Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

by Jewels E 9/06/2013 0 comments

Paperback, 1st Simon Pulse Edition

Published February 2008

by Simon Pulse
(first published March 27th 2007)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Thoughts

Well, it's been a while since I read a YA and this one was a quick read despite it's length. I did enjoy it, but after all the hype, I was slightly disappointed. I'll say right here and now I did see the movie, Mortal Instruments first, and then read this book, but I'm not thinking the movie was better or anything like that. Something seems lacking somewhere in the book, and while I can't put my finger on what, it's not something they added in the film that I thought was better. However, it's a great book with a great story and I love the characters and world.

Jace: All right, I love him. He's bad boy. He's a vulnerable bad boy. What's not to love? He says the most charming things, even if he's been an asshole, it's still charming. He was kick ass, smart, strong, high minded and brave. Also, loved the image of him with that golden halo of hair and amber-gold eyes. Drool worthy. He's the only one really willing to help Clary, the others seems just to be tagging along or following his lead, and I like that Jace didn't simply dismiss Clary as a mundane-like untrained Shadowhunter. The ending with Valentine, his "father" really showed us a side of Jace that was vulnerable and very young. But despite how desperately Jace wants his father, his only family in a sense, he does the right thing by Clary, his "sister." And not only is the right thing to do for your sister, it was just the right thing to do.

Clary: I don't know if I liked her character. She seemed to lack depth in some way. Jace I totally enjoyed, but Clary read more two dimensionally to me. She wanted to get her mom back, but she seems just swept up by a chain of events. She did some brave things, like rescue Simon from the vampires, and let the Silent Brothers into her head, but otherwise it seemed like she was just apart of a ride in some ways. It was only towards to the end, in Part Three when she learns everything about Luke and they rescue Jace that she seems to really come into her own in my opinion. That's where she's standing up to Jace, forcing him to see Valentine for who he is, and where I really started to see some of her strength and spirit. I hope to see more of that in future books.

The World & Supporting Characters

Freak, I love how imaginative this story is! I wish I had read it sooner to be quite honest. There's just a perfect mix of fantasy and a modern, urban setting. It's kinda urban fantasy for YA I guess, but anyway, I really loved the idea of the Shadowhunters being a mix of humans and angels, and loved the concept of them being at odds with Downworlders just enough to spark political coups and intrigues. Really cool. I liked Isabelle and Simon, but not sure how much more we might see of Simon since he's a mundane. Isabelle was kick ass and I hope she remains that way. As for Alec, I was glad he he seems okay with Clary at the end of the novel. Not sure how he'll feel if Clary and Jace aren't related though.

All right, in case you couldn't tell, I'm not buying this tale about Jace and Clary being brother and sister. In the movie, Jace says he doesn't believe it, but that's not the case in the novel. But strictly looking at the novel, I still don't think I'd buy it. The story comes from Valentine after all. It played out with zero believability for me. I'm surprised no one in the novel questioned this sudden revelation to be quite honest. It's too convenient a tale IMO. Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and would recommend it since the fantasy element is so cool. Also, you can't miss out on Jace. It'd be a crime against vulnerable bad boys.

4 glittering stars