder and it is a great reminder that even if you don’t have superpowers, you still have powers. The beginning of the Rapunzel story starts off kind of sad. It’s an unwanted girl in a place where she is told that she is unwanted and not needed. Actually, this is the saddest of the short stories in The Lunar Chronicles that I have read so far. There is no light on the horizon, but rather it just ends with a young girl being locked up by herself, orbiting the earth.

One thing that I really loved about this short story is Cress’ strength of character and ability to find something good in her life. The picture painted about her dismal upbringing would ensure that many people became downtrodden. Yet, somehow this girl is optimistic and full of hope – the very short story begins with her imagining a better life for herself.

Image source: Lunar Chronicles Wiki