City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Okay, I know I'm a little late jumping on to the Mortal Instruments Train, but better late then never, right? After all of the bright and sunny reviews, the upcoming movie release, and of course Cassandra Clare becoming the most popular author, I finally decided to figure out what's up with the half-naked guy on the front cover. And I wasn't disappointed.

The City of Bones is the first in a series about a girl named Clarissa, or Clary for short, who finds out that her family has been keeping a lot of secrets from her. After one eventful (fateful?) night at a club where she runs into people, Shadowhunters, that no one can see, she starts to learn of a world that has been (purposefully) kept from her.

The reason this book is good, and I suspect the series as well, is because of a few key elements. One: the character are beautifully written with their own flare of personality, and their own uniqueness that is sadly not seen as much anymore in the YA world. Two: the detail in the scenery of this new and somehow realistic world Cassandra Clare has created is absolutely stunning. I almost felt as if I were actually in this world, or that it existed somewhere in the real world, and I had just never been. Three: there is constant excitement on every turn of the page that keeps the reader on edge (the good kind of on edge) waiting to see what happens to the characters. Four: there was absolutely no cursing (only the word "cursing", or rhyming of a curse word), or "certain" PG-13 scenes.

But, I have to say some of the stunning revelations the main character made were late in the game and easily predicted.

I have to say, I enjoyed my read, and I'll be picking up the next: City of Ashes.

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this book.

Clary is just this normal girl who discovers she was born to be a demon-hunter and gets sucked into a world of supernatural adventure.

The first thing I love about this book is that it is quick-paced and full of minor cliffhangers and action. You are never bored and you keep wanting to read on. The cliffhangers give you a constant feeling of shock (the good kind).

The second thing is the characters. They are well-written and you really come to know and love them during the book.

Third is of course the humor. The book is full of it, especially Jace is really funny. I have laughed so hard because of this book, my family thought I had gone mad.

Fourth is the amazing descriptions of the Shadowhunter world. The writer gives a beautiful and detailed view of every new location, which makes it easy to dive in to the world.

I would definitely recommend everyone to read this book. It has action, romance, humor, supernatural/fantasy stuff: the complete package.

I am really excited for the movie City of Bones. I hope it will do justice to the book.

http://www.evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl

NOTE: I had gifs in my review of this, but it doesn't allow it, so read it on my goodreads!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/239347812

I finished this book without dying, y'all!

This post is going to contain spoilers.

Shh.. everyone stay quiet for a moment while I try to recollect my brain cells to write this review because I've lost a lot reading this....

I have never finished a book that's been rated 1 star. I wanted to throw this book, burn it -- anything to keep it from making my eyes pop out of my head. I don't even know where to begin with this review, but I'm giving it a shot.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince was -- I have no idea how -- amazing. I tried to read City of Bones last year but stopped on page 177 because it was just a godawful read. After reading the first two books of The Infernal Devices I questioned my judgement on C.O.B. I thought, 'Hey, maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. This prequel series will give me more insight on The Mortal Instruments, so it would probably be a decent read'. Wrong, wrong, WRONG.

Here's what I hated about the book:

Clary was just annoying. I hated her. She was a waste a space, she screamed over the simplest of things, she was a coward, she always forgot Simon was around, and she was in the way of things.

I can't believe Alec is even called a Shadowhunter when he's never killed a demon in his life and he had the nerve to say Clary can't handle what they're about to face. Hey, Alec, at least Clary killed ONE demon.

Cassandra Clare copied Harry Potter: J.K. Rowling says 'Muggles' for humans; Clare says 'Mundies'. Rowling says 'Squib' for a witch/wizard without any magic, but is a pureblood; Clare says 'Ifrit'. Rowling writes flying motorcycle; so does Clare. In the Order of the Phoenix by Rowling, Sirius gave Harry a picture of the organisation Sirius and the rest of some people took part in before Voldemort killed half of them off... well, in CoB, Hodge gives Clary a photo before Valentine goes bad and killed off half of his group. What happened to a little something we call Originality?

Jace's an idiot. His character went from being, 'I'm so cool, I killed the most demons!' to 'Clary... Clary... (view spoiler) I love you. Dad... you left me, I.... what? Dad, tell Clary the truth about you... I'm... so... stupid...and...sensitive now.'

Whenever Clare tried to be funny but fails horribly.

The Incest.

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Now I'm not going to lie, some bits of the story was funny so I'll give some props for that:

'Dinnertime!' It was Isabelle, standing framed in the door of the library. She still had the spoon in her hand, though her hair had escaped from its bun and was straggling down her neck. 'Sorry if I'm interrupting,' she added, as an afterthought.
'Dear God,' said Jace, 'the dread hour is nigh.'
Hodge looked alarmed. 'I-I-I had a very filling breakfast,' he stammered. 'I mean lunch. A filling lunch. I couldn't possible eat--'
'I threw the soup out,' Isabelle said. 'And ordered Chinese from that place downtown.'
Jace unhitched himself from the desk and stretched. 'Great. I'm starved.'
'I might be able to eat a bite,' admitted Hodge meekly.
'You two are both terrible liars,' said Isabelle darkly. 'Look, I know you don't like my cooking--'
'So stop doing it,' Jace advised her reasonably.

Passages I found stupid:

So Clary gets a call from her frantic mother telling her not to come home, stay wherever she is and that she's in trouble and Valentine. The line goes dead and Clary rushes home:

'Mom?' Clary called out. 'Mom, I'm home.'

- Yeah, Clary, despite the fact your mother was fighting off demons and how they snatched her; making the line go dead, you never failed to say, 'Mom, I'm home.' What were you expecting: your mom coming out the kitchen asking if you wanted a sandwich?

Clary felt a scream rising in her chest: 'Mom!' she shrieked. 'Where are you? Mommy!' She hadn't called Jocelyn 'Mommy' since she was eight.

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Really, Clary, really? A chapter ago you were going off on your mom telling her how you could take care of yourself and how you're 'practically an adult'.

He cut a glance toward Jace, who was walking a few paces ahead of them, apparently conversing with the cat. Clary wondered what they were talking about. Politics? Opera? The high price of tuna?

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What the hell did I just read? Was this supposed to be funny?

Hodge pushed his plate away. 'Valentine was insane,' he said. 'Brilliant, but insane...'

- Ha, funny, 'cos this reminded me of Mr Ollivander when he said, 'After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.'

Clary wondered if there were any ugly vampires, or maybe any fat ones. Maybe they didn't make vampires out of ugly people. Or maybe ugly people just didn't want to live forever.

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You know what, this is going to take forever because I have 60% of this 'book' bookmarked with crap I need to write down and I'm too lazy to write them. I can't believe I'm going to read City of Ashes, but it's only because people are telling me the series will get better. I hope so.

This is what got me into young adult books. This book started it all.

First off, I have SO many favorite quotes this time over, you guys, I just HAD to share some :D

Simon grinned, "You've never heard of Dungeons and Dragons?" "I've heard of dungeons," Jace said. "Also dragons. Although they're mostly extinct." Simon looked disappointed. "You've never killed a dragon?" "He's probably never met a six-foot-tall hot elf-woman in a fur bikini, either," Clary said irritably. "Lay off, Simon."

He squinted at her. "Do you remember back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you'd get dressed up in a nurse's and give me a sponge bath?""Actually, I think you misheard", Clary said. "It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath." Jace looked involuntarily over at Simon, who smiled at him widely. "As soon as I'm back on my feet, handsome!" "I knew we should have left you a rat."

"That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they donn't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I am a badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass.'"

“Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?'
Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself."
..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."
"Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.”

Don't." Clary raised a warning hand. "I'm not really in the mood right now."
"That's got to be the first time a girl's ever said that to me," Jace mused.”

Received: From library

Plot: Quite amazing. Fast-paced, thrilling with enough romance and mystery to keep anyone and everyone in its grip. And what an iron-fast grip it is! You are entranced from page 2 and you don’t want to let go for the world. I started reading this the day before my final exams (yes, I know that was the stupidest thing ever) and I just couldn’t stop. I finished my tests fast just so I could keep reading. Lol

Characters: All of the characters in City of Bones are really well-written and easily lovable. Isabelle is such a strong person and I would personally love to meet her and Alec, well it’s awesome Clare gave the gay population some voice! I just wish that Clary (I’m guessing that’s a twist on Clare) was a little less dependent on Jace and the others; hopefully she’ll learn more by the next book – I’d like to see her as a stronger female lead. My favorite character was definitely Simon. You can see why in my favorite quotes lol. I know you’re wondering why I left Jace for last. Well, it’s because I don’t much care for him. (Don’t hit me!) I was really liking him until the end. To be so credulous to blindly throw away all his beliefs just because his "father" turns out to be alive and well shows how undependable he isI find it slightly disappointing and I pity him. Well, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of time to redeem himself in the next few books, but so far, that’s how I feel.

World: Ah, Clare creates such a crazy yet believable world! She’s like Rowling that way (yes, I’m comparing her to Rowling). Both writers have the ability to create amazing worlds that invite you to step right in and make yourself at home.

Romanciness: I loved Jace and Clary until…well, if you’ve read the book you know what I mean and if you haven’t…no spoilers for you! I have no doubt that this *ahem obstacle* will turn out to be not true because that just ruins the chances for these two and I kind of doubt any author would do that in the first book. On the other hand, I do NOT like Simon and Clary. To be honest, I feel like that was just thrown in and there’s really nothing there. Please, Cassandra, don’t turn this into a Twilight-y love triangle! Isn’t one person enough for you? And Please please please tell me Alec and Magnus Bane have a chance!! That’s something I’m rooting for even more than the others. I know there’s probably a huge age difference, but it’s not insurmountable right?

So overall, I’m just beating myself up for not reading this sooner! City of Ashes, where are you???

More About the Series: All you Clare fans probably know more about this than I do, but with some research, I have found that after City of Bones comes City of Ashes, City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels. The 5th book, called 'City of Lost Souls', will be published May 8, 2012 and the last book entitled 'City of Heavenly Fire' comes out Sept 2014. Yeah, you have to gnaw your nails that long, hard-core fans.
But not to worry. There is a spin-off series called The Infernal Devices with Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince out already, and Clockwork Princess out Sept 2013.

Recommended for: OMG Everyone!!

Reposted from my blog: http://book-spark.blogspot.com/

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Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/review-city-of-bones-by-cassandra-clare/

Opening City of Bones is like a fantasy: first you’re engulfed by this strange new world of Shadowhunters and mundanes, angels and demons, vampires and werewolves, and fey and warlocks. Then as you get wrapped up in this unique world, you also get wrapped up in this equally unique story Cassandra Clare has intricately woven, with secrets and truths, romance and war …

Of course my favorite part of this book was the plot. I’m never one to turn down a good plot, and this one was no exception. Though this book was clearly only the beginning of Clary’s long journey into the world of Shadowhunters, I was nonetheless lured in by the mystery and the romance. A Shadowhunter — also known as Nephilim, the offspring of an angel and a human who hunts down demons — named Valentine had sought to destroy all Downworlders (the term used for vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks collectively), and in the first installment of this series, he has supposedly risen from the dead again. And Clary? I know this is totally a spoiler, but she’s not a mundane. But she may just end up to be essential to destroying Valentine once and for all …

I love Clary. She’s honest and clever and artistic, and plus, she’s a natural redhead. Having her as the protagonist makes the world of Shadowhunters, well, less crazy. She’s a normal person — she could be my best friend or one of my classmates. But she’s a bit of a Mary Sue. As normal as she is, sometimes I find that she’s TOO pretty or that she’s made out to be TOO smart. She doesn’t have any bad qualities, and that puts a frown on my face, because as likable as she is, she’s not so realistic.

Jace … oh my. Jace is THE epitome of a “bad boy” in the YA universe. Hot, golden looks with a snarky attitude but an inner sweet-ness … He’s the kind of boy that will melt your insides. And though he seems so perfect, he certainly has his bad qualities, which actually DO make him more realistic. His romance with Clary? Fast and furious. A little too fast-paced for me, but I love them together. They’re a beautiful couple — one that seems to love each other so beautifully and purely that they put shame to other couples in the same room. Oh, but that ending!

To put my review into a nutshell, I adored this book. I really, really did, but it was lacking in a few areas — mainly how unrealistic it was. But would I read the sequel? Of course.

Source: copy borrowed from library

This was a new plot that I had never read before. It was nice, and I really like it! Jace!
Clary actually got on my nerves quite a lot. She seemed like she was always in the way, and Mrs. Clare seemed to write it that trouble just followed her.
But the characters are really original, their personalities really shine through.

Wow. This was an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING book that just took my breath away. Cassandra Clare combined myth and magic and just plopped it down into the modern world, creating a fabulous setting that kept me hooked.

I found this book at my school's Spring Fair. Me and my best friend Cassidy were looking through the pre-owned book store (we couldn't have spent a single Spring Fair without going without that!). I was just randomly browsing, trying to look for something that wasn't for someone in kindergarten, when, right at the bottom of a box, I saw this book and I pulled it out, because straightaway that cover made me think "Wow, this is going to be a great book." So I read the blurb and, after the first few sentences, I fished out most of my money and bought it straight away. I knew this was going to be a fabulous, one-of-a-kind book.

I loved the idea of the Shadow hunters, the offspring of angel and man, just somehow out here in the modern world, that for weeks after I finished it, I would just sometimes stare long and hard at some random people I crossed on the street, just thinking, what if they were actually Shadow Hunters? And sometimes, at random points in time, I would just whirl around, convinced I had just seen something out of the corner of my eye, when (disappointingly) there was actually nothing there.

I liked how Clary, a seemingly ordinary short girl, was actually a Shadow Hunter linked to a strange and mysterious world, how most of her past and heritage was kept secret from her, that her family actually was Nephilim, not just plain old mundanes like she believed. Even Luke, who she thinks is just some geeky guy owning a bookshop, is actually a werewolf.

I think that Jace was nice, funny and kind of on the wild side, Isabel was just crazy, and Alec was kind of the sensible side of Jace. I think my favourite character should be Jace, but after this book, as I progressed further through the series, I found myself liking Alec more, even though he was gay.

This is a fantastic book and everyone should read it.

I will tell you the story of how I found this book before I go on to saying how much I loved this awesome book. It was last year, at my old school's Spring Fair. I was in the pre-owned books (like always) with my best friend, Louisa. She found it buried deep in the bottom of the pile. She read the blurb and said she was getting it. She wouldn't even let me read the blurb!! When she had finished, she was kind enough to lend it to me to read. And, I was so glad she found it!! This book took my breath away, and stopped my heart, it was so amazing.

The idea of shadow hunters, ancestors of angels, I found truly fascinating. I loved the idea so much that I dreamt of becoming one (yes I know that is embarrassing, but it's true). The characters were described vividly and this helped me put together a mental picture of every single one. I think that the way it was written, in no one's eyes, made sure you got to see a lot more than if it was just in Clary's eyes.

My favorite character should be Jace because I liked his character but when I got in to the next few books I kinda started to stop liking him. I think that my favorite character throughout the whole series was Alec. Every single book he was just perfect. Even though he was gay, that just made me love him more, because he was so different to the rest of them. His personality was just awesome, and he was so kind. I just loved him.

I just loved every part of this book. It's truly fantastic!!!!