Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 27, 2007
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Length: 485 pages
Source: Purchased Book

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.

Review:

Characters: Clary Fray doesn't believe in magic, or at least she didn't until she witnesses a crime no one else could see. Fearing for her sanity Clary tries to forget that night an what she saw. Clary is a strong-willed, creative, and resourceful girl who finds herself thrown into a world of magic and myth after the disappearance of her mother. Armed with only her geeky and loyal best friend, Simon, and her new band of Shadowhunter friends, Clary must save her mother from the evil Valentine. Though i felt that Clary's character was strong and well developed throughout the book, I just have to say, I hate her name. Well, not her name ans much as her nickname, I'm fine with Clarissa, but Clary sounds really awkward on my tongue and in my head.

Romance: Clary's romance is a pretty cliche love triangle, girl has best friend who from the first page or so is obviously in love with her, she meets intriguing and gorgeous boy with a conflicted past and has to deal with her feelings for the two. While I don't mind the use of such a cliche love triangle I was worried that it would get too predictable, which, while some predictability is good, too much can lead to becoming bored. That being said, my hesitation was foolish, as the author spun an interesting and somewhat unsettling twist into our cliche love story leaving me wanting to read the next one as soon as possible.

Predictability: With the exception to the twist in the romance aside, the twists in this book are pretty easily seen, to the point that after something was said, I would assume the outcome without even thinking that it was a prediction, but rather, common knowledge. I was surprised by a rare few twists I either didn't see coming at all or thought would happen in a different way. 

Ending: The ending was pretty weird, well, the entire ending was wasn't weird just the last few bits of discovered information, including something that either needs to change, lest things get really weird. The  last few pages though ended it in a way most first installment books end, with a moment of peace, no twist and no cliffhanger, giving the reader a mild amount of peace for as long as a month, after which the reader will get itchy for the next installment.

Harry Potter Rip-Off?: Why I went out and bought this book was that I had heard that it was a really good series and had seen that it was always at the top of the "Can't Wait" lists on GoodReads. However, before I started reading this to review I thought I'd do some spoiler free research, what I found had concerned me, someone had pretty much blamed Ms. Clare for ripping her story off the Harry Potter series, since she used to write Harry Potter fanfiction, from the character personalities to the tools that Shadowhunters use. After, reading a pretty convincing argument I was hesitant to continue, but did so anyway because you guys requested it and I didn't want to let you down. After reading it, however, I found that though there are various similarities between the two series The Mortal Instruments is it's own story with various unique plot details, and thus should not be claimed as a Harry Potter rip-off when the similarities are only minor and are used in different contexts.

Rating:

I ended up really loving this book and its introduction into this world. I can see why so many people love this series and cannot wait to continue, it's got action, adventure and more shades of gray than a certain best-selling paperback.

P.S. As always, don't forget to follow me via Email using the quick form in the sidebar and on Twitter @FlyeZachary93 to stay up to date with all my book reviews and miscellaneous posts such as my delayed "No Post on Sundays" post which will be up tomorrow due to my lack of planning around my birthday last Sunday. Also, you'll want to be following me both ways as I am planning another ARC giveaway soon. Stay tuned for more details.

Up Next: Fang Girl by Helen Keeble